step 1: you need wool and kool-aid
I used "Fisherman's Wool" which is sold in great big skeins (it's economical) in natural colors. I used an off white and a brownish color.
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Soak small amounts of the wool in kool-aid and water.
For less intense colors like mine - just a couple of minutes will do it.
Be careful to really squeeze your yarn to get it soaking up the dye.
Wool is basically waterproof - so you have to really work it in.
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Hang it up to dry in a place where it won't matter if it drips.
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Mine dried over night.
You can see that the darker wool and the lighter wool dyed very differently ... except for the grape ... those 2 look basically the same to me.
I'm planning to make ski headbands like THIS one.
I'll use the natural wool for the background color and these yummy kool-aid colors for the stranded parts. (They smell good too!)
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... oh, and you might want to wear gloves (wink)
LOVE the "orange" hands! But then again, my color for the day was orange!!! Oh, Kimmie, I've heard of dying yarn with kookaid, but haven't tried it. Thanks so much for this great post. Hugs, Terri xoxo
ReplyDeletehey! Thanks for sharing. I had googled the method. One article mentioned that, if left long enough, the wool will pull all the color out of the solution. I liked your slipper colors too! I'm making mitts this week-on my third pair-kind of like making socks-with thumbs in stead of heels!
ReplyDeletecooool...i was using walnut ink to dye fabric today....i can't wait to try this!! thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's so crazy! Who would have thought?
ReplyDeleteoh you made me chuckle...you are so brave ;00
ReplyDeleteNice colours, Kimmie. Great use of materials. Will the dye be colourfast, though? I have visions of brighly coloured foreheads :)
ReplyDeleteyes they are colorfast.... the slippers I made a while back were felted AFTER being dyed .... so yeah, I think the dye is colorfast. Scary thought actually that kids drink the stuff.
ReplyDeletenot only beautiful, but I bet it smells really good too!
ReplyDelete