Easy Dyeing Wool With Kool Aid

Are you looking to create vibrant rainbow colors in your wool fiber before you felt, spin or knit/crochet with it? I have discovered an easy way to get beautiful results with very little time or work involved! Commercial dyes can be expensive, and for small amounts of dyed fiber Kool Aid produces just the right rainbow effect I'm looking for at an affordable price (often 5 packets for $!). The mystery has often been in "How do I do this?" This is where I let you in on the mystery of the technique!

You will need:1-2 packets Kool Aid (your choice of cover color). I used "Grape" over light grey fiber which gave me a muted purple

1/4 c vinegar

4 c water

2-4 ounces 100% wool in the form of fleece, roving, hand spun wool or commercially produced 100% wool yarn

microwave safe bowl (glass or plastic)

spoon

microwave

salad spinner or sieve (optional)

Make a solution in your microwave bowl using the water, vinegar and 1-2 packets of Kool Aid powder (the more packets you use, the more intense the finished color of fiber will be). Swish around with spoon.

Thoroughly wet fiber of choice and submerge in dye bath. Leave fiber in dye bath for at least 10 minutes. Gently stir fiber in dye bath from time to time (2-3 times).

Place fiber in bowl into microwave. Microwave on HIGH setting for 3 minutes. Do not agitate the fiber in the bowl or it may felt. Let bowl and contents cool enough to handle. Remove dyed wool by gently squeezing out excess water, straining contents of bowl using sieve or spin drying it in a salad spinner.

Let dyed and drained wool dry on (paper or cotton) towel. Use as desired for any fiber art project.