Kool-aid Yarn Dyeing

I tried dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid for the first time this weekend. It was so Kool!! I couldn't believe how easy it was. First, I put chairs as far apart as possible, and wound skeins of white yarn into the longest loops possible. After tying the strands at strategic locations with kitchen string, I mixed up the Kool-aid in large plastic containers while the yarn soaked in warm water. I placed sections of the yarn into each container, and popped the whole thing into the microwave. I zapped for 2 minutes, waited for 5, and repeated until all of the color was absorbed by the yarn, and the water was colorless. I was surprised at how vibrant the colors were! I used 2 or 3 packets of Kool-aid per container, and the skeins of yarn were 3.5 to 4 ozs, so there was about a 3:1 ratio of Kool-aid /oz of yarn.

Once it cooled, I hung the yarn on plastic hangers in the bathroom. TRHM proclaimed "It smells like a box of Fruit Loops in here!"

After they dried, I put the giant hanks back onto the chairs, and wound into small skeins. The colors are a little blotchy, but I think it will be fine once the yarn is knitted up. These skeins are destined to be hats for teenagers in a group home in Atlantic City. I think the teens will like the funky colors.