Or the nutty professor, whichever....hehe.
Well, I did a little experiment - I dyed my cashmere yarn. I got it a while back, but I didn't like the thought of white (or cream in this instance). So, I figured since people dye at home, I should be able to - cashmere is wool (a protein fiber) after all, right? Then I came across the notion of KoolAid - who knew you could use that to dye yarn? Well, I certainly hadn't. I found a really good article at Knitty (they even had a color card of the flavors), and decided to try my luck. Kinda hopin I'd be successful, since cashmere ain't cheap. So, off I went to get my KoolAid... I decided to get the Black Cherry and the Grape, since I wanted a deeper red and purple. I did 700 yds in the red and 500 in the purple.
Since cashmere is extra sensitive, I didn't want to do the stovetop method, so I decided to use Ziploc bags instead. I mixed lukewarm water with the KoolAid powder (I used about 3 packets per skein - 100yds/2oz), and put my (soaked) yarn in. Then I put the bags out on the balcony - in the sun. I'd read somewhere that this was a good way to heat the water without shocking the yarn, and by god, it was. It obviously took longer than it would have on the stove, but I'd rather be safe than sorry - especially with cashmere. I let the yarn sunbathe until the water was clear (i.e. the yarn had absorbed all the color), and then soaked it in the kitchen sink with some Eucalan. Then I hung it to dry in the shower. It's still not completely dry, but I'm very happy with the results of my first dyeing attempt.
The ingredients
The soaking of the yarn - who said toys can't have a purpose?
Well, I did a little experiment - I dyed my cashmere yarn. I got it a while back, but I didn't like the thought of white (or cream in this instance). So, I figured since people dye at home, I should be able to - cashmere is wool (a protein fiber) after all, right? Then I came across the notion of KoolAid - who knew you could use that to dye yarn? Well, I certainly hadn't. I found a really good article at Knitty (they even had a color card of the flavors), and decided to try my luck. Kinda hopin I'd be successful, since cashmere ain't cheap. So, off I went to get my KoolAid... I decided to get the Black Cherry and the Grape, since I wanted a deeper red and purple. I did 700 yds in the red and 500 in the purple.
Since cashmere is extra sensitive, I didn't want to do the stovetop method, so I decided to use Ziploc bags instead. I mixed lukewarm water with the KoolAid powder (I used about 3 packets per skein - 100yds/2oz), and put my (soaked) yarn in. Then I put the bags out on the balcony - in the sun. I'd read somewhere that this was a good way to heat the water without shocking the yarn, and by god, it was. It obviously took longer than it would have on the stove, but I'd rather be safe than sorry - especially with cashmere. I let the yarn sunbathe until the water was clear (i.e. the yarn had absorbed all the color), and then soaked it in the kitchen sink with some Eucalan. Then I hung it to dry in the shower. It's still not completely dry, but I'm very happy with the results of my first dyeing attempt.
The ingredients
The sun bath
The finished product (red is Black Cherry flavor and purple is Grape flavor).
Now, I just have to sort out the mess I made (because I was lazy and didn't un-wind the 2 balls I'd already made)...
2 comments:
You realy got the nice colour out of it!!Thanks for the dyeing tips :)
How has the color lasted? I've never tried to use KoolAid for dyeing (other than my daughter's hair -- which was very temporary).
Is is really necessary to get it warm or hot? What about the vinegar?
Thanks!
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