Hey everyone! For a while now, I’ve been interested in learning how to dye my own yarn. There are so many other wonderful yarn dyers out there with beautiful color combinations. I keep thinking to myself, “It can’t be too difficult to dye yarn, right?” I decided to take this yarn dye experience into motion and start small. Read more to find out how my yarn dye experience went.
The first things you’ll need, of course, are supplies. I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up some of their dyeable yarn. I guess the store I went to was getting rid of them, so they were on super clearance. That made me happy because if I went through with this yarn dye experience and didn’t end up liking it, at least I didn’t spend a ton of money on it. I picked up one 100% cotton skein, a few 50% wool/50% acrylic blend, and one 100% acrylic skein.
Next, I picked up some Kool-Aid packets, which I’m using to dye the yarn. I’ve read some articles online where others have dyed their yarn using Kool-Aid packets. Again, I thought this was an inexpensive purchase to test out before I went into the more expensive dyes out there.
You’ll also need some bowls to pour the mix in, water to mix it with, a spoon, and a large pot.
First, you will need to soak the yarn in hot water. This will help the dye stick to the yarn. Leave the untreated yarn in the hot water for about 20-30 minutes (I left mine in for 30 minutes).
Next, take out all of the water except for 1 inch of it. Be careful not to move the yarn as this can cause felting.
After that, pour the Kool-Aid packets into a bowl and mix it with 1 cup of water. I decided to use 3 different colors for this yarn dye experiment. Mix with a spoon.
Next, carefully pour the Kool-Aid onto the yarn in sections.
Turn the heat on until the water starts to simmer. Once it starts to simmer, you can turn the heat to low. Keep the heat on for about 20 minutes or until the water turns clear. For me, 20 minutes was more than enough time. This means that all of the dye absorbed into the yarn.
Once the water is clear, turn off the heat and let the yarn get to room temperature.
Next, take your yarn out and squeeze the excess water out. You may need to rinse your yarn with room temperature water to get the excess dye out.
Finally, leave your yarn to dry completely. When I started this yarn dye experience, I had a lot of 90+ days, so I left the yarn outside on my balcony to dry.
Here is the final result using 50% wool/50% acrylic:
Overall, I enjoyed this yarn dye experience and would try it again. I might add two packets of Kool-Aid next time to get a richer color. However, I enjoyed this experience and will practice using more Kool-Aid packets (maybe food coloring, too) before I go out and purchase some actual dye.
Have you ever tried yarn dyeing before? What was your experience like? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Great post!! I’ve been eager to try dyeing yarn too but after watching several videos I’ve been hesitant. This seems to be an easy inexpensive way to try.
Thanks! That’s how I feel too. I see all these pretty yarn colors and I want to make my own like that. However as a beginner I have to be realistic and know mine might not be the best at first. This is an easy and inexpensive way to find out if yarn dyeing is right for you. Thanks for reading!