Kool-Aid Talk

I told Carole I would show her more things dyed in Kool-Aid that are not pink. I did this dyeing last winter, and blogged about it then. To my surprise, I have not yet used this wool. When I did the dyeing, I envisioned that I would not be able to stop myself from casting on something RIGHT AWAY. Hasn't happened; don't know why. But it's very pretty to look at.

Except for the mustard yellow one, where I used some help from an outside source (i.e., yellow food coloring), all these were dyed in Kool-Aid. Even the mustard yellow one started out with Kool-Aid, but the color was icky (lemonade seems to be pretty impotent as a dye color), so I added the food coloring and got that mustard color. 

I used the general instructions given in Knitty here. The wool I used was light beige superwash lambswool. Each ball is only 50 grams, 112 meters, of DK-ish weight wool. The thing I learned: To get deep, vibrant colors takes a LOT of Kool-Aid, much more than they recommend in the Knitty article. But it's wicked fun on an otherwise boring day. Works great to counteract SAD.

Top row, left to right:

4 packets strawberry (my favorite. blood-orange red); 8 lemonade/1 orange/plus yellow food coloring;  6 Raspberry Reaction (yes, it's BLUE -- who'da thunk?); 9 lemon-lime.

Bottom row:

6 watermelon-kiwi; 3 strawberry/1 grape (aubergine - awesome!); 5 grape/1 strawberry; 3 Raspberry Reaction/3 lemon-lime

I can't find the skein of robin's-egg blue Cascade 220 that I did. I used Raspberry Reaction...I think 8 packets, on a skein of 220. It came out a nice, close-to-pastel robin's egg blue. And I apparently misled you on the orange yarn used in the thrummed mittens. My notes say I used 5 packets orange/1lemonade/1 strawberry to get that color.

Here's a preview of what I'm working on now:

More Corriedale roving.

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The 2nd felted mitten is half done, and lest anyone thinks I've forgotten my sweaters, I assure you I haven't. I knitted a few rows on Ribby over the weekend, too.  And washed one hundred thousand windows. Don't laugh; that's what it felt like! And I'm still only half done! Iggh. And of course, you know what it's doing right now, right?  Yep, raining. (and thundering! What's THAT all about, in November?!)

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And the question of the day: Is it possible that I am not smart enough to be able to figure out how to use a niddy-noddy?

Comments

[Aarlene]

Sorry, can't help with the niddy-noddy. Is that some kind of sleep aid?
I hadn't thought of dyeing yarn but Kool aid ought to be great. It sure can stain a carpet. That sure is a cheerful looking bunch of yarn
I hope the window washing ordeal is similar to folding a thousand paper cranes in that you get something out of it. Other than the obvious.
Happy Weird Weather. YAY they caught that crazed escapee killer in Shreveport. And my family thought I was nuts telling them to keep their doors locked. I told them so.

[freecia]

You are smart enough to use a niddy noddy. It is just being contrary and annoying, trying to thwart you so you toss the tangled mess to Vincent. Then it can go lazy about with your spinning wheels where the favored "spindle talk" (versus cooler) is what fiber Norma used with you.

[The Knitting Kit]

You know, I've been thinking about Kool-Aid dying. And noticed that Walmart has these fun squeezy bottles that tend to be used for such thing as ketchup and mustard. Some of them are clear. And they're 99 cents a piece. This is sounding like a fun project, no? ;)

Thank you for the 'recipes'. I'm going to try this out.

[sandy]

Good for you, washing all those windows. It really IS a thankless job because then the rain goes and splatters all over them again. But doesn't it feel great while it lasts?
And what IS with the thunderstorms. Really. I was watching the disaster movie du jour last night on tv ( I love me a good disater movie, I can't help myself!) and then it started thundering. LOUDLY. I couldn't help but make the connection. Is it really the end of the world?
:)
Love your kool aid.

[Cathy]

You, too, can niddy-noddy! It really just takes practice to keep going the same direction all the time (spoken as one who had to practice that--it kept getting reversed) but you will get there eventually. Just be mindful. And consistent. My niddy-noddies are homemade, based ona design I saw on ebay--I got 3 for around $10, made of waterproof, dyeproof, mothproof PVC plastic pipe. :) And I didn't glue them--that way I can dissassemble them and take them with me, or I can have some yarn on it, give it a half twist, and it'll be flat for storage. Very handy that way!

[Carole]

The niddy noddy works fine if you have someone to show you. But the first time I used it you should have seen the arm contortions I was going through. It was pretty funny. Then I got the hang of it and you will too. Turn your arm away from you when you bring it around and that should help. This is a very difficult thing to describe, though!
Thanks for the Kool Aid shots and the link to the Knitty article. And, we apparently have the same wheel. Who knew?

[Cara]

Thanks for the Kool-Aid notes - I've got four skanks of fingering weight dye your own from Knitpicks that I've been wanting to Kool-Aid. I'm glad you say it will counteract SAD because it's looking like I won't be able to do this until, oh say, February?!

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of this goofy weather. I just want it to be seasonal already! And stick to the plan!

[margene]

You are one cool Kool Aid cookie. I've got to try dyeing yarn non-user friendly. It's nice to have someone so you how it works.

[mamacate]

You are rocking the spinning, girl--that looks amazing.

Niddy noddys only make perfect sense after you know how to use them. See a video here under "other tools": http://www.icanspin.com/toc.htm This is a great site, btw (now I'm going to look like spam--I should start mispelling names of pharmaceuticals, huh?).

It's so nice to have you firmly on the dark side. Welcome!

[Rachel H]

Love the Kool Aid colours! Must try that. If nothing else, it will very much amuse my son. (who has recently asked me to teach him how to knit for real. clever wee lad.)

[stephanie]

Notes? You take NOTES?

(I suddenly realize how staggeringly lazy I am....)

[claudia]

All this continued talk of Kool-Aid makes it impossible for me to not say this.

But Kool-Aid is relatively a much more expensive dye than almost any acid dyes (Cushings, Country Classic, Lanaset, Sabracron). Just sayin'.

[Stephanie VW]

Two things:
1. That's very brave of you - allowing others to comment on your intelligence. You're smart enough Norma to wupp that niddy-noddy's wooden arse, I'm sure! Of course I've yet to use one, so it is entirely possible that, upon employing a niddy noddy for the first time, I will become hopelessly entangled in yarn and somehow tethered to a live goat. I live in hope that this will not happen to you.

2. Did Cara say "Skank"? Is that a word in the fibre lexicon which I haven't yet learned? Is it a combo of skein and hank? 'cause where I'm from a skank is slang for something quite unrelated to yarn.

[Judy]

he. he. he... still laughing... a niddy noddy now!

[ann]

c'mon Norma ---- you are indeed smart enough to master the niddy noddy.

but apparently not smart enough to know the true question of the day:

who is Ann's Secret Pal?

[Dave D]

"Nora has a knack for knitting from her knotted niddy noddy." Yeah, say that 3 times fast. The Kool Aid colors came out really well. I love the color or your wheel, it has a nice warm patine on it. The yarn is nice, too.

[Caren]

What's a niddy-noddy??

PS LOVE the kool-aid dyed yarn.

[Samantha]

I think one of the reasons that kool aid dying is so fun is that you know that you are doing something with it that is is not intended for. Also, I have found that adding orange almost always makes more subtle colours. I was reading some archives, and I saw a reference to spelt flour. Do you have a source for good spelt recipes, or do you just use it in regular recipes instead of the wheat? My husband can't have wheat so I use spelt sometimes.

Sam

[Sandy]

Oooh, I just got 3 pounds of corriedale - can't wait to spin it! The niddy noddy is all about the rhythm and I know you got the rhythm!

[Teri P]

Purdy yarn ya got there, Norma. And about the Kool-Aid Lemonade? You just didn't use enough. Why, I got a lovely lemon yellow on half of a 3-ounce hank of fingering weight superwash with 11 packets.