Dyeing yarn with Koolaid and/or food coloring

[Lynn E]

As I was wandering around the 'net I came across an article about using Koolaid to dye yarn. I'd love to hear about the successes (and failures) from all of you who have tried these methods. It seems like it would be a blast to do it.

Wool was used in the article. I'm assuming any organic yarn could be used. Am I right or wrong? Any tips or suggestions to ensure success? It's a project I think I'd like to try since buying yarns with long color runs seems to be quite expensive.

Thank you for reading this.

Lynn

[Maryjane]

Haven't had any experience with dyeing with Kool aid! I would be interested in seeing how its done too!

[Landon]

It does sound like a blast!! I am not familiar with the organic yarns, I wonder how the chemicals would affect the organic nature? My thinking is Koolaid has chemicals, I bet there are organic dyes out there, but they could be pricey!

The colour variation possaibilities are sky high!!

[Barbara G.]

Hello,

I have not personally done this. Here are some previous posts on using dye that may be of interest, though.

http://crochettalk.com/main/551-work...spun-wool.html

Curious to hear from others on this, too.

[Susan2014]

lKool-aid for dying yarn. I know I pinned this a few weeks ago. I believe I should find that and try it. I use the low priced yarns tho? I will let you now soon I hope how it came out. Keep on crochet dont wait??? I would think it would fade real quick???

[Maryjane]

My daughter once dyed her hair with koolaid and it never did fade! It finally grew out! Good thing she didn't do all her hair! I don't know if yarn is like human hair??

[Lynn E]

I think I used the wrong word (slight case of nominal aphasia ;-). Instead of the trendy new eco-word (my own new word, heh heh heh) "organic" I should have used "natural" as opposed to synthetic. I wonder if the new yarns being made with bamboo would accept color? Obviously they accept color, but would Koolaid or food coloring work too? Hmm, seems like I have a lot of experimenting to do. LOL! >>>while humming that old tune, "I wonder whose kissing [him] now?"<<<

[Landon]

How about trying just a strand of it to see how it goes? I honestly have no idea on the chemistry of dying yarns, no idea of how colorfast it would be. I would just do a strand and see how it turned out. Did you google it to see if there was anything online about it?

[Lynn E]

Good question about fading. Do you think using white vinegar in the rinse water would set it? Thinking about dyeing yarn got me to thinking about hair dye, you know, those crazy new colors kids use?

Sometimes I wish I had a car so I could go to Walmart, etc. or the thrift stores to check stuff out. The About.Com crochet guide (gosh, I wish I could figure out how to post links using this Kindle) wrote about salvaging really nice cashmere yarn by unraveling a sweater found at a thrift store. The sweater cost $6 bucks and 900 feet of white 100% cashmere yarn to dye. If a hank or skein or whatever it's called is about a hundred feet it would mean that she got 9 hanks for $0.67 cents each? (Math confuses me so I hope that's the right answer.) I sooo miss haunting thrift stores!

My mind is awhirl with all these musings! I'm off to reclaim serenity by crocheting a few rows...

[Lynn E]

Hmmm, hair and fingernails are made of keratin which, as we all know, accept color and/or stains. I'd have to read up on hair & fur again in one of my forensic books but seem to remember it's all made up of the same stuff. Fur has microscopic hollow spaces which is why it dyes so well if memory serves me right. So maybe hair dye would work as well...just a lot more expensive.