June 5, 2005
Kool-aid, baby
Lately I haven't really felt like knitting. It could be because of the start of running season (10k next weekend!) or the dead hot weather that has recently descended on NYC. Most likely it has something to do with my ongoing indecision about what to knit.
The thing is this: I seriously have more yarn than one person should have. I don't really want to buy more. But every project I want to knit seems to require new yarn. and I refuse to purchase more. Also, I've been lazy/nervous about converting patterns to new gauges. Thus, no new projects are getting started!
Instead of knitting, I've been Kool-aid dyeing! and I am way hooked.
With some Knitpicks Color Your Own sock yarn (unbeleivably soft yarn if you haven't tried it) and Kool-Aid packets straight from suburbia, it was on.
This is my favorite one. Its self-striping. Mostly green, with little orange stripes.
Working with Kool-aid is a challenge because pretty much every color is neon. The skein above was dyed twice. The first time, I used straight-up lemon-lime and orange flavors. This resulted in 80s-quality neon yarn. Not really what I was going for... So I decided to try overdyeing it, re-dyeing the green section with purple (Grape), and the orange section with red (Grape Illusion). I am so thrilled with the true green color!
Comments (13)
gorgeous dye-job, I'll have to store away the overdye tip for next time I try.
I also have your same inability-to-de-stash problem, but am trying to overcome it
Posted by PumpkinMama | June 5, 2005 12:49 PM
Posted on June 5, 2005 12:49
Hey, I can't believe you made that skein all by yourself! Amazing, and a lovely picture. Nothing 80s about that nicely saturated duo of orange and green!
Posted by grumperina | June 5, 2005 1:35 PM
Posted on June 5, 2005 13:35
Great colors! I love that green... and you know it! I put in an order with KnitPicks last Wednesday and picked up a skein of this to try for fun. I am not into neon colors either, so I might take your suggestions and dye it over twice. I think I am going to go for a green and blue skein!
Posted by Dani | June 5, 2005 5:11 PM
Posted on June 5, 2005 17:11
you did such a great job dyeing that skein...it looks amazing. dyeing is something i really want to try some more of....i'll keep my fingers crossed that my results are half as good as yours.
Posted by jacqueline | June 5, 2005 5:15 PM
Posted on June 5, 2005 17:15
That is some incredible Kook Aid dying! I love the green with the touch of orange.
Posted by Colleen | June 6, 2005 7:15 AM
Posted on June 6, 2005 07:15
LOVE the colors! And I hear ya about the weather....holy crap I couldn't even touch my needles last weekend!
Posted by Tara | June 6, 2005 10:34 AM
Posted on June 6, 2005 10:34
Very nicely done. I'm taking a dyeing class next week at the wool show I'm attending. I'll have to get some sock yarn from Knit Picks to try out my new skills. It's been hot there? Check out my blog for pictures of our 12" of snow!
Posted by Stephanie | June 6, 2005 10:52 AM
Posted on June 6, 2005 10:52
Great! I am never brave enought to try and dye something twice. I was going to ask you last week how to you determine where to space the colors to make self stripping sock yarn. I need to know your therory on that!
Posted by Joelene | June 6, 2005 11:09 AM
Posted on June 6, 2005 11:09
Lovely results with the Kool-Aid dyeing. Yeah, the whole neon color thing is a little off-putting at first, but it is fun to really play with the colors and find the good combos. I love mixing up the packets and seeing the new results. Also, each yarn takes the dye differently, so you never know what you will get.
I hear you on the yarn--I have so much in my house too. I need to stop getting more and make things with what I have... that is the hard part though :P
Take care, Diana!
Posted by Lolly | June 6, 2005 11:37 AM
Posted on June 6, 2005 11:37
Such great colors! I never knew that you could get such vibrant colors from Kool aid. Yet another thing I want to try!
Posted by marichan | June 6, 2005 8:02 PM
Posted on June 6, 2005 20:02
Oooo.... I love the colors! I'm impressed with the beautiful colors you've gotten out of too-bright koolaid. I've got some knitpicks yarn on the way, and I'll have to try some of that complimentary overdying.
Posted by katie | June 13, 2005 3:07 PM
Posted on June 13, 2005 15:07
I love how your yarn turned out! I mentioned to a knitting friend that I had seen your blog and was thinking about trying some Kool-ade dyeing myself. She actually implied that I may be sliding down the slippery slope into madness. Heck, I've been sliding for a while now, what's one more thing. 'Course the mutterings about me buying sheep were prolly unnecessary, but I will pretend I didn't hear her.
Posted by just.sew.crafty | June 28, 2005 12:36 PM
Posted on June 28, 2005 12:36
my friend painted her house the same colors. she calls it "peas and carrots"!
Posted by ana | August 10, 2005 8:27 PM
Posted on August 10, 2005 20:27