From Sheep To Octopus: Dyeing Handspun Yarn With Kool-Aid

What happens when you dye some handspun yarn with...Kool-Aid? Gorgeous, food-safe, vibrant colors - if you do it right.

I followed the directions in Kristi Porter's Knitty article, "Dyed in the Wool" - http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall02/FEATdyedwool.html The amigurumi pattern belongs to Jessica Felton: http://www.allcrafts.net/fjs.htm?url=crochetme.com/patterns/little-octopus

I'm wearing nitrile gloves not because the procedure is unsafe, but because concentrated Kool-Aid dye stains like whoa! I didn't use vinegar to set the color because, according to science, the citric acid in all this Kool-Aid is way more acidic than household acetic acid (vinegar). I've never dyed yarn before, and rather than buy a bunch of intimidating aniline dyes and a separate dye pot/utensils, I thought it would be fun to give dyeing a chance with a one-shot, food-grade dose of Kool-Aid. Turns out that dyeing is fun!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Kool-Aid
• dye
• sheep
• yarn
• drop spindle
• wool
• handspun
• diy
• crochet
• octopus
• bath
• Do It Yourself
• roving
• one-ply
• single-ply
• amigurumi

[beatgoddess]

@legolover229 Thanks! It was a lot of fun, and I totally recommend it now that I've tried it.

[legolover229]

wow thats soo coolll