# Dyeing wool with Kool Aid/Jello/Food Coloring?



## amandapanda9 (Aug 7, 2006)

I was just wondering if anyone here has done this and has any tips for me?! I wanted to do it with Kool Aid but went to the store today and they only had mainly "girly" colors....I got some green and yellow though....and I also picked up a pack of food coloring and some Jello boxes too...yellow, blue and green. Can I use Jello or food coloring instead? I've heard Kool Aid is the easiest to use so that's why I wanted to use it...but if the other options arent hard, I have more colors in them (I was wanting to maybe dip dye some longies in 2-3 different colors that fade in and out)....maybe a yellow, blue and green or even somehow combine the green and blue to get a pretty aqua shade? Any tips would be great! Thanks!


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## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

www.knitty.com has a great kool-aid tutorial. I recommend dissolving the kool-aid or jello in 1/4-1/2 cup vinegar and then adding that to the water you want to use. The acid will help the dye "take" better. 1 oz. of fiber needs 1-3 packets of color, depending on how saturated you want the color. To get a good saturated result, make sure the fiber is wet when you put it in the dye bath. I've had good results using both the stovetop and microwave methods. Have fun & experiment!


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## Woolly Meredith (Mar 23, 2005)

You can also find instructions for dyeing longies & soakers here

You can use jello but it does need to be the sugar free kind (same with Kool Aid) or else when you heat set it your longies could turn into a lollipop!

Have fun!


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## amandapanda9 (Aug 7, 2006)

Thanks! BOth of those sites were quite helpful! I plan to try doing this tonight....hopefully I don't ruin the longies!


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## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

This is something you might want to think about. If I don't drink it, why would I use it on clothing on my body?


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## amandapanda9 (Aug 7, 2006)

Hmmmm....none of that really ever occurred to me even though, I don't let my kids drink Kool-Aid either....I just saw a lot of people referring to using it to dye their wool....anyone know of some better options? I don't necessarily have to have bright bold colors like Kool-Aid....


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## jennnk (Feb 6, 2005)

wilton's cake dyes are another option, but again those have artificial dyes & such. Personally, I'd rather use something that has been approved for human consumption, especially in a house with an infant and two cats, than anything made with chemicals like priocin dyes that can't come into contact with anything you use to cook. I don't have time, money, or energy to use things like cochineal or walnut shells or whatever else. koolaid may not be perfect, but it's not going to kill my kid if he inahles the fumes.


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## liawbh (Sep 29, 2004)

UNfortunatly, the vast majority of natural dyes require some seriously nasty chemicals as mordants, to make the color bond. Stuff like chrome, iron, copper. Blech.

I wanted to get into natural dyes, but it's gonna have to wait until we buy a house so I can build a sep. studio. No WAY I'm using that crap in my house.


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## amandapanda9 (Aug 7, 2006)

Kinda defeats the purpose of the dyes being "natural" then doesn't it?!







Sounds like Kool-Aid might not be so bad after all.

I drank Kool-Aid as a child and as far as I know, it didn't hurt me at all! The main reason I don't let my kids drink it is because of the sugar content....I'd much rather they drink water or milk...or at least some 100% natural fruit juice that has no sugar added.


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## liawbh (Sep 29, 2004)

I don't let my kids _eat_ red #40, but I'm OK with it in clothes. I rinse and set the KA enough that I doubt any is coming off on skin. I'd love to use more natural dyes, but I just don't have time/space for the mordant dyeing.


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