The original fleece was gifted to me by Roxie when I was living in Oregon. MamaMia and I cleaned it, scoured it, dried it, and carded it. Then I spun it up. It was white with some occasional streaks of black. Boring.
So I decided to dye the whole thing. Of course, I didn't use just one color.
Boring.
I dyed it all different colors, using Koolaid.
Koolaid? Yep. Koolaid. I took a packet of unsweetened Koolaid and dissolved it in a quart of water, added as much fiber or yarn as my bowl would hold and cooked it on high in my microwave until all the color was absorbed in to the fiber. And I did it over and over
I ended up with yarn in the most interesting and fun colors.
Kiwi Watermelon
Kiwi Watermelon
Lemon Lime
Raspberry Reaction
Grape
Black Cherry
Black Cherry
Tropical Punch
Jamaica
Cherry
Lemonade
Pink Lemonade
Wild Watermelon Kiwi
It was so easy and so much fun to experiment with all those packets of Koolaid. I've displayed the basket for a couple of years and lately I've been thinking that I'd like to knit something with those skeins of Koolaid Yarn. But my difficulty is that I can't decide what to knit. I emailed Roxie and asked her for some ideas. She suggested knitted miters (another afghan?) or a striped sweater knitted side to side. Then she said to post on the blog and ask.
What should I knit with this yarn?
38 comments:
Definitely a sweater with lovely pastel stripes! :)
Yep I'm that other kind of bloggy friend of yours that knows nothing about knitting. I'll probably like whatever you decide on though...
Hey I saw your neighbor from up the road at Target today. It was hilarious cuz I said "Aren't you Willow's neighbor and she said "no" and then I realized you aren't Willow to her...chuckle, chuckle so I said "oh I mean ..... ..... and she said "oh yes" and we both chuckled about seeing each other out of context...
A sweater would be beautiful with all of those spring colors, but I would knit a "flower." There's a pattern on Ravelry that I used to make a couple of Christmas gifts with that I love. It's called the "Flower Power Hand Towel," but I called it a placement. I followed the pattern, but I felted it....I can see some gorgeous flowers "growing" from your yarn.
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Ooooh :o) Those colors are so delicious. I think you should knit some socks and fingerless mitts!
xo,
Linnea
I know next to nothing about knitting, but the first impression I had from looking at those gorgeous colors was "flowers" and I see another commentator has also thought this. Just in time for Spring.
I was thinking socks or scarves and then I wondered if it might be fine enough for a shawl? there are some beautiful patterns on knitting pattern central try googling it if you haven't discovered this wonderful source of patterns it also has a sister site for crochet. Jane x PS yes I was knitting and sewing and I will mention it in my next blog post.
wow...those colours are fabulous, you're the knitting queen. Happy weekend, Kak Willow :D
Those colors are so wonderful, Willow! Whatever you make should be special. What do you use the most?
If I could knit I think I'd make a rainbow layered cardigan out of those yarns. It would be perfect for Spring!
PS To clear up any confusion --It's Country HOME magazine that went out of business--not Country Living magazine which is a different publication, and one I love also. Hope nothing happens to it too!
Wow! Beautiful! I can't believe Koolaid did that!
Apart from that red the rest are very Eastery colours. What about a striped Easter cardigan and with the left overs make little fairaisle Easter eggs and felt them as a display, so you still have your beautiful colours around you. The reds you could make Autumn apples.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.
I may be crafty, but I'm not a knitter!! But that yarn looks wonderful, such great colours!!!
Fair Isle would be fabulous!
Thanks for all your cheery notes on my blog lately. I am so glad you came over to celebrate my new book with me!
I like the striped sweater idea -- gorgeous!
P.S. Thanks for the hat comments! I am feeling so much better about it now :) And beaded socks are waiting for me...
Dear Kak Willow, thank you for your comments. At times, I thought only I had this problem and everyone else is obsessed with increased traffic and comments. It did get out of hand and when one is living in a blog-life, I think something is quite wrong as the focus and perspective went of contorl. All in all, I happy to know you. Much love, M
Oh the colors are so lovely. I think that a cardigan would be nice. It should be something that people can see. You could also do some tanks that fit undereath blazers. I always find those are the hardest to find in pretty colors. You could combine a few hues in similar colors. .that would be pretty, grape, with black cherry ribbing. . .or cherry lemonade with wild watermelon.
It's lovely Willow. I would make a stripped shawl. Either old shale pattern or even a basic triangle.
Whatever you make - do make something!
How lovely! I was just thinking the other day that I think it would be fun to learn how to spin my own yarn. And kool-aid? My goodness - I never would have thought of that!
I love knitting baby things - a little striped sweater and matching hat would be so cute. Maybe even a knitted baby blanket with different colored squares? I will be anxious to hear what you decide on.
I have told my daughter in Peru to be on the lookout for Peruvian wool yarn for me!
A beautiful sweater for Springtime - that is my vote! I never would have thought of Kool-Aid. Can't wait to tell my rug hooking instructor that - maybe I will try dying some wool for my rug using Kool-Aid. Can't wait to see what you decide to knit!
Gorgeous colors, Willow! I love the idea of a cardigan in them.
No way! Really?! I am so clueless with many crafts. I never knew you could dye things with koolaid. You are very talented. I am anxious to see what you come up with.
I like the mitered squares idea for an afghan.
Hi Willow,
Thanks for visiting my blogs!
My husband and I used to live in San Pedro (near 19th and Cabrillo) and had a wonderful view of the harbor and the cruise ships! I love your pictures of the ocean...I really miss it.
Blessings,
JoAnn
Willow,
You are very creative. The yarn is beautiful. Who would have thought that Kool Aid could die yarn?
I love it and you could knit most anything with it. It would make a lovely sweater or afghan. I hope you will take photos of the finished product.
Have a great week, my friend.
Blessings,
Mary
So much beautiful, delicious yarn...Can I come and take a nap in your yarn basket?! All that yarn just looks so inviting...LOL! I'm small, petite...You won't even notice I'm there! ;o) You have sooo much yarn there have endless supply of yarn for lots of projects...I can see cozy, bright sweaters, plush socks, flower accents, toys...Let us know where your knitting adventure takes you. :o) ((HUGS))
Hi
How about making a ripple bed cover. Alicia Paulson(posie gets cozy) made one, and it looked fab your yarn would really be just right for it.
Beautiful! I think an afghan would be great but so would a sweater and maybe even a purse/bag or two?
Beautiful colours!
I know that Kool-aid makes a good dye. My boys once spilled a jug of cherry kool-aid on a gold hand-woven couch throw...
Impossible to get out.
I'll be interested to see what you do make with that yarn. It's so pretty!
I am thinking blanket, if there's enough, those colours are so gorgeous, I would just love to be wrapped in something like that.
Just got to catch up with you Willow. You are clever with the wool as well as with the knitting.
I have no suggestions on use not knowing the type of wool but the Aphgan sounds maybe a good idea.
Hi Willow, have you decided yet what to make with this gorgeous yarn?? I can't wait to see what you create.
Re the images, some of them I scanned from one of my One Dollar Bookstore finds - a book of her prints with little stories to go with them. others I find on Google Images....
thirty two comments on what to knit? Wow, that totally rocks! I'm sticking with my suggestion fo the side to side cardigan so the stripes go vertically. Fair Isle would be fun that way! You'll probably want to make it symmetrical, so weigh your yarn as you go along. Weigh the blue and the pink before you start a blue and pink stripe, then again when you finish. Make sure you hold back an ounce more than that of each color so you'll have enough for the other side. Am I making sense? That vest on my blog that you asked abpout was indeed knitted side to side with two varrigated yarns.
Now if you're feeling bold and daring, cast on 15 stitches, place a marker, cast on 15 more stitches, and make a sweater with mitered squares. Make each square a few rows in one color, and the rest in another color. Your kids in school will go NUTS for it!
Your Kool-Aid colors are so bright and vibrant. Excellent job!
I was cleaning the garage and found two more bumps of roving from that batch of wool. I thought I had gotten rid of the last of it but I guess I was wrong. 24 fleeces is a gift that just keeps on giving!!
what wonderful colours. Reminds me of Easter eggs!
Wow. That is gorgeous : ). I saw your comment at Tyra's Garden and came over to say hi. I think Willow is such a beautiful name! One of my top favorites. Someday when I have a little girl, I would love to name her Willow : ). Your yarn is so amazing. I just can't get over it. Too pretty! Happy Wednesday.
I am going to send your link to my blogging friend who likes to knit. She might have a great idea for you : ).
I love the way you got your colours.
I think a blanket would be fabulous.
All those colors are so "yummy" I'd be having a hard time deciding what to knit with them too. I think I'd favor and array of cute beret hats so I could wear whichever color I was in the mood for. My mother knitted me a beret one winter ago and I love it!
Cindy
oh, man, those colors are delicious!! beautiful! makes me wish I knew how to knit.
reading thru some comments...I've seen lovely knitted flower pin and goodness knows, I'd love to own one!
I always tell my daughter about your blog since she is a knitter and graduated with a B.A. in Textile Design. I always tell her she should get some wool and spin some herself. Now I will tell her about the koolaid! The colors are beautiful!
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