1. Decide how often you want your yarn pattern to repeat. Measure this distance and create a skein - I used my warping board, but furniture or bodies are valid skeining devices. 2. Tie the skein loosely every 50cm or so to prevent tangling. 3. Remove the skein from warping board or whathaveyou. 4. Rinse the yarn in warm water and white vinegar (anything from 1/4 to 1/2 vinegar, as much total liquid as you need to cover your skein. 5. Squeeze the skein so it is damp, not dripping. Lay it out somewhere you can make a mess - lawn, bath, sink, baking tray, etc. 6. PUT GLOVES ON. Make a cup of each different shade of food colouring you want - mix with water to make lighter shades or use neat for a very dark colour! 7. Pour or paint the diluted food colouring onto your skein in whatever pattern takes your fancy. 8. Gently move the skein into a microwave-safe dish with a lid. *If you are picky about your pattern not getting muddled at all, you will need to wrap your entire skein carefully in clingwrap before you move it! 9. Put the lid on, place the dish in the microwave. Zap the wool for about 1 minute at a time, leaving to rest for 2-5 minutes between bursts, repeating 8 times - the goal is for it to make steam, not boil the yarn. 10. Now is a good time to clean up all the mess you made with the dye... 11. Once cooled down, rinse the yarn in tepid or warm water until it stops leaving dye. 12. Hang or lay flat to dry. 13. Remove the tie strings and wind the skein back into a ball. It may help to put the skein back onto the warping board or enlist helpers. Toddlers and cats are not good helpers. If you can, wind the ball back to the way it started - some yarns are easier to knit with in one direction.1. Decide how often you want your yarn pattern to repeat. Measure this distance and create a skein - I used my warping board, but furniture or bodies are valid skeining devices. 2. Tie the skein loosely every 50cm or so to prevent tangling. 3. Remove the skein from warping board or whathaveyou. 4. Rinse the yarn in warm water and white vinegar (anything from 1/4 to 1/2 vinegar, as ... Read full instructions »Difficulty:
100% wool* (any will work, this is to match a half-finished project using a chunky yarn); food dye; vinegar; microwave-safe dish with lid (glass is easier to clean); microwave
*NOTE: food dye only works on animal fibres - sheep, alpaca, rabbit, but not plant fibres like cotton, soy, bamboo or manmade fibres like acrylic. If you use a mixed-fibre yarn, it may dye unevenly. Worse, acrylic may melt in your microwave and give off toxic fumes - just don't do it!!
What was your inspiration?
I need more yarn for a project I started a few years ago, and thought it might be helpful for others, especially those who have heard the Kool-aid technique but live where you can't buy Kool-aid!
What are you most proud of?
Managing to rewind the ball without any knots or tangles, even though my baby was "helping" with the wool.
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
Interestingly, there seems to be a use-by date on household latex gloves! I realised *after* I had dye everywhere that the gloves were developing holes. Ooops.
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