We Tried It! Kool-Aid Dyeing Yarn Edition

Summer seems like the perfect time to try something wacky like dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid and we are here for it! 

GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

• Un-dyed Yarn: Superwash is going to be the easiest to work with for those who are new to dyeing. As for thickness? Any weight will do! For us, Twistedista Dawn picked Knitted Wit Victory Sock in Naked because it will inevitably become Turkish Bed socks. But, any weight will work- just remember to make sure you dye enough to finish the final project you have in mind. This is also a fun thing to try on a non-white skein that you don't like the color of.
• Kool-Aid: There are some colors that have more punch as far as color - we are looking at you Cherry and Grape- and some that are harder to use like Lemon. Yellows are hard to get a saturated color from no matter what you use. Go wild with colors- this is the time!
• Non-reactive pan: Stainless steel is the obvious choice here. We love cast iron but this is not the time...

LETS START! 

• Soak your yarn. This is going to help the dye get into the fibers and you really only need to do it for 20 minutes or so.
• Heat your water in your pan on the stove. You don't want it boiling, but it's the heat that is going to set the dye for you and do all the work.
• Add the color(s) of your choice! We added most of 2 packets that ended up both being red so, SUPER SATURATED COLOR!
• Now you add your yarn. You want to make sure it is skeined but not hanked or twisted. This will get you the most even color all over.

TIME FOR HEAT...

• It's time to heat set your yarn so the color lasts. There are two ways to heat set your yarn, the stove or the sun. We chose the faster route of the stove and let it set for 20 min. 
• Time is really your friend here so if you can let it sit and cool down in the pan, do it! We did! 

 DRAIN, RINSE, DRY!

• This seems obvious and what was most surprising was that the yarn really did take in all of the color from the Kool-Aid!  What is not obvious in this step is that one video pointed out what that you might want to use some wool wash or soap at this point. Why? Because Kool-Aid contains stuff like flavoring that you really don't need- or want- in your yarn. If you are not worried, you can leave this step until you are in the blocking stage of your final project.
• The last thing to do is find a place for your yarn to dry thoroughly. 

BOTTOM LINE

This was way more fun and satisfying that we thought it was going to be. Definitely easy for anyone of all skill levels and something we will absolutely do again! The hardest part was actually tracking down old school Kool-Aid packets...