I have been
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planning on making a
big needle blanket for months. I have so much fisherman's colored Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn that I wanted to dye it so I wouldn't end up with a second cream afghan.
To prepare the yarn I allowed it to soak in plain water until the yarn was thoroughly wet. I let some soak overnight, but that length of time is not necessary. It would help to bring the dye bath to a boil before adding the yarn, this way when the yarn is absorbing the dye you can keep it on a low heat to prevent burning. Additionally, since this is a machine washable wool blend, felting is not a concern. Too much heat and agitation can change the texture of this yarn, but you you don't need to be as careful as you would if you were stove-top dyeing 100% wool.
Yellow Stove-top Dyeing:- 1 packet KoolAid lemonade (yellow)
- 30 drops of yellow food coloring
I let two skeins simmer in the color bath until the water ran clear. The dye bath does not need to come to a rolling boil, some heat is enough for the color to absorb. Allow the skeins to cool completely (you can remove them from the dye-bath to speed up this process). Wash the completed skein in mild soap and luke warm water. Hang to dry.
Yellow-Orange colorway (Stove-Top)
- Create a dye-bath with 1 packet Kool-Aid Orange
- Add 10 drops red, 5 drops yellow food coloring.
Bring the dye-bath to a boil, then turn off the heat. Using a skein that has been pre-dyed yellow, dip an end of the skein into the bath and wait 1 minute. Slowly, minute by minute, increase the amount of yarn that is in the dye-bath (about 1/4 of the skein at a time). Do not dip the final yellow portion. The dye-bath will not run clear because you want the later dipped sections to have a lighter orange color, and you're not going to let it soak that long. Remove the skein from the dye-bath and allow it to cool. Wash the completed skein in mild soap and luke warm water. Hang to dry.
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Dip Dyeing the skein
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The finished skein.
Orange Stove-Top Skein- Use the remaining dye-bath from above and a fresh, undyed skein.
Bring the dye-bath to a boil. Turn off the heat, add a skein and allow the skein to sit in the dye-bath until the color is in the wool and not the water. Remove the skein from the dye-bath and allow it to cool. Wash the completed skein in mild soap and luke warm water. Hang to dry.
Drip Dyeing a Pre-Knit square
- Dye-bath: Cleared water from previous dyeing (above). The water should still have citric acid in it and work to dye the wool.
When I was making my sampler afghan, I decided to
redo one of my squares. This means that I have an extra square that was already knit for me to dye!
Bring the dye-bath to a boil. Dip the pre-knit square in the water, and spread it out as much as possible. Using food coloring, drop color over the square in a random pattern WITHOUT stirring the water. Allow to simmer until you see the dyebath becoming a single color. Remove the knit square and allow to cool. Wash in mild soap and luke warm water. Hang to dry.
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Un-dyed square spread out in the pot (left) and after the dye is added (right)You get more of a spot of color when the yarn is closer to the surface. If you are unhappy with the pattern that you created, and want more color in a section, make a new clear dye-bath and add more color to the sections you feel need it.
The Dyed SquareThis square is reddish, but the remaining dyebath is blue/green. Red colors absorb to the wool first, so you could leave it in if you want colors to even out more.
Unravel the square, and wind into a ball.
Green Stove-Top
- Use remaining dyebath from the dip dyeing of the square.
Bring the dye-bath to a boil. Turn off the heat, add a skein and allow the skein to sit in the dye-bath until the color is in the wool and not the water. Remove the skein from the dye-bath and allow it to cool. Wash the completed skein in mild soap and luke warm water. Hang to dry.
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The leftover dye ball on top of the dyed square (left) and comparison of the two balls (right)