Kool-Aid Dying

Kool-Aid Dying

Ever used Kool-Aid to dye wool?  It's a really fun project for kids and adults to do together.  You can even use a crocpot - or microwave, or stovetop.  Drink mix is food safe, so you can use your regular pots to dye instead of having a set aside dye pot used only for caustic dyes.  I like to use Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool, but any undyed wool yarn should do nicely.

I use:
A good sized pot
Water
Splash of Vinegar
Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool
Kool-Aid in your choice of color(s) 

1) Either wind the yarn into a looped skein or into a loose ball or cake.  Fully saturate the yarn with water that is approximately the same temperature as the wool.  You don't want it to felt on you!

2) Once the yarn is fully wet all the way through (it may need to soak for a while) remove it from the pot and gently squeeze to get out the excess, again, be careful not to agitate it.  Fill the pot with water and a splash of vinegar and add in your packet(s) of kool-aid and stir.  Mix a couple of colors, or go for just one.

3) Submerge your yarn carefully as to not splash the color everywhere (ask me how I know!).  Gently bring the yarn and dye up to a simmer - not a boil.

4) Simmer your yarn in the dye bath until the water turns clear.  Yes, the water will be CLEAR once all the dye is soaked into your yarn.

• If you are using the microwave, zap the wool in 1 minute increments until the water turns clear

5) Let the yarn cool until it's cool enough to handle comfortably.  Rinse the yarn in the same temperature water as the yarn (you don't want to shock the yarn from hot to cold or vice versa or you'll end up with a felted mess).  Rinse and squeeze until the water is clear.

6) Gently press your dyed yarn between a couple of towels to get as much water out as possible.  Hang the skein to dry above a sink, or let the cake dry on a stack of dry towels or on a drying screen (keep turning every few hours to help it dry out).

Notes:

• If the yarn is wound into a looped skein it will have a fairly even dye.  When you wrap into a skein be sure to tie it in at least 4 places loosely, then twist and tuck one end into the other to keep it from becoming a mess in the water pot.
• If the yarn is in a cake or ball the center of the ball will be a lighter dyed color than the outside of the ball creating a variegated ball.

Play with using a couple pots of water and dying half the yarn skein (looped and tied but not twisted) in one pot and one end in the other.

The yarn below was dyed in a cake to create the variations in color, then knit into the sleeveless sweater.

Happy Dying!! :-D