How to Dye Wool Yarn

Nov 5, 2011
Kathy Wiehl

How to Dye Wool Yarn - jdurham

Learn how to dye wool yarn with food grade dyes. This is an effective method that is not only easy, but safe to do with children.

If you love to knit or crochet, you’ll enjoy your craft even more once you learn how to dye wool yarn. Use your hand dyed wool to create custom color palettes that free you from the limitations of your local yarn store.

Food Grade Dyes Work Well with Wool

You can use either acid dyes or food grade dyes to hand paint your yarn. This article will focus on food grade dyes, which are readily available at your grocery store or bakery supply shop.

Materials

Here is a short list of what you’ll need for this project:

Wool yarn
Food coloring
White Vinegar
Plastic or latex gloves

Loosely arrange your wool yarn into a skein so that the dye will penetrate. Don’t use balls of yarn, or you’ll end up with undyed spots. I like to take my yarn and wrap it around the back of a chair, then use small pieces of yarn tied around the strands every 4-5 inches or so. This will keep it loose but also keep it from becoming tangled.
Allow your yarn to soak in a combination of equal parts lukewarm water and white vinegar for about 30 minutes. Be sure that the water is neither too hot or too cold. The last thing you want right now is to accidentally felt it, so be careful to use lukewarm or room temperature water.
Gently “paint” the yarn by squeezing drops of food coloring onto the yarn. You can dye the entire skein all one color, or go for a variegated effect, dying several segments of yarn different colors. Put on your gloves and use your fingers to work the dye into the yarn but be gentle. Too much rubbing can cause the yarn to felt.
Place the damp, colored yarn into a glass or plastic bowl, and make sure it hasn’t begun to dry out. If it has, dampen it with water. You don’t want it to dry out during this step. Cover the bowl with a loose lid or plastic wrap.
Microwave the yarn in the bowl for 5 minutes, then allow it to cool completely. Check to make sure that the yarn isn’t drying out, add a bit more moisture if needed, then microwave for another 5 minutes.
Allow the yarn to cool completely, then rinse with room temperature water until the water runs clear. Gently squeeze the excess water and hang or lay the skein to dry.

When the yarn is dry, it's ready to be worked with. Enjoy!