Dying Yarn with Kool Aid

Yarn comes in many colors, but sometimes just not the color you want. An easy way to make the color of your dreams is to dye the yarn using kool aid. The yarn you use must be 100% animal fiber, such as pure wool, mohair or alpaca. Acrylic or cotton yarn will not hold the dye and there are other dyes specifically for them. The yarn you start with can be already dyed if you want to brighten the color or just dye a new color over it to see what you get.

Take the yarn out of its skein and form it into a large loop. Tie the loop with small bits of yarn or string evenly spaced around it, to keep the yarn in its loop shape. Make sure it's tired loose enough for the dye to penetrate all the yarn.

Soak the yarn in a solution of warm water and 2 ounces of white vinegar for 30 minutes. Remove the yarn from the water and gently squeeze out at much as you can. Wrap it up in an old towel and squeeze out even more.

Next place the yarn in a casserole dish, or something similar that can go in the microwave and is large enough that the yarn isn't overlapping itself.

Combine one packet of kool aid (the kind without the sugar mixed in) into 6 ounces of warm water and 2 ounces of white vinegar. Mix until all the kool aid is dissolved. Use gloves and an apron to avoid dying your hands and clothes as well.

Using a turkey baster squirt the kool aid mixture onto sections of the yarn, using your ties from earlier as a guide if you want the color spaced evenly. Repeat the process with other colors of kool aid to get the color or pattern you desire. The excess mixture not absorbed into the yarn will settle in the bottom of the pan.

You could also dip yarn half in one color and half in the other. Or just put all the yarn in one color dye.

Next cover your pan with saran wrap and poke small holes in the top. Microwave on high, checking every 2 minutes to see if the water on the bottom is clear. Once the water turns clear it is done. Depending on how much yarn you are dying it usually takes around 8 minutes.

Carefully take the yarn out of the microwave. It will be very hot. Put it in the sink and run hot tap water onto the side of the sink, not directly onto the yarn. Gradually turn the water cooler and cooler until the yarn is cool enough to handle. Squeeze the water out, again rolling it in a towel to get more out, and hang your yarn to dry.

When it's dry, start knitting or croqueting!