It is extra hot here in Northern Pennsylvania this week, so I thought it would be a good time to try ice dyeing some wool yarn. I mixed one packet of Kool-Aid with 1/2 cup of water and then froze the mixture in ice-cube trays overnight. The next day, I soaked the wool yarn in a water/vinegar mixture
for about 20 minutes and then drained off the excess water. I placed the frozen dye cubes on top of the yarn, covered it with plastic wrap, set it outside and let the sun do the rest! (I did pop the yarn in the microwave for a minute just to make sure it was heat set enough, but I'm not sure it was really necessary.) As you can see, lemonade, pink lemonade, orange and cherry Kool-Aid ice-cubes make a very pretty variegated pink yarn! I think I will be doing more ice dyeing this summer!
for about 20 minutes and then drained off the excess water. I placed the frozen dye cubes on top of the yarn, covered it with plastic wrap, set it outside and let the sun do the rest! (I did pop the yarn in the microwave for a minute just to make sure it was heat set enough, but I'm not sure it was really necessary.) As you can see, lemonade, pink lemonade, orange and cherry Kool-Aid ice-cubes make a very pretty variegated pink yarn! I think I will be doing more ice dyeing this summer!
18 comments:
Susan, that is so cool, literally!
Your yarn looks fabulous! :0)
That looks amazing and FUN! Would it work on fabric?!?
Beautiful colors... so yummy! My wheels are turning...
I've never heard of ice dyeing. Thanks for sharing!
Oh dear - I'm heading out to buy some kool aide. LOVe this idea!
Love the idea. What is the ratio of water and vinegar? I think I might try it on fabric.
wow Susan thats fabulous. What a wonderful idea. Can't wait to see it all knitted up either.
That's such a pretty blend! It is worth the sacrifice of the ice on a hot day ~
:-}pokey
Gorgeous! I didn't know you could do this!
It's so pretty. I'll pass this along to my daughter who dyes yarn.
It's lovely....what a great combination of colors and such a fun technique too! Thanks so much for sharing.
How inspiring! My favorite color combo, too. Gotta try this - thanks so much for sharing!
:) Linda
Oooh, love it! I'm assuming the baking dish is still food-safe?
How large was the skein of yarn you dyed? What was the ratio of water to vinegar? I've never dyed anything before but will do this. Bought the Kool-Aid yesterday and have the ice cubes are freezing as I type. Thanks for posting this fabulous discovery.
I just did this today, and it came out great! I soaked my hank of Patons Classic Wool (100 gr/210 yards) in enough water to cover the yarn in my 9x13" baking dish, with a splash of white vinegar, for about 20 minutes. Followed the rest of the directions, then after I brought the yarn in I drained the leftover water, let it cool to room temperature, and gently rinsed it a couple of times.
I've never tried to die wool. Will the colors stay by using Kool-aid? or will they wash out?
I've done dyeing with Kool Aid before and it was great fun. I shall definitely be trying this method soon, but living in North East England we're not generally blessed with Pennsylvania's glorious sunshine, so I might have to resort to a microwave to get it to work properly!
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