Dye Jobs

eheheh. "Dye Jobs." It always sounds so dirty to me. I think that you could add any word in front of "job" and it would sound dirty. cookie job. Stick job. Shirt job. Anything really. Job is just a dirty word.

Moving on this post is about dye jobs. *snickering* Last weekend when I tempted fate and fate hit me with a hard left hook, I was left resorting to drastic measures while scrambling for enough yarn to finish the toe of my 4th Hedera sock. You know what's coming, don't you?

I Kool-aid dyed my own sock yarn.

No, it did not match.

And I have the photographic evidence to prove it. It all started mildly enough. After helping myself to an unusual craving for peanuts, I strapped on my favorite apron over my outfit so as to avoid any necessary green accents on my clothing.


I checked my favorite resource for knitting how-to's only to be left disappointed. Perhaps, I though to myself, this isn''t so much a knitting question as a more general fibery-goodness question. So off I headed to my favorite resource of fiber how-to where I scored big time.

Directions now in hand, I pillaged the neighborhood grocery store for green and why-the-hell not-pink Kool-aids. There was a cheaper generic brand, but fear of horribly colored failure overwhelmed me and I stuck to the directions which called for Kool-aid no sugar added.

Back home while I was rereading the instructions for microwave dying Kool-aids to make sure I did this thing properly, The Knitting Gods decided that I hadn't really understood the point of my punishment the first time. So they broke the microwave. Actually they broke the microwave turntable. I stood fast in the presence of that divine tragedy. I did. I used the microwave anyway. (The stupid thing is less than 5 years old anyway.) I'm sure that this will call for The Knitting Gods to smite me later.

I reread the instructions again. Unwind hank. Tie skein in several places to avoid snarling. Presoak in water. Add dye to pot and let dissolve completely before adding yarn...Somewhere in the back of my mind this was starting to sound familiar.


The directions stated that Kool-aid Dyes only require 1 packet of dye per ounce of yarn. I had no clue on how much one ounce of yarn looked like. So I decided to err on the safe side with two packets of Kool-aid in lemon-lime. ..mmmmm...smells delicious, like a snow cone. mmmmm...snow cones...summer...warm weather... *shakes head* Focus TURBOchic. Focus! This is blogging material! Back to the directions. Microwave for no longer than two minutes at a time until color disappears.


I seem to have added enough color to the yarn...why is there all this extra in the bowl? Oh well nuke it again until the color disappears.

And poof! All of a sudden there was no color in the bowl. It was like magic! on moment it's there, the next it's gone! Walla! Presto! No more color in the water!

And I might have forgotten to take a picture at this step during the green dye job...hehehe...so my Pink Yarn** will have to act as a stand in for Green Yarn.

Drain and let sit until cool. Then you can rinse with cool water. The directions noted, "When the yarn has cooled, rinse it thoroughly in water the same temperature as the yarn [shocking wool with cold water could cause it to felt]. Wash the yarn in mild soap, rinse again and hang to dry."


I did not wash my yarn. I was too excited with the prospect of defying The Knitting Gods again. I let it dry and immediately finished up that last sock. I wore my Hedera Socks to work yesterday, multicolored toes and all! Take that Knitting Gods!

**Pink Yarn is for knitting up a pair of gift socks. I'm excited to try Eunny Jang's Bayersche socks pattern (ravelry link) for someone with very small feet.