How can I dye wool yarn with food coloring?
Dyeing wool yarn with food coloring is very easy and gratifying. Wool takes food dyes more intensely than silk, resulting in deeper, richer colors. Wind the yarn into a skein that will allow even dyeing, and tie carefully to prevent tangling while permitting full access to the yarn. Soak the yarn in water, mixed with vinegar (1/4 cup per quart of water) for half an hour, sprinkle on your unsweetened drink mix or food coloring so that the colors please you (or, for solid smooth even colors, remove the yarn, dissolve the dyes in the acidulated water, and add the yarn back), and heat the yarn in the dye. The heating may be accomplished on the stovetop in a non-aluminum pan (use a stainless steel, enamel, or glass pot, or glass canning jars placed in any large pot with some water around them), in a microwave oven, or even in a plastic bag to be left all day in a hot sunny window. After heating the dye, let it cool gradually to room temperature, then rinse the newly dyed yarn by hand with c
