Yesterday I released TWO videos featuring this squirt gun technique. One with me and Lucky dyeing yarn side by side, and a second where I used some of the leftover dye on a sock blank. (There is actually a third video, too, where I dyed some more yarn by mixing together all of the leftover dye. However that one only tangentially used the squirt guns.)
We filled each squirt gun (bought in a 3-pack from the dollar store) with 6-7 drops of food coloring from the Wilton Color Right Color Performance System. (Amazon Affiliate Link) The food coloring is fairly concentrated and viscous, but I didn't have any trouble adding the drops directly into the squirt guns and then mixing up the dye. The squirt guns DID leak, so if you don't want to dye your hands with food coloring, then you might want to try wearing gloves.
I was inspired by a viral video on hair dyeing from a few years ago where some stylists used squirt guns to dye hair a rainbow of colors. This was one case where hair dyeing techniques translated easily to dyeing yarn. I'm so glad that I gave it a shot, and I know that both Lucky and I really want to do this again!
If it is possible, I think I had even more fun dyeing a double stranded knit blank (KnitPicks Affiliate link) with these squirt guns. I love the way the streaks and splatters turned out on the blank. I would really like to fill these squirt guns with some tie dye and try this out on a T-shirt, I think that you could create a really unique and interesting ombre. (You KNOW that I am going to try this at some point in the future!)
There are many different ways to get a speckled gradient on a sock blank, and I've explored many different techniques on my channel. A lot of the yarns might look fairly similar on the niddy noddy. However, sometimes it is very much about the process as you are creating the yarn. There is no question that dyeing yarn with squirt guns is SO MUCH FUN. Mess fun, but it was a perfect way to spend a summer evening.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Shana Tovah to all of you who are celebrating the new year.
