Dye-O-Rama

#1

The kids and I tried Kool-Aid dyeing last weekend (LB Fishermen’s Wool), used store-brand raspberry for the red, grape for the purple, Kelly Green Wilton dye for the green, and some similar type powdered food dye for the blue. It’s all a bit INTENSE, I may tone down the whole thing with a packet or two of black cherry! LOL I think it’s about 400 yards altogether. The grape/purple is a bit blotchy/uneven, probably didn’t stir it enough, but doesn’t bug me. Kind of used this technique…

http://www.streetsandyos.com/archives/2005/06/selfstriping.php

It was funny because my daughter and I were unwinding it into a large hank and were using two chairs but as we were winding it around the chairs, the hank became saggier and saggier, and then I realized the chairs were being pulled closer together as we wound the yarn around them (they had been about 5-6 feet apart). So then we used the legs of the kitchen table because I KNEW those wouldn’t be moving.

I haven’t wound it into a REAL hank yet since I may redye it. I’m thinking I’ll try a felted bag with it.

#2

Great colors!!

I’m still trying to find out how to tye-dye yarn :??

#3

It is intense, but it’s still really pretty!

#4

I like it!! Your daughter is adorable, too. :wink:

#5

I tired grape Kool aid and it came out red instead of purple. :?? I like your colors. Good job :thumbsup:

#6

I actually used local chain store-brand “Kool-Aid” and probably 4 packets of grape for the purple and maybe a dash of tropical punch in there too. At first I was afraid it was going to turn out a muddy brown, but it actually is purple!

I think I’m going to dye over at least the red and blue with Black Cherry to tone them down a bit. I’d like a deeper green as well, but I’m afraid to muddy it up, and I’ve never seen Kool-Aid in “pine” flavor. :rofling:

#7

How did you dye it using the wilton colors? I have a whole box full of that stuff that I have been wanting to dye with… :??

#8

I just stirred the dye into the water (2 cups of water give or take) to dissolve it, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon of the Wilton dye. It’s the gel/pasty stuff that comes in the little jars. When you open the containers for the first time anyway it’s like a gel, after they sit in a drawer for a few years, it becomes more pasty. :wink:

I then heat treated it just like the stuff dyed with the Kool-Aid. One thing I did notice is that the yarn (the red and the purple) absorbed up all the color from the Kool-Aid solution, leaving the water clear or nearly clear, which I knew should happen from reading about Kool-Aid dyeing, but the water stayed colored for the Wilton dye (blue and green). So I guess if you’re doing some of both at the same time, use the Kool-Aid ones for an indication of “doneness.” I probably had them simmering for about 45 minutes to an hour or so.