Dyeing Yarn Using Food Coloring

When I begin planning a dye project I think about what I would like to use the finished yarn for. This gives me a general idea on how much yarn I should dye. Once I know how much yarn I plan on using I wind it into a skein and tie it in several places (loosely unless you want it to look tie-dyed) to prevent it from tangling. Now the yarn is ready to soak. I allow the yarn to soak for a couple of hours or even overnight. After soaking, gently squeeze out the water. The yarn is now ready to be dyed. One suggestion I have for when you are just starting out is to wind the yarn into smaller individual skeins. This is great for when you are just getting the feel of dyeing and want to play around with experimenting. Once you are more confident in a particular dyeing method you can move on to dyeing larger amounts. You may not want to dye the whole skein and then realize you hate it. Smaller individual skeins give you the freedom to go nuts without worrying about "ruining" all that yarn.

Now that the yarn is ready to go you need decide what type of food coloring you want to use. I really like the results I get from using Wilton food coloring gel. Their food coloring is very concentrated and a little goes a long way. Then there is Kool-Aid and Easter egg dyes that can also be used. They all give pretty amazing results. Below I have my instructions for dyeing yarn one solid color using Wilton food coloring.

Prepare your yarn as described above in Where to Begin. Bring 8 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar to just below a simmer. Measure out about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Wilton food coloring and mix well with boiling water. Add this to the pot of water and vinegar. Now you are ready to add your skein of yarn. Check it frequently and remove from the dye bath once it had reached the desired shade. Put it off to the side and let it cool completely. Once cool rinse gently in a sink full of cool soapy water. You may need to rinse several times with just water after your initial rinse to remove the excess dye in the yarn. After rinsing gently squeeze out all the water or you can put it through the spin cycle in a washer. Hang to dry. Now stand back and admire your work of art! :-)

From these basic steps you can get more elaborate and try different techniques such as mixing colors, dip dyeing one section at a time, overdyeing, etc.
Some points to remember: the dye bath has exhausted when the water begins to look clear. This means your yarn has absorbed all the dye. If you have not yet achieved your desired color then you can add more dye to the pot by once again mixing a small amount of the food coloring gel in boiling water and adding this to your pot.