Pulled out ye olde Kool-Aid again. What fun!! Kool-Aid makes a great dye because it is color fast and food safe so you can use whatever pots and pans you have in the kitchen. No special equipment needed. Plus, it’s lots of fun for kids to do!

Supplies:
Light colored protein fiber yarn s.a. wool or alpaca (will not work on synthetics)
Several packets of Kool Aid
Pots and pans
Water

Step 1: Soak the Yarn

I started by soaking a skein of my yarn in a big stockpot using very warm water. No vinegar needed … the Kool-Aid has plenty of acid in it. Left it for about an hour and then I drained all but about 1″ of the water.

Step 2: Add the Kool Aid

Here’s where the fun starts. I mixed up my colors, one packet of Kool-Aid per cup of water (no sugar!). For this skein, I used Orange, Lemon Lime and Watermelon Cherry.

Then, I carefully poured each color onto the yarn. Basically, picture a pizza cut into slices and put one color on each piece. I used chopsticks (chopsticks are wonderful little dyeing tools!) to gently move the yarn a bit to let the color reach the bottom. Once all the colors were applied to the yarn, I let it simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes. This can also be done in the microwave if you’re using a class bowl or casserole dish.