How to Sun Dye with Kool-Aid

First you need something to dye. I’m using clean fleece that has been washed and combed. You can use clean fleece, roving or bats or spun yarn. These directions are for protein fiber. To use a plant fiber such as cotton, you would add salt rather than vinegar. Dyeing plant fibers can be tricky so I recommend starting with wool or another protein fiber such as alpaca, llama, goat or even dog hair.

You don't have to only use white fiber. Pale colors will over dye nicely but the results can be unpredictable. That is part of the fun of experimenting. Darker colors won't really show much change so stick to light colors

Fiber

1-3 packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid  for each 2 oz. of fiber.

¼ cup vinegar

2 cups water

Pre-soak your fiber in water for 20-30 minutes. A few drops of dish detergent will help it get wet.

\

Mix your dye bath with the Kool Aid, vinegar and water in a clean glass jar.

Add the fiber to the dye bath and set in the sun. If you need to boost the heat a bit, set the jar on something black like a trash bag.

You can dye a more mottled or multicolored pattern too. I did one batch with heavy and light areas. I had to leave it in a pan rather than in the glass jar so as not to disturb the variegation.

To do two colors, you can dye one end of a skein on yarn in one jar, and put the other end in another jar in another color To blend loose fiber, just dye several batches of different colors and blend them with your cards.

You can also dye with Rit dye using the same procedure. Rit dyes have a wider variety of colors and are pretty safe to use, although you want to avoid breathing the power.

This sample was sun dyed with Rit dye.

If the sun isn’t shining the day you want to dye, you can simmer your dye bath and fiber on the stove for 20-60 minutes or until it seems to be the color you want.