kool-aid + freshly washed wool fleece + fairly-independent-in-the-kitchen 9 yr old = rainy day fun.
i started dyeing wool by playing with kool aid and recycled sweater wool some 6 and 1/2 yrs ago, before moving on to acid dyes and spinning my own yarn. i had forgotten how fun these colors are, and how yummy they smell while the wool is simmering.
natasha was able to do this dyeing pretty much all on her own. she wanted a little bit of help with the oven, especially with taking the pots off the burners once dye baths had exhausted. but she mixed the koolaid with water all on her own, and even improvised her own smoosh-the-wool into the dye method using old paintbrushes! i had a good time hanging out with her while she worked.
i love the way her colors turned out! (clockwise from top right: black cherry, blue berry blast (or blue lemonade maybe?), pink lemonade and lemon-lime.)
dyeing is the extent of her fiber interest right now. she has big plans for me to spin and knit her fiber though. i spun up her first colorway, some border leicester which i believe she is calling, um, "bloody sheep". it's so much fun to collaborate with her!
kool-aid dying yarn with the girls is on my list for the summer. i have been wanting to give it a try and now i think they may be at good ages.
by the way...love the new banner!
Posted by: leah | June 14, 2011 at 08:08 PM
thanks leah!
the dyeing was so fun. i think i'll get her into doing some solar dyeing with it next!
Posted by: lulubeans | June 15, 2011 at 12:31 PM
HA! bloody sheep? it sounds like something my kids would come up with. i love it.
she did a fine job, indeed.
Posted by: courtney | June 15, 2011 at 02:09 PM