# Dyeing wool with Kool-aid



## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

thought I would show you my latest experiment. lol
I made kool-aid dyes fixed with vinegar as the mordant.
Then I leave them out in the sun for the day. Hopefully I will get some nice colors going.
I have a plan to make some seriously colorful socks, mitts and hats. 

**btw I have no idea how to resize these pics so sorry if they are so large. :gaah:

but enjoy! Anyone else do dyeing??? My next thing I want to try is unbleached muslim with kool-aid colors and or food colors and make a bunch of fat quarters for a quilt.
I am currently gathering wild flowers, roots and barks to make natural dyes but need to keep gathering before I can show you all that.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks for posting !!!!!

I use a crock pot for dyeing mine ...also good timing, I'm get ready to dye some more wool. :woohoo:

Can't wait to try it. (*Andi off to the root cellar for jars.  lol


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

*Andi said:


> Thanks for posting !!!!!
> 
> I use a crock pot for dyeing mine ...also good timing, I'm get ready to dye some more wool. :woohoo:
> 
> Can't wait to try it. (*Andi off to the root cellar for jars.  lol


LOL
I just took out some spices and dyed with turmeric, cinnamon, yellow onion skins and have tomato leaves simmering which is suppose to give a blue hue. never did tomatoes leaves before. :scratch will see....


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I've never tried tomatoes leaves before (and it wasn't in my notes :idea ... look forward to hearing how it turns out! :2thumb:


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## rhrobert (Apr 27, 2009)

lhalfcent said:


> My next thing I want to try is unbleached muslim with kool-aid colors and or food colors and make a bunch of fat quarters for a quilt.


Won't they get upset?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Excellent idea, I never thought of koolaid as a dye, but I should have, it stains everything!
Thanks


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

rhrobert said:


> Won't they get upset?
> 
> Sorry, couldn't resist. Excellent idea, I never thought of koolaid as a dye, but I should have, it stains everything!
> Thanks


  ROFL
holy moly I didn't realize i wrote that wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

lhalfcent said:


> ROFL
> holy moly I didn't realize i wrote that wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


That was tooo funny.........I don't dye wool but just thought I'd mention that I stained fabric ( accidently) with beet juice.........would that work for ya??:dunno:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

beet juice does work and makes a nice pink color. 
As for the tomato leaves... didn't make blue at all! didn't do anything.
I wonder if there are certain tomato plants like cherokee purple or something that make that color. I am gonna research that one. kinda a puzzle.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Here are some recipes I've seen/used:

Purple: purple cabbage, blackberries/black raspberries

Yellow: yellow onionskins and/or turmeric

Brown: coffee grounds

Red: cranberries, beets, crab apple bark or rose hips.

Blue: red cabbage leaves, blueberries, elderberries, red onion skins or hyacinth flowers


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## bunkie (Apr 12, 2011)

lhalfcent said:


> ...As for the tomato leaves... didn't make blue at all! didn't do anything.
> I wonder if there are certain tomato plants like cherokee purple or something that make that color. I am gonna research that one. kinda a puzzle.


i would think that the OSU Blue Tomato or the Blueberry Tomato leaves might make a nice color. their leaves turn a deep blueish purple in the sun.

also, Red Miracle Corn has bright red leaves and the cobs are red. when one cooks the corn, the red color goes in the water, and can be used for dyeing.

great thread!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> Here are some recipes I've seen/used:
> 
> Purple: purple cabbage, blackberries/black raspberries
> 
> ...


here is a pic of two small amounts of fleece I dyed one with turmeric and the lighter one from strawberry juice.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

bunkie said:


> i would think that the OSU Blue Tomato or the Blueberry Tomato leaves might make a nice color. their leaves turn a deep blueish purple in the sun.
> 
> also, Red Miracle Corn has bright red leaves and the cobs are red. when one cooks the corn, the red color goes in the water, and can be used for dyeing.
> 
> great thread!


OOOO great ideas! :2thumb:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

ok thought i would share the kool aid colored fleeces i dyed. they are drying now but can't wait to start spinning them! I like dyeing fleece more than spun yarns as you can get interesting effects as different parts of the raw fleece will take more color than another part. kinda cool. lol just the artist in me I guess....


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I love all the different colors !!!!!!!!!

Great job!:congrat:

Right now I'm working with a deep purple and deep red with a blend with "gray". Jacob gives you many shades of gray. (but as a cappy, I love it! )


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

*Andi said:


> I love all the different colors !!!!!!!!!
> 
> Great job!:congrat:
> 
> Right now I'm working with a deep purple and deep red with a blend with "gray". Jacob gives you many shades of gray. (but as a cappy, I love it! )


ooooo can't wait to see. will you post a pic? :2thumb:


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I will try and post some pictures in the morning ... (Storms, pc a little slow right now)

And I love the strawberry juice wool. Very nice!!!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

we are in the zone for severe weather tonight thru tuesday sigh
so much rain! my garden is really struggling. I think i might have to figure out a greenhouse type cover for it to keep the rain from pelting it so much. 
but with the weather the way it has been , i've gotten alot of spinning done! lol


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

lhalfcent said:


> ooooo can't wait to see. will you post a pic? :2thumb:


Pictures didn't come out that well ... will try again ...:gaah:


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## catsraven (Jan 25, 2010)

ok thought i would share the kool aid colored fleeces i dyed. they are drying now but can't wait to start spinning them! I like dyeing fleece more than spun yarns as you can get interesting effects as different parts of the raw fleece will take more color than another part. kinda cool. lol just the artist in me I guess.... 

ooooooooooo perdy


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## catsraven (Jan 25, 2010)

oops 1 to many post


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

Your wool was gorgeous.........you guys are awesome, is there anything you can't do? Good grief, of yes Martha, I just spin some wool as my bread is rising and the canner is going and the beans are soaking...etc..etc..etc...
geesh, I'm really getting a complex .................. oh well, on the upside, I appreciate your talents........:congrat:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

neldarez said:


> Your wool was gorgeous.........you guys are awesome, is there anything you can't do? Good grief, of yes Martha, I just spin some wool as my bread is rising and the canner is going and the beans are soaking...etc..etc..etc...
> geesh, I'm really getting a complex .................. oh well, on the upside, I appreciate your talents........:congrat:


LOL :kiss:


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*I usually*

I usually dye the front of what ever I am wearing with what ever I am drinking.
:beercheer:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

BillM said:


> I usually dye the front of what ever I am wearing with what ever I am drinking.
> :beercheer:


so basically tie dye....


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Just can't get a good picture ...


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Maybe you can tell better on this one ...


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

Beautiful!!!!:2thumb:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

I have wanted to learn to make ethnic turkish style socks. This has been one of list things to do. lol
anyway, I hand spun those small amounts of kool aid dyed wool and started a pair of turkish socks (with a weird heel). I decided to do it the magic loop style so the whole pair of socks is done at one time. 
I highly recommend doing socks this way. Anyway, the traditional way of ethnic sock knitting is of course with 5 double pointed needles. But seriously...doing these on circular needles i have way more control on tension and such. Then when its time to do the heel then I use double pointed to finish that part.
thought I would post a couple pics of how I am doing it.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Love the Kool-Aid idea! 

This fall I'll be tye-dying with my son using local nature items - walnuts, dried blueberries, roots from osage orange (hedgerow) trees, and we'll see what else we can find on the property. We'll be tying it in with history lessons.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

goshengirl said:


> Love the Kool-Aid idea!
> 
> This fall I'll be tye-dying with my son using local nature items - walnuts, dried blueberries, roots from osage orange (hedgerow) trees, and we'll see what else we can find on the property. We'll be tying it in with history lessons.


:2thumb: nice


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Like I said before ... you have a true gift with the needles. :2thumb:

Please post a picture when you have them finished.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

aww shucks andi...lol thank you :kiss:
I love knitting. I really do. 
and now that I have learned how to make my own yarn...I am think I need to find a knitting anonymous group....


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

lhalfcent said:


> I am think I need to find a knitting anonymous group....


Well ... If you find them know and we will join together. lol


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

*Andi said:


> Well ... If you find them know and we will join together. lol


the group needs to be called.... 'the purly gates' hehe


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

*I finally finished my turkish socks!*

they have yet to be blocked but i finally finished them. lol
I have been so busy with other stuff but finally the last couple days I just made up my mind to get them done. Had to to take the pics in the bathroom lol 
here they are...


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I'm not sure how I missed this...

They are great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a pair for sale??????????????????????????????


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

working on it!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

I am on Etsy now!!!
Just listed a skein of hanspun two ply corriedale.
I have to still tweak the site but it might be ready to look at now.
check it out and let me know what you think. 
Handpun two ply white corriedale yarn by MomsComforts on Etsy


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

i priced the yarn by researching what others were pricing at. I hate pricing my stuff. lol
cuz most of the time i do stuff for free with payment being the enjoyment of making it, know what I mean? hehehehee

now to finish the socks!!!!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

my 9 year old daughter loves the cartoon PowerPuff Girls and wanted me to make her a pair of socks with the colors of the girls. The colors are green, pink, blue with black stripes. the dark yarn isn't true black but a very very dark Jacob yarn I got my hands on. 
so I thought i would share the socks with you all. I handspun the yarn dyed with kool aid. 










Here they are on my daughters feet! lol


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Love the different colors! :2thumb:

And just so you remember ... I like grey ...


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

*Andi said:


> Love the different colors! :2thumb:
> 
> And just so you remember ... I like grey ...


got it! need a smiley that looks like it is writing on a tablet. lol


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## movax0 (Aug 23, 2011)

My wife does her own dye. I know a little about it because I get sent to the woods to get the ingredients. 

She uses:

Pokeberrys - Makes a deep Red. Needs sodium carbonate for mordant.

Beets with alum as a mordant-Makes a gold color.

Onions with alum mordant makes sort of burnt orange color

Hickory/Walnut/Pecan rinds-makes various shades of brown. No mordant needed.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

movax0 said:


> My wife does her own dye. I know a little about it because I get sent to the woods to get the ingredients.
> 
> She uses:
> 
> ...


I need to look more into wild dyes ... maybe a good winter project. My plate is more than a little full now. (not sure how that happened.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

latest project finished. working on matchng mitts and socks


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Very nice !!!!!!!!!!!

A true gift of the thread ... :2thumb:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

thank you 
trying to catch up on my winter stuff. kids grow so fast!


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## whome (Oct 6, 2011)

I like this thread  I really like natural dyes. Lot of great info here, thanks!


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## whome (Oct 6, 2011)

Have you ever noticed, spinners always have the coolest socks?


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

methinks you are right whome. lol
with spinners they make one of kind most of the time!
I am so glad i learned how to spin. the sky is the limit.


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