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Fun Ways to Experiment with Dyeing Yarn at Home

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natural yarn dyeing methodsOver the weekend, when we were done dyeing our Easter eggs, I decided to use some of the leftover dye to dye some yarn. It’s really simple and if you use vinegar in the dye solution the colors should be pretty fast (though the pink has been rubbing off all over as I knit with it).

Dyeing yarn with basic stuff you already have on hand or natural materials you can easily procure is a lot of fun. These methods are great to use around kids, too, because they’re not toxic like some chemical dyeing situations would be.

I’m not the only one with dyeing on the brain lately. Portia at Makery UK has been doing some dyeing, too, using tumeric to make an ombre cotton yarn and food coloring in a series of small bowls to make another multicolored yarn that came out really subtle and pastel for spring.

If you’re looking for other ways to play with dye at home, try dyeing with Kool-Aid, dandelions or strawberries (other fruit would work, too).

Have you ever dyed yarn before? I’d love to hear about it!

100 % cotton yarn

Comments

  1. I tried Kool-Aid dyeing once with my kids. The yarn came out well, and was all sorts of colors, but it never lost the smell!

  2. The colors will strike a lot faster and be much more wash and rub fast if you steam the yarn after dyeing. You can do this in the microwave in ziplock bags or a glass dish, or in mason jars in a stock pot water bath. It was all ready to rinse as soon as it cooled off from steaming, with no bleeding or crocking in the rinse or after they were dry.

    The kids and I dyed around 10 oz of wool roving and a skein of fingering weight yarn with the dye left over from doing our Easter eggs. It’s become a tradition. 🙂

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.