ChemKnits: Space Dyeing to Make Multicolored Yarn

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Space Dyeing to Make Multicolored Yarn

Space dyeing yarn allows you to create a multicolored colorway in a single pot. This is one of the many yarn dyeing tutorials I have created with AllFreeKnitting.com. I will be sharing more information about the other tutorials in future blog posts.

How to Space Dye Yarn (written instructions to go with the video):

You will need: Water, white vinegar, food coloring, 100% wool yarn wound into a skein, heat (from the stove).
Set up the dye bath: Add 1T white vinegar per cup of water in the dye bath. You want just enough water to cover the yarn.
Add the yarn to the dye bath before you turn on the heat. This will help reduce movement in the dyebath for when you add the dye so we get maximal separation between the colors. Sure, we want some mingling of the colors, but we do not want to end up with a solid color!
Turn off the stove after the dyebath is simmering. If you choose, you can adjust the skein in the pot with a spoon.
Drop food coloring into the pot, adding each drop in a different spatial area. In this tutorial I had 7 drops of food coloring total. DON'T STIR THE POT!
Let the yarn sit until all of the dye has absorbed to the yarn. If the skein is cool enough to touch, wash with luke warm water and mild soap until the rinse water runs clear.
Let the skein dry, and enjoy!

Important things to remember when space dyeing yarn:

You want as little movement in the dyebath as possible - so DON'T STIR! Be patient.
Less is more when you are adding the dye - you can always decide to add more later if you don't get the saturation you want. Remember, you want a multicolored yarn, so if you add too much dye you run the risk of getting a single color.