Fall 2010 Colors
Dye Your Own Skeins

You loved the bright Fall 2010 colors designers used. Why not dye up a few skeins, or one skein with all the colors for a pair of socks.

It's easy and you can use your favorite wool yarn.

Food dyes used are Kool-Aid, Wilton, McCormick and Klass drink mix.

First, two inspirational sample skein photos. Then scroll down for the formulas and advice.

A. Golden Glow - One packet Mango Klass drink mix per .2 oz yarn.

B. Living Coral - 2 Tbl blue mix, 20 Tbl red mix and 5 Tbl yellow mix per .2 oz yarn.

C. Purple Orchid - 1 drop McCormick Neon Purple per .1 oz yarn.

D. Lagoon - a trace of Wilton Transformer's Blue per .2 oz yarn.

E. Endive - 1 drop McCormick Yellow per .1 oz yarn.

F. Lipstick - 1 packet Cherry Kool-Aid Pink per .2 oz yarn.

G. Rose Dust - 1 tsp Black Cherry mix (1 packet Kool-Aid dissolved in 8 oz. water) per .1 oz yarn.

H. Woodbine - 1 Tbl Berry Blue Kool-Aid mix (1 packet dissolved in 8 oz water) and 4 drops yellow McCormick per .1 oz yarn.

I. Lucite Green - 1 tsp Lemon-Lime Kool-Aid (1 packet dissolved in 8 oz. water) per .1 oz yarn.

Quick and Easy Fall 2010 Colors

Golden Glow (A) is a Mango Klass Drink mix. Klass is often found with Mexican foods in the supermarket. Because Klass has citric acid, don't add vinegar. Make sure you rinse the dyed yarn well.

Purple Orchid (C) is Neon Purple McCormick food color. It comes in a four pack of neon colors.

Lagoon (D) is a trace of Wilton Transformer Blue. Wilton Teal can be substituted, but it will be slightly greener. See how to make a trace below.

Endive (E) is yellow McCormick food color. It comes in a four pack or in larger bottles.

Lipstick (F) is saturated Cherry Kool-Aid. Lipstick is a dark as pure Cherry will go.

More Complex Fall 2010 Colors

To make Living Coral (B) - you need to make jars of diluted food color.

• Yellow - 20 drops to 8 oz of water
• Red - 20 drops to 8 oz of water
• Blue - 2 drops to 8 oz of water

Then use a teaspoon to measure out the colors.

Lucite (I) isn't a fall 2010 color, but it looked so nice in the photo that I included it.

What Do the Measurements Mean?

A drop - McCormick food color is in small squeezy bottles. Lightly squeeze the bottle - out comes a drop. Squeeze too hard and you will get too much food color.

A trace is the amount of Wilton gel that coats a half an inch of a toothpick.

With the exceptions of Golden Glow (A), Lipstick (F) and Lucite Green (I), the other colors will need vinegar (or citric acid) to set the food color.

How to Dye

1. Mix the colors in enough plain water to cover the yarn (not so little the yarn is crowded, not so much that energy is wasted heating a ton of liquid).

2. Drop the yarn in and let soak for several hours, or overnight if the yarn is thick.

3. Place the yarn and dye in a pot or microwave safe container.

4. Heat to 180 degrees F (not boiling, yarn isn't spaghetti).

5. Add vinegar - about 1 tablespoon for .2 oz samples in 8 oz of water.

6. Stir slightly and remove from heat.

7. Allow yarn to rest and the food dye to bond.

8. Dark colors and blues may need to be reheated and have more vinegar added.

These colors would make a perfect child's sweater or a cheery scarf.

Have your kids help dye, it's easy.