It is the ratio of Kool-Aid to yarn that matters, not the strength of the dyebath. You shouldn’t need more water to cover the yarn, but add some from the kettle if you are having trouble getting the Kool-Aid to dissolve. Lift the silk skeins out of the glass dish and leave them temporarily on the upturned lid while you add the Kool-Aid powder or solution to the water that was used for soaking. But there’s no need to be precise unless you’re aiming for reproduceable results, and if in doubt go for less, you can always add more later (see next step).
There’s only about 4g in a packet which makes weighing out small quantities impossible unless you have super-accurate scales, so dilute a full packet in warm water to make 100ml of solution and then it’s easy to get the right amount by measuring out the liquid – a teaspoon holds about 5ml or you probably have a set of measuring spoons in a kitchen drawer. You’ll need 1-2 sachets of Kool-Aid per 25g/1oz of yarn for deep colours (more with some flavours such as Lemonade), about half that amount for pastel shades. If you like this Instructable, please vote for it in the Dyeing for Color contest & the Three Ingredient challenge. Ī jam jar (if you aren't going to use the whole sachet at once)ĭyeing a few lengths of yarn for a knitting project such as the one in the photo above makes more sense than buying lots of different coloured balls.A jam thermometer (not essential for silk).A lidded microwaveable dish, preferably clear glass with no tint.Gentle shampoo or other liquid detergent for washing.At least one sachet of unsweetened Kool-Aid powder.Natural coloured silk yarn - I used bourette silk.The drink powder already contains citric and ascorbic acid so there's no need to add anything other than water, although a pre-soak in dilute vinegar helps. Look for Red 40, Blue 1 or Yellow 5 in the ingredients list on the back of the packet.
The photo above shows several flavours and the colours they produce - the packet colour is a pretty good guide.
It’s inexpensive and a single sachet will dye up to about 25g/1oz of yarn a deep colour, or about twice that much yarn a pastel shade. Look out for it in small independent grocers and on market stalls, or buy it online from Ebay, Amazon or Candy Hero. That might make you reluctant to drink Kool-Aid, but contact with it isn’t going to do you any real harm.
Some of these food colourings are no longer used in children’s products in Europe, because they have been associated with hyperactive behaviour. The colours are achieved by means of synthetic food colourings that are closely related to the acid dyes commonly used in the textile industry for wool, silk and other protein fibres. It’s a concentrated drink powder aimed at children which comes in a multitude of fruity flavours and lurid colours. And it only needs three ingredients: yarn, Kool-Aid and vinegar.Īt this point, if you’re not American you’re probably wondering, “What on earth is Kool-Aid?”. The process is very forgiving - you can build up the colour gradually and see exactly how things are progressing, stopping when you get the depth of colour you want. You can use your ordinary cooking dishes and utensils. There is absolutely no mess, and it’s quick and safe. Protein fibres include nylon as well as animal fibres such as wool and alpaca.Īll the dyeing is done in a lidded dish in the microwave. These instructions focus on dyeing silk yarn, but any protein yarn can be dyed with Kool-Aid and a similar process can be used to dye loose fibre and fabric.