Mustard Seed Yarn Lab

So in the post previous to this one, you saw what happened when I dyed pepto pink yarn with turmeric.  I liked it better, but didn’t love it. So I finally was able to snag packets of Kool Aid at Walmart (thanks for the tip Mom!) and I used the Grape Kool Aid for the final dye bath. I was a little skeptical at first…Kool Aid doesn’t come across in my mind like a serious dyeing tool….but I must admit, I was impressed with the results!

Above you can see the yarn getting cooked. When I saw how purple it looked in the pot, I was thinking I might end up with some very purple yarn. But nope, here’s what happened:

I’m quite happy with it! This was the best picture I could get today, with the clouds and rain, and (on my computer at least) it’s a pretty accurate picture. It turned into a more adult colored yarn,… less fun, more sophisticated. A mixture of pink, purple, brown and small, dull orange flashes. (Ignore the yellow ties holding it together. I probably should have removed those before taking the picture.)

I’m going to make something with this one. I’ll knit it up and make sure I post it here for you all to see…I know you’re super excited to see what this will turn into and see how the colorway works up! Well fear not! I will not disappoint.

BTW, I went to several garage sales today looking for large pots or crock pots to use with the acid dye, and had no luck. Then I went to Salvation Army and found a crock pot for $20 and a large pot for $10. I think that’s a lot for a used and rusting crock pot and a slightly dirty, used pot, don’t you? I decided I could get a better deal elsewhere and came home with nothing. Sniff.