Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Giveaway: The Modern Natural Dyer and a Yarn Dyeing Kit!

by

This week I'm giving away a great book on dyeing and a kit so you can try it yourself.

Sock Hop Kit

This is such a fun giveaway I can’t even stand it. Kristine Vejar of A Verb for Keeping Warm has a new book out called The Modern Natural Dyer. It’s all about how to dye yarn and fabric with natural dyes, and it’s a beautiful book that’s sure to inspire anyone who’s ever had the least bit of interest in dyeing to try it.

And if you’ve done some dyeing before you’re going to love it, too, but it’s really great for people who might be intimidated by the process because there are really detailed, step-by-step instructions on the general processes of dyeing as well as 20 projects where she’s done the math for you and tells you exactly what you need for success.

The projects are varied and include things like tea dyeing onesies, indigo dyeing silk scarves, dyeing wool top to make felted balls for a necklace and, of course, dyeing yarn and then knitting it.

To make it even easier, A Verb for Keeping Warm is selling project kits for a few of the projects, including a sewing kit dyed with pressed flowers, a premade pair of socks, a bandanna for indigo dyeing and the Northwoods Hat kit, which includes a skein of Quince & Co. Puffin and all the supplies you need to dye it.

I got to try the kit out, and as you can see I chose purple, but there are a few different dyes you can choose from. It’s a long but not difficult process, and I had a lot of fun (and dyed mine two shade by leaving part of the yarn out of the dye pot for 30 minutes of the dyeing time). I can’t wait to get started on the hat and am sure I’ll love wearing it all winter knowing I not only knit it but dyed it, too.

So, this week’s giveaway is both a copy of this excellent book and your choice of kit. (I’d go with the hat but it’s really up to you.)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, November 15, for your chance to win. (United States only, please.) I’d love to know if you have any experience with dyeing, or which one of the kits you would choose.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Comments

  1. How exciting! The hat..all sound like fun. I’ve over-dyed yarn with Kool-Ade, and also have tried eco-dying on paper and muslin this fall- my appetite has been whetted. Some have worked, some not, but it is all fun.

  4. I would love to try natural dying, and the book seems like an excellent resource! Your test on this is beautiful.

  7. I am really intrigued by the thought of dyeing yarn. The hand dyes that you purchase are always just beautiful. I often wonder if it is something that you have to learn to do well.

  8. When my children were young, we dyed with koolaid, with tea, & with coffee.
    If I actually won, I’d want the hat kit like you because you actually get to dye yarn. I’d have picked the sock kit, but you’re dying a pair of ready made socks, not yarn to knit your own, so that wouldn’t be fun.

  11. I’ve sort of tried dyeing wool. I tried with koolaid and I don’t think I really finished it. But I’ve been dying to try again! I would love this kit! I have tons of nondyed wool that’s just waiting to be dyed!

  16. The Dyeing I have done was an adventure lol I used permanent markers and alcohol and it turned out , believe it or not, GORGEOUS! I think the hat kit would be awesome!

  17. I love dyeing yarn/fabric. I’ve only done kool-aid dye & tea, coffee, & a few vegetables. The kits look fun!

  20. This would be fun! I’ve dyed fabric before but never yarn. I think I would pick the socks kit as my favorite.

  21. The Northwoods hat kit looks like so much fun! I attended a weekend natural dyeing workshop at a farm the summer before last and it was wonderful! I learned so much and would like to do some dyeing at home too.

  22. As a teenager of a certain time period tie-dying t-shirts with koolaid or Rit dye was just done. Later I worked at a vintage clothing store and one of my tasks was to tea or coffee dye fabric pieces so that the aged fabric had a more even tone.

    I prefer the Sock Hop kit but any one of them would be fun.

  28. I have (not very successfully) tried dyeing fabric in the past to make some curtains. It was AWFUL!!! I don’t really know what I did wrong, I went over the directions repeatedly and it still came out horrible, I pray it was me or the fabric itself. I would love to try the bandana kit (my niece would too!)

  31. I’ve dyed some fabric using synthetic dyes, and some yarn with Kool Aid, but that was pre-kids, so a long time ago. I’ve never done any natural dyeing at all but would love to try some.

  36. Hat, please! I have done microwave dyeing. I guess we all knew KoolAid permanently stains anything.

  37. What a great giveaway! I’ve never tried dyeing fabric or textiles before, outside of a couple of tiedye shirts when I was a kid. And I love all of the kits, but would most likely get the most out of the bandannas or the hat. Both would make awesome Giftmas gifts for my other half.

  38. I would love the Northwoods Hat Kit. I’ve seen so much about hand dying yarn I would love to try it.

  41. I have not tried to dye my own yarn yet, but I want to try dying yarn in the near future. I would chose the Northwoods Hat kit, it sounds interesting.

  42. What a beautiful purple!! I have made an extract from walnut hulls collected in my backyard. The cotton that I dyed turned a bit dingy, but I put in some bit of wool yarn too and it came out a very nice, warm pinky brown. I would love to experiment more!! I think I’d like to try printing directly with flowers and making a lovely little sewing kit. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!!

  44. Yes, I have been wanting to try some of the techniques and would love a book to show me the way. Thanks!

  45. I’ve never dyed yarn before; it seems very intimidating. I have done tie-dye as a kid and always enjoyed it.

Have you read?

Vintage Bed Socks Knitting Pattern – A Cozy Little Gift Project With Old-Fashioned Charm

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a pair of handmade bed socks, isn’t there? They are practical, pretty, and just the sort of project that feels like it belongs beside a cup of tea, a good film, and a basket of wool that is pretending not to be overflowing.

This vintage Bed Socks knitting pattern is one of those sweet little patterns that still feels useful today. Originally from the Jaeger Hand-Knit Series No. 44, the design features a simple garter-stitch foot, a ribbed cuff, eyelet holes, a crochet chain tie, and little tassel-style pom-poms at the front. The original pattern even describes them as “a very acceptable present,” and honestly, I don’t think much has changed there.

These would make a lovely handmade gift for someone who is always cold, someone recovering or resting, or anyone who appreciates a bit of old-fashioned comfort. They would also be beautiful as a Mother’s Day gift, a winter birthday present, a Christmas stocking filler, or a “just because you deserve cozy feet” project.

The pattern itself is delightfully simple in construction. The socks are knitted flat, beginning at the lower edge, with the foot worked in garter stitch before moving into the ribbed upper section. The decorative eyelet row allows for a crochet chain cord to be threaded through, and the finishing tassels give the socks that charming vintage look. The top edge is finished with a row of double crochet, which adds a neat handmade touch.

The original measurements list the socks as approximately 10½ inches from the top to the lower edge of the heel, with a 9¾ inch foot length, and the pattern notes that the size can be adapted. As with many vintage knitting patterns, modern knitters will want to check gauge carefully and choose a soft yarn that feels comfortable against the skin. A cozy wool blend, soft acrylic, or washable yarn would all work depending on whether you are making these for everyday use or as a special gift.

I especially love that this pattern has that “giftable” quality without being a massive project. It is small enough to feel achievable, but still special enough that the finished pair looks thoughtful. And let’s be honest, handmade socks with pom-poms are always going to beat a last-minute candle from the supermarket.

The PDF version has been cleaned up and formatted for easier reading while keeping the original vintage design intact. It also includes a modern pink mockup image and the original vintage scan, so you get both the historical charm and a fresh idea of how the finished socks could look today.

If you enjoy vintage knitting patterns, cozy handmade gifts, or quick projects that feel useful rather than just decorative, this sweet little bed socks pattern is a lovely one to add to your collection.

You can find the Vintage Bed Socks Knitting Pattern PDF in the CraftGossip Etsy store.

For supplies, this is also a nice stash-friendly project. A soft yarn from Mary Maxim or Amazon would work well, and if you make pom-poms regularly, a small pom-pom maker is one of those inexpensive tools that saves a surprising amount of fiddling.