By Kathleen Sams
Have you ever thought about dyeing yarn and decided it was just too difficult? Don’t want to mess with those toxic chemicals………. I use to think the same thing until I discovered what you can do with Kool-Aid. The great thing about working with Kool-Aid is that it is kid friendly. My grandkids stayed with me during their Christmas break and I had them help me come up with some fun color combinations. They really got into it and the possibilities are endless, plus the kids loved it and can’t wait to dye more. They are already planning which colors to mix and what I’m going to make for them. I’ll be sharing those later in my blog.
What you’ll need:
First thing I purchased was a clear plastic shower curtain to cover my kitchen table. Working with 2 kids (8 and 10) I knew they would have Kool-Aid all over and I was right.
• Red Heart “Heart & Sole” sock yarn in 3115 Ivory
• Unsweetened Kool-Aid packages, or any unsweetened powder drink mix (one package per skein of yarn)
• Large pot (I used my enamel water bath canner) or microwave dish large enough to hold a skein of yarn.
• Microwave oven
• Rubber gloves (I used the disposable kind, they work great for kids)
• Wooden spoons or plastic spatula for stirring (one for each color being used)
• Water
• Vinegar (optional)
• Bowls for each color
• Paint brushes (optional) one for each color
There are two basic methods for this type of dying: stovetop and microwave. I used the microwave method only because it was easier working with the kids. I did use my large enamel pot on the stove to soak the yarn.
Here’s how we did it:
If the yarn is a center pull skein or in a ball, you will need to rewind it. I positioned 2 chairs from the kitchen table about 5 feet apart and wrapped the yarn around making a large hank or loop.
1. Soak the yarn in hot water for about 30 minutes, making sure yarn is covered.
2. While the yarn is soaking, mix the Kool-Aid and water. Using bowls mix 6 oz of hot water to each package of Kool-Aid. Stir to blend in the powder drink mix. If you want a deeper color, add an additional package of Kool-Aid. You can also add ¼ cup of white vinegar to this solution to help set the color, however the kids didn’t like the smell so we didn’t use it and I couldn’t see any difference.
3. Remove the yarn from the hot water bath and squeeze out the excess water (you may not want the kids doing this part).
4. Lay the yarn on the plastic covered table.
5. Using paint brushes and a turkey baster, paint colors randomly around the yarn, making sure you saturate through all layers.
6. OR Dip sections of the yarn into the prepared bowls.
7. If you prefer a solid color, dip the entire skein of yarn into the bowl and let it soak for approx. 5 minutes. You may want to squish the yarn around to make sure you get good color coverage. This is a lot of fun for the kids. It’s like a science project ……. The water becomes clear or a milky white, depending on the color of the dye. It’s magic!
8. Place yarn in large microwave dish and microwave for 2 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes and microwave for another 2 minutes. This helps to set the color.
9. Rinse with warm water, squeeze out excess and hang to air dry.
Patterns using Heart & Sole:
Crochet Heart & Sole Socks
Colorful Doilies (LW1613)
Self Striping Socks (LW1619)
Colorful Crochet Socks (WR1783)
Sock Monkey (WR1923)
Kids Socks (WR1862)
For more ideas from Kathleen, read her blog on RedHeart.com.