This weekend, I dyed wool yarn with koolaid packets! This is only the second time I’ve dyed yarn with koolaid, I originally followed along with this website through the process. But I will give a short tutorial on what I did to make my yarn.

Supplies:

• 100% Wool yarn (I used Lion Brand’s Fisherman Wool in the light color)
• 2 packets per color used (in my case, i had 2 packets tropical punch, 2 packets black cherry, and 2 packets grape)
• 1 large plastic container per color (i used tupperware that could hold at least a quart of liquid)
• 1 Bottle of Vinegar
• Water
• 1 cardboard box 10″x10″ or larger (I used a USPS large flat rate box)

Step 1: Take your cardboard box and make sure it is assembled with the top open and the bottom taped shut. Take your yarn, and place your strand in one of the gaps between the top flaps. (refer to terribly drawn box photo)

Step 2: Begin wrapping your yarn around the sides of the box. By doing this you are unraveling the yarn into a big loop, making it easier for the dye in the koolaid baths to penetrate the yarn. Continue wrapping the yarn around the box until the skein is finished or until desired yarn amount (I split my yarn into 3 batches, a large, medium, and small). Once you are done wrapping your yarn around the box, cut off about 8 inches of the yarn, then cut that piece into 4 segments. With each segment of  yarn, wrap and tie it around the yarn on each side of the box. This will keep your giant loop of yarn contained so that you can easily take it off of the box.

Step 3: Prepare your container(s) by filling them 2/3rds with water. For every quart of water, add 1/4th cup of vinegar (I personally just put 1/4th cup of vinegar in all of my containers even though they might be more or less a quart of water).  In each container, add 2 packets of koolaid (NOTE: If you’re going to do all 400+ yards of yarn in one container, I suggest adjusting this to 2 quarts of water in a large container and at least 3 packets of koolaid to make sure all of it gets a nice saturated color).

Step 4: (optional) Rinse your yarn in water for about 5 minutes or until all of the yarn is sopping wet. Then wring out the water from the yarn (I did not do this step, it’s not necessary but if you skip this step your yarn might have a mottled look to it in the end, which isn’t necissarily a bad thing).

Step 5: (I highly recommend you use at least one glove for this step as koolaid will stain your hands for the rest of the day) Submerge the yarn in the koolaid bath. If you are using more than one containers/baths, place the containers as close as possible to each other, and place a book or object underneith the containers if you need to in order to  make all of the containers level with each other. If you are using more than one container, submerge one half of the yarn in one container and the other half in the other container. There will be a segment of the yarn that will not be in the water. Some of the dye will still soak up that segment, but if you do not want that segment to stay that natural color, after about an hour of soaking, pull that segment towards one of the containers and submerge it in as much of the bath as possible. Repeat with the other side. This segment will still turn out lighter in color but at least it won’t be the natural color of the yarn.

Step 6: Let the yarn sit in the bath for at least 3 hours. If you want a light, subtle color in the yarn, take it out after 2 hours. If you want a completely saturated color, leave over night.

Step 7: Once it is done soaking, carefully take your yarn out of the container(s) and over a sink. Briefly Rinse and wring the yarn out as much as possible. Place the yarn on a baking sheet and “bake” in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. This will help set your color in your yarn and dry it a bit. After 10 minutes, take your yarn out of the oven and set it out to dry.

Step 8: Once it is completely dry, snip off the segments of yarn used to hold the loop together and begin winding your yarn into a ball. After you have a ball, you can begin to knit or crochet with your new koolaid dyed yarn!

If you are wondering what other colors different koolaid packets produce, check out this awesome koolaid yarn color chart!