dyeing up a storm

I had such a fun time dyeing the first couple of skeins that I decided to dye more! My friend Hettie sent me some Koolaid, so I used that as well. Koolaid tends to be really vibrant, but the process is much easier, since the coloring already includes citric acid.


Aren't they pretty? They're like jewels! I can't wait to make some tasty socks out of them!


These 2 skeins were done a few weeks ago using Wilton's food coloring. On the left is Ginger Peach, varying in color from pink to peach to orange. On the right is Violet Dusk, varying in color from dark blue to violet. As Paul tells me, I "accidentally make good colors" so I couldn't tell you how I got these colorways. The Wilton's doesn't absorb evenly, probably because my lemon juice (rather than vinegar) works very effectively, and because superwash wool is like a sponge. I like the way they turned out!


These were done using Koolaid, and the color absorbed more evenly. The one on the left is Robin, a teal-turquoise color (2 packets berry blue + 1 packet lemon-lime). On the right is Ruby Slippers, a tweedy ruby red. I was actually aiming for a burgundy, but I like the rich color it came out (1 packet tropical punch + 3 lemon-lime should have made brown, but I guess the red was too strong. I added 2 packets black cherry for the saturated dark red).


And here we have a "disaster" and a "success!" The dark blue tweed skein on the top was supposed to be brown (again) but it didn't turn out right (again). I thought green + red would make brown, but I was wrong. It turned out some icky inky pukey periwinkle, with splotchy parts slightly yellowed, like a bruise. So I overdyed it with a LOT of blue Wilton's food coloring! It ended up an inky, denim-y blue tweed, which Paul likes (thankfully), even thought it didn't turn out brown like it was supposed to. Apprently it's still manly enough! I'm calling it Merman. ("MerMAN father, merMAN!!!")

The 2-color skein on the bottom is self-striping sock yarn for Mo. I wound the yarn around a couple of chairs about 5 feet apart (I did do more in-depth maths on the length of yarn for 2 rows of each color), tied it loosely, and did my first-ever 2-color dyeing experience (1 packet berry blue for the blue half & 1 packet orange + most of a packet of tropical punch for the orange half). I'm calling it Speedwalker, because Mo always walks quickly, especially up hills, and thinks she can walk anywhere in 15 minutes.

Alas, I'm now out of bare sock yarn! But I plan on getting some more when I've knitted up all these into socks...