A fun and safe way to dye yarn using Easter Egg dye tablets and your microwave
So many dyes, so little time. If you’ve seen my other yarn dyeing tutorials, you know I like to experiment with various wool dyes.
Did you know that you can dye yarn with regular ole Easter Egg dyes? Those little dye tablets work on more than coloring eggs. They do a great job with wool yarn, as well.
But, I’m not talking about the fancy-schmancy new dyes available today. Specifically, I use just plain Paas Easter Egg Dye Tablets which are made with regular food coloring.
I didn’t really know what to expect and was actually very surprised at how vivid the yarn turned out!
If you’ve seen my other yarn dyeing tutorials, you probably know that I love to experiment with various dyes techniques. Lately, I’ve been on a natural dyeing kick which is super interesting because you never really know what the final color will be.
For instance, yarn dyed with black beans will dye up blue or even green, depending on the PH of the dye bath.
My favorite professional go-to dyes are Jacquard Acid Dyes which give you super saturated, strong colors that last. The drawback to using chemical dyes is that you need dedicated pots and pans for your dyeing. They will no longer be safe for food preparation.
That’s the beauty of food dyes. You can just use your everyday dishes to dye yarn with Easter Egg Color. No chemicals to worry about. Plus, dyeing yarn with Easter Egg dyes is also a fun and safe craft project for kids.
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Yarn Dyeing Supplies:
–Easter Egg Dye Tablets (made with food coloring)
–Wool Yarn (animal fiber i.e. sheep, alpaca, etc)
–Canning Jars (one per color)
-Water
-White Vinegar
-Microwave or Oven (for oven: need roasting pan or casserole dish for water bath)
I just discovered this Natural Egg Dye Kit. Can’t wait to try it!
Dyeing the Yarn:
First, I divided my skein of yarn into five separate smaller skeins. If you have five full skeins to dye you will need to add more dye tabs per color.
Carefully, place your skeins of yarn in very warm water. Press it down but don’t move it around. Wool yarn will felt if it’s handled too much. Soak your yarn for about 20 or 30 minutes. This allows for more even dyeing of solid colors.
In the meantime, add about 3 Tablespoons of vinegar to each canning jar. Add one Easter Egg dye tablet and 1 cup of warm water per jar. Stir until the tablet is completely dissolved.
Now, carefully remove the yarn from the water and squeeze out excess. Submerge 1 skein in each jar of dye. Gently push it down but don’t stir or move the yarn around.
Heat Set the Yarn:
There are several different ways to heat set the yarn so the colors won’t bleed. I’m going to show you two methods using the microwave and oven.
Microwave Method: To set your dyes, microwave each jar on high for 1 minute at a time, 3 minutes total. If the water boils, try a lower setting. CAUTION! The jars will be very hot!
Oven Method: Place the canning jars in a roasting pan or casserole dish large enough to fit all jars. Add about 1″ of water to the dish and place the jars in the water. Bake at 200 degrees for about 1 hour.
Note, the dyes do not have to fully exhaust for the color to set.
Finish Your Yarn:
Allow the yarn to cool completely, then gently remove the yarn and rinse it with room temperature water to remove any excess dyes.
Finally, hang your yarn to dry. Your freshly dyed yarn is ready to crochet or knit into a fun hat or scarf. You can also use it to Decorate Easter Eggs.
I love the rainbow of colors! Try combining the different dye colors to make multi colored yarn. Have fun!
Annette
FiberArtsy
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- How to Dye Cotton Yarn
- 6 Yarn and Wool Dyeing Techniques
- Natural Dyeing with Dandelion Flowers
- Dyeing Yarn with Black Beans
- How to Dye Yarn Naturally with Black Walnuts
- How to Dye Speckled Yarn
- Kettle Dyeing Yarn and Wool
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