DIY: Speckle Dyeing with Kool-Aid, Take 2

Remember when I tried speckle dyeing with Kool-Aid last month and it was, well, not exactly a success? In fact, when I eventually tried to wind the yarn, it basically fell apart--not exactly what I was going for.

Well, I decided to try again--with a new technique. 

My first step was to over-dye a skein of Knit Picks Hawthorne kettle dye in Compass, a bright yellow. I dyed it in fruit punch Kool-Aid, hoping for orange, but it really came out a bright, slightly orange red. 

Then, with the yarn still wet, I used a fork dipped in water and dry Kool-Aid powder (Black Cherry and Blue Raspberry) to speckle it. Then I steamed it in the microwave to set it. 

Here's the result:

The speckles are very subtle blips of purple and dark red--that's to be expected on a dark-colored yarn. Had the yarn turned out more orange than red (or had I had different shades of Kool-Aid on hand!), I think they would've been more visible. 

This is a technique I would try again, much more successful (and less burnt!) than my previous attempt--definitely bookmarking this one!

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