So the other night I wanted to see how the 2 Kool Aid flavors I got would look on the boring pale green yarn. I took a small bit of the yarn and took 2 baggies, mixed some of each flavor, and popped them with the yarn in the microwave. I did 3 packets of the lemonade and only 2 of the mango, and I only microwaved for 2 minutes, so I’m sure I can get more vibrant results.
On the left, we have the original color. In the center, the lemonade, which has certainly pumped up the green to a happier place. The right, the mango, which is a little muddy, but again, only used 2 packets and 2 minutes of heat.
I know there’s concern about dyeing knitted pieces rather than just yarn so I should have knitted swatches, and still might.
The weird thing is, the lemon one has made a stiff, crackly yarn, and the mango is still pretty soft. So if using the lemon, will have to rinse/wash and block a second time. Also, the concern of shrinkage has me thinking that I will use the microwave method the whole time, and not a pot of hot water, which might felt it more.
So the verdict: if I do this, it will probably be with the lemon. I sure have enough green sweaters, but the lemon seems the least likely to cause extreme blotchiness, and it’s readily available down the street.
I use Kool Aid quite a bit. I use vinegar as a mordant, and that seems to work really well. You have to watch the heat if you don’t want it to felt. If you do it in a pot, keep the temp low. You might try the Blue Kool Aids. I get various shades of turquoise-from clear blue sky to a sea green turquoise. I have never used a microwave. My friend does, but the wool seems to be a little frizzy since she can’t regulate the heat like pot dyeing. I also use the crockpot for small batches. It is great to regulate the heat evenly. Hope this helps.
Left by Juliann on February 22nd, 2008