Will Kool-Aid dyed still felt?

#1

If I dye wool with Kool-Aid, would it still felt? Anything I gotta do or watch out for?

#2

Yes, it will still felt. Just make sure that you have rinsed the yarn enough so that the water is clear. I like Eucalan for this. If you don’t, you might have a bit of a mess in your washer.

#3

I read that the water should be warm while you rince… how should you rince withough felting during the rincing? Or is it difficult enough to actually accidentally felt the yarn?

#4

Oh, no… it’s fairly easy to accidentally felt it during the dyeing process. Rinse it in warm water, changing the water until it’s clear. Don’t let the running water strike the yarn, and don’t agitate it much, if at all.

Taking the yarn from hot water to cold water will also felt it.

#5

If I understand right, do I fill the sink with warm water, let soak, then take out the yarn and repeat? I figured you shouldn’t let the warm water strike the yarn.
Oh… maybe with a stainer? :cool:

#6

This is what I do. After the yarn has soaked up all the dye, I put the wet yarn in the sink and wait until it has cooled to room temperature.
Then, I take the yarn out of the sink, fill the sink with room temperature water and bit of wool wash (not wool-lite), and gently put the yarn back in the sink . I let it soak for about 15 minutes and gently wring out some of the water. That’s it, you’re done. I’ve never felted any yarn this way.

#7

I use a large bowl actually. I fill it with warm water, submerge the yarn, swirl the bowl a time or two, lift out the yarn, dump off the water and repeat.

#8

I once dyed a skein to be varigated…that was fun…two colours were kool-aid and the other had to be rit (purple, orange and black…guess which wasn’t kool-aid!)

I had no problem not felting the kool-aid bits, but I had a bit*h of a time with the black. Kool-aid does not require stirring which was my problem with the black…

My dying woes aside…yes…the project will felt regardless…I hand wash the gloves I made out of the skein just to be sure it doesn’t felt on me…but every time I wash them…they smell like kool-aid again…I love it…