Production of variegated polyester yarn and fabric

A process for producing polyester yarn, capable of being dyed in yarn or fabric form to a variegated appearance, said process comprising running partially oriented polyester feeder yarn with freedom of lateral movement over and in contact with a smooth, stationary, horizontally positioned surface wetted with a liquid reagent capable of altering the affinity of the yarn to a disperse dye, said liquid reagent being supplied to said surface through an orifice in said surface, said orifice having a diameter of from about 0.1 to about 3 mm., the yarn running speed and the reagent flow rate being adjusted to prevent continued contact between yarn and reagent, whereby the yarn wipes the wetted surface to an intermittent and essentially dry state before the surface is again wetted by the reagent and random contact between said feeder yarn and said reagent is obtained, and thereafter drawing or draw-texturing yarn.