Dyeing w/ Koolaid question

#1

I have some wool I am planning on dyeing and I found directions on how to, but I have a question. I have 2 skeins wool that are in the typical skein wrapping (here is an example http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=82329&PRODID=47150 Can I just take off the wrapper and dunk it in my water, or do I need to kind of unravel it?
Jessica

#2

You’ll want to wind it into hanks first. :thumbsup:

#3

What is a hank and how do I do that? :??
Jessica

#4

A hank is like a big loop of yarn. You can wind it around your knees, or have someone hold out their hands to wind it around. Then you’ll want to tie it 3 or 4 times with a contrasting color of scrap yarn. This lets the yarn be more exposed to the dye.

#5

[b][color=indigo]Yes, you can, depending on what effect you are going for. If you just submerge a ball, cake, or skein of yarn in the dye, the outer parts will be very dark and the innerds pale or the orginal color. This gives a great effect when knitted up going from dark to light. I’ve also dunked one side in one color and the other in another to create a very nice pattern when knitted up. One can also dye wool/acrylic/cotton blends. The wool will take on the color, but the other fiber won’t which creates a very nice heathery effect.

It’s very much fun and very addicting to start playing with wool and Koolaid![/color] :happydance: [/b]

#6

[color=indigo]Yes, you can, depending on what effect you are going for. If you just submerge a ball, cake, or skein of yarn in the dye, the outer parts will be very dark and the innerds pale or the orginal color.[/color] :happydance: [/quote]

Good to know! I read in some tutorial to avoid doing that because the color will be uneven, but if it’s uneven in a good way – well, that’s different. I bought a 10-skein package of patons kroy sock yarn just for dying experiments so I’ll definitely reserve a skein or two for that. Does it take long for it to dry, though?

#7

Something I’ve been wondering about:
If Koolaid will permanently dye wool or cotton,
what does it do to the innards of those who actually drink it?
I think I’ll stick to using it for coloring yarn…

#8

Actually, it won’t dye cotton. You need a different kind of dye for plant fibers. As for what’s in it… I think it’s just food dye – stuff that’s probably used in lots of the products you already eat. Which isn’t to say that I drink it myself, because I think it’s pretty nasty! :teehee:

#9

just like i’ll stick to using coke to remove rust stains :teehee:

#10

But sometimes a Coke just hits the spot… even though I sometimes feel a burning sensation down my throat as it makes it’s way to the spot! :teehee:

#11

[color=indigo]I’ve found very few bad results of dyeing. :slight_smile: [/color]

I bought a 10-skein package of patons kroy sock yarn just for dying experiments so I’ll definitely reserve a skein or two for that. Does it take long for it to dry, though?
[color=indigo]Depends on where you live. Here in the desert it doesn’t take that long. To speed it up, though, I use a heating pad and a fan. Lay a towel over the heating pad and the spun out wool on that with a fan blowing on it. Or put in a nylon stocking and hang in the wind. Or if you have a sweater tray for your dryer…[/color]

#12

Lizzie, do you know which of the red koolaid colors (cherry, strawberry etc…) is most likely to give a blood-red color? I have some natural undyed wool in a very light cream color, and am going for blood red if I can.
Thanks!
Laura

#13

Here in the Ohio rainforest it might take forever without a hair dryer :wink:
There’s also HOW you dry it. One spinner around here hung up a hank that was still wetter than she realized. She wound up with the most stunning graduated color–I can’t really call it variegated–just beautiful sky blue down to midnight.