How to Hand Dye Yarn with Icing Gels

You Will Also Need

a pan

measuring jug

Unwind your yarn and wind into a skein: the back of a chair will do.

Tie some spare yarn loosely around the skein – very important – this will prevent tangling during the dyeing process. Use up to four ties.

Soak your yarn in 2 litres of cool water with approximately 20ml (an egg cup) of white vinegar for at least 20 minutes. The amounts are not critical – use enough water to cover your yarn. Remove yarn and squeeze water out of yarn.

Dissolve half a teaspoon of Wilton's Violet icing gel into 200ml of water. Mix well and pour into your large saucepan/pot along with the 2 litres of water already in there and turn on heat.

Once water is hot, not boiling, squeeze water out of soaking yarn and dangle above hot dye solution. Slowly lower yarn into dye bath approximately 20cm/4”. Leave to absorb dye for 20 seconds (the time is not critical).

Slowly lift your skein from the dye bath but not the saucepan/pot. Re-dip the skein a further 20cm into the dye bath for another 20 seconds. Continue dipping gradually increasing the depth by 20cm at a time until totally submerged.
The dye bath will change colour as the skein is re-dipped; the violet colour will 'split' gradually turning blue as will your yarn.

Once the whole skein is in the saucepan/pot, leave the water to heat until just under a boil. Turn off the heat and leave water to cool naturally.

Once cool, remove skein from the saucepan/pot and rinse in clear, cool water with a little washing up liquid or hand wash until water runs clear.
Squeeze excess water out of skein either in a towel or hand wring. Hang up to dry.