Summer’s here so why not have some fun with Solar Dyeing or Sun Dyeing your Wool Yarn?
Did you see my Kool-Aid Dyeing Tutorial where I created a multi colored yarn with various shades of Kool-Aid? Well, I’ve been playing around with over-dyeing different colors to see what comes out.
And, since it’s nice and hot outside, why not use the sun to set the dye? I did 2 separate skeins with different colors. I hope it’s not too confusing!
So, here are the 2 experiments:
Yarn #1 (Left) Three toned skein of yarn:
First third – Orange
First & second third – Orange & Black Cherry
Entire skein – Orange, Black Cherry & Grape
Yarn #2 (Right) Two toned skein of yarn:
First half – Lemon Lime
Entire skein – Mixed Berry (blue)
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Supplies Needed:
–Wool or Alpaca Yarn
–Kool Aid (Unsweetened)
(2 packets per color)
–Canning Jar – Quart Size
-Water
-Sunshine!
Prep:
Fill a bowl with warm water and add the yarn, gently pushing the skeins down to saturate (don’t move it around). Let it soak for about 20 minutes. No vinegar needed since the Kool-Aid contains plenty of citric acid.
In the meantime, add warm water to your Canning Jars until they’re about 2/3 full.
First Color:
Remove yarn from the bowl and squeeze out the excess water.
Yarn #1
Add 2 packets of Orange Kool-Aid to the first jar and stir well.
Take one skein of yarn and submerge about 1/3 of it in the Orange Kool-Aid
Yarn #2
Add 2 packets of Lemon Lime Kool-Aid to the second jar and stir well.
Take a second skein and submerge it about 1/2 way in the Lemon Lime Kool-Aid
Setting the Dye
Loosely place the lid on the jar (to keep the heat in) and set it in the sun. It wasn’t quite hot enough this day, so I placed my jars in an old, black roasting pan to try and increase the heat. (Note – this can also be done inside on top of the stove)
The dye has set when the water is clear. It took about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove each skein of yarn and squeeze out the excess liquid. Set aside.
Second Color
Yarn #1
Add 2 packets of Black Cherry Kool-Aid to the first jar and stir well.
Take the partially dyed (Orange) skein and submerge the Orange end plus 1/3 in the Black Cherry Kool-Aid. This will leave 1/3 un-dyed.
Yarn #2
Add 2 packets of Mixed Berry Kool-Aid to the second jar and stir well.
Take the entire skein and submerge it in the Mixed Berry Kool-Aid.
Once again, heat set the dye as with the first color (above), then, carefully remove each skein of yarn and squeeze out the excess liquid. Set aside.
Third Color
Yarn #1
Add 2 packets of Grape Kool-Aid to jar and stir well.
Take the entire skein and submerge it in the Grape Kool-Aid.
Heat set as before.
Finishing
Once the dye has set, rinse your yarn in cool water and hang to dry. It’s fun to see the colors change with the different over-dyes.
Go and experiment!
