For today's project you will need white or light colored acrylic yarn, acrylic paint, water, and a bucket or pan. Visit my blog: thefrugalcrafte... Follow me on Pinterest: / boards
I love this video!! When my aunt passed away I was giver about 50 skeins of her white yarn, acrylic of course. I love knitting dolls but finding a flesh colored yarn is very hard but you can find acrylic paint in that color. Now I can make my own flesh yarn and it will be pale enough to look natural. Thank you so much for this fabulous information!!!!!!! Judy
Thank you so very,very much,for making this video & sharing this technique! I have been looking into the many, many, different dyes &what fabrics/fibers are best suited 4 1 another,for a couple of yrs.now & becuz of all the varieties of both,it's just daunting,confusing,& the amt.of info+sources seem endless..I mainly started out looking into how to dye synthetic hair(2 use for hair extensions & wigmaking,which I became interested in doing right around the same time I started learning crochet & loom knitting,lol). Anyway,since most of synth.hair is made like nylon(ish)/acrylic/polyester/plastics basically,& is so similar 2 acrylic yarn,I'm hoping 2 find out what dyes/paints/inks & techniques 4 applying the colors work best w/what..I've already seen vids on dying wigs w/acrylic paint like this,& it had great results,so now that I know it can be used on white acrylic yarn 2,then this video makes me more confident about going ahead & trying it out on both materials. This will be knocking out 2 birds w/1 stone basically(& should also save $,create less waste & save a lil time,pots,& pails,lol)..I am truly greatful 2 have seen this!
This is awesome! But one thing that's worth mentioning is that higher quality acrylic paint is more pigmented, so it will go farther and you can use less. :) I might try this sometime!
This is really brilliant and it makes sense because pigment from a similar material would bond with the fibers and be colorfast! I was wondering if you could use fabric softener on it later once it dries to make it softer or would that degrade the pigment?
I cannot say how excited I am to find this video. I came across some very cheep acrylic/ wool blend yarn but the color is horrible after hours of searching for a way to fix that and discovering that most people said acrylic is imposable to dye at home I stumbled across your site and I have to say I am excited to try this
Years ago, I used to paint on clothes such as wrap skirts and T shirts. At first I used acrylic paint, but didn't like the stiffness. Later found fabric dyes and they were wonderful and soft. Made by the same company that made the acrylic paint.
Thank you!!! This is so helpful. I was wondering how I was going to dye yarn for a project where I need a specific color, and I like using acrylic yarn the best. Now I can just get some acrylic white yarn from the store and a ton of acrylic paint and just dye my yarn the way I want, including with a gradient.
I LOVE THIS!!! WHEN I SAW THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME I WENT RIGHT INTO MY CRAFT ROOM AND MADE SOME. I LOVE IT SO MUCH THAT I SPEND 100.00 ON WHITE YARN TO HAVE FUN WITH IT THIS SUMMER!
I am sooo glad that I found your video! I've been having a heck of a time finding multicoloured #3 DK yarn, and since I'm sensitive to wool I usually use acrylic yarns. I know what I'm jumping into this weekend. Thank you so much for this!
Maybe Lindsay could update this video (tho young Lindsay is always fun! 😂)…. Maybe could try it with gouache which is popular now and more pastal’ y… and Inktense since they have in blocks and since they are actually ink will work too… just paint it on! 🫶
This is awesome! I used to hand dye, card and spin my wool but unfortunately i was allergic to wool and had to stop. I missed the unique colours you get from hand dying. Thanks so much for helping me find a way of getting that with yarn I can still use! lol
Thank you so much for this. I love working with acrylic yarns, and though I've been told repeatedly that I can't dye it, I now know that this is not the case! I'll be experimenting with paint dyeing soon! Thanks again!
I stumbled on video,I love how you kept it so real. Also love the fact that you use acrylic paint, I use acrylic paint quite often. However I was wondering after you dye your yarn, should you wash it?With acrylic paint when you get on your close it comes out. So with yarn does it come out after washing?🤔
I tried tie dye with acrylic paint after thinking about how well it stains. But you have to wash it after, it will get the paint medium out and make it soft again. But I left it on over night first to get more vibrant colour. Now, I have to try dying yarn too!
Thank you for sharing that. I just asked someone last night about dying acrylic yarn. This makes me happy because I had bought some yarn that is an off white that would be perfect to experiment. I also have the exact same color plastic bin you used in your video from when I was in the hospital. I can't wait. I just bought some 100% wool yarn last night to experiment with. Now I have this info. I am glad I found your channel. I'm definitely a subscriber from this day forward.
I loved it! you were so lucky to find the yarn so cheap, I have a question, in which projects would you use this yarn? or can you show us a quick tutorial with the yarn so we can see the texture. thanks
My daughter and granddaughters and I have been learning to knit on those plastic looms with the pegs....it's fun, but we don't all like the same colors, and it can get expensive for us all (4) to make the same project together. This video is great!! We will be buying larger skeins of yarn, and dying some to please everyone's preferences!! Thanks!
A friend sent me this link, BLESS HER! And bless you! I have 400 g of cotton/acrylic yarn but it's deep red. Can't wear it! I plan to use your method with either green paint (will make some shade of brown hopefully) or teal paint. I want a deep heathered color and think this will work. I know ideally the original yarn color should be much lighter but this is a reclamation project. Even if it comes out something like mahogany would be great. I'm DYING to try it! I love your energy and enthusiasm.
I see a few people wondering about doing more than one color. I laid mine out on the counter and painted it on with foam brushes. It looked exactly the way I wanted it to, but then I hung it on a hanger to drip and dry and the colors on the lower sides bled together quite a bit. I need to think of a way to dry it flat - maybe cookie racks?
The best way to get what you see, is to do it in steps, 1st color then dry, and repeat for each color , longer time for sure, but that will stop the colors blending in each other to create a third color.
My gosh, this is amazing! You are brilliant, seriously, and you have helped me save my yarn stash - primarily all that miscellaneous stuff I bought on sale that is now out of style and of course, out of the stores. Who woulda thought.
I Cant Wait to Try This!!! A wonderfully clear & concise video. Thank - you so much for sharing your frugal inspirations with us Lindsay. ~~~ I noticed down in the comment section that RIT makes an acrylic dye, but I'll bet it would cost more than 60 cents to color several hanks of yarn!
Just dyed my first experiment ... I used a 2 oz bottle of Anita's All Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint in Purple Pansy mixed with 4 oz cold water. My acrylic yarn is white Bernat (I think ... I misplaced the label that had been with it after I made the hank). After dyeing and squeezing out the excess color, I've decided I should only use 2 oz water to the paint ... there was a LOT of extra! Too bad I didn't have more hanks ready. LOL Anyway, it's now hanging by the ties in the nice warm bathroom and I am already excited by how it's looking. I wish purples would photograph well on my phone, but it just looks blue :( Thank you for your tutorial ... I have watched several of them and I am just blown away by your creativity!! Sylvia
Make sure to let it dry completely so the color can set. I actually knitted mine up before washing. Also clean any drips off the floor as needed (if needed) so it does not stain;) have fun!
Yep, I have it hanging on a clothes hanger on a drying rack with a bucket under it and a puppy pad (hahahaha ... it was handy) under the bucket. There is a heater close by so hopefully it won't take days! I am just too excited about this!! I don't know if I can wait til this one is completely dry before I attack my next project :)
Question - I am going to attempt to dye some yarn in a specific pattern of colors. If I dye each color alone and let dry before moving to the next color, will it become permanent when it dries? And after I color all the colors and let them all dry, will I be able to wash the yarn or project made with it without the colors running and staining each other? Thanks for this vid it has been so helpful!!!!
Update on my first attempt ... it finished drying and I really love the outcome!! I wish I could figure out how to post a photo here so you can see it. It's a little stiff-ish, but I'm going to do as you did and not wash it until I've turned it into something. Thanks for the tutorial. :)
So are you putting the same amount of water to paint? Also, I don't won't any white stripes or marbling in it. That's pretty for clothing, but I'm dying it warm brown for doll making. So, I want it brown through and through. Any suggestions on that? And is this acrylic dye safe for children? Thank you so much for sharing this video. I'm at my wits end trying to find warm brown in the Caron one pound 100 percent acrylic that I love so much. So, I've decided to try to dye some white Caron the color I need.
I dunno if anybody else has tried this, but I used airbrush paint just because I had some. Worked amazing! I believe it has a heavier pigment load, plus it's already the perfect consistency. I'm dyeing yarn for fishing flies so if it bleeds out a touch, that makes it look even better. Thank you so much for the idea!!!
I bought bulk yarn for machine knitting, and it came with quite a few skeins of safety orange. I so hope this will work to put a new color over the old!
Going to use this technique as a launch point for a bunch of experimenting today! I've got to age and modify yarn colors for a latch hook rug project. I'll try to remember to report back once I've done it!
I was scrolling through the comments and trying to find answers to some questions I had and they all seemed pretty vauge. So here are my questions: 1) would it be a good idea to hang my yarn to dry in my oven at 100 degrees? I know acrylic is a form of plastic, but I live in southwest texas and our winter is at 70 degrees and my apt is at about 100 because its so small and I live with three other people. I figured this would be a good idea but oven heat is not the same as atmospheric heat. What do you think? 2) Will this dye wash off the yarn? I know how acrylic yarn reacts with any and all fabrics, and I know it is pretty washable on its own, but if it does wash off after its completely done drying, would adding vinegar help the acrylic hold? How many days should I wait before I wash it with fabric softener? 3) I'm trying to dye baby yarn because I couldnt find a store anywhere in my area that sold all pink baby yarn, do you think dyeing the baby yarn would have a different effect than dyeing the regular weight 4 yarn? how big will it expand? do you think that the finished product may be too rough to use for baby items? please respond as promptly as possible, I ran into this dilemma and i have fallen behind on my work and I need to catch up as soon as I can. I really appreciate all your help :)
You said you washed it and so far its colorfast, but do you mind me asking how many washes you did? One of the first things I thought was brilliant paint has binders.This woman just keeps proving her genius. But then I thought plastics aren't known for playing well with acrylic paint over time. (Still you are genius) This being a problem at all is something that there isn't an answer to yet. I appreciate that, but if down the line the color does fade or just come off all together, I would love to hear how you counter the problem. Some sort of sealant? In the mean time I'll try this out and if I have a problem later or come up with a way to counter it-- I'll send back the info in return. Thanks for sharing this amazing idea. I have TONS of light colored acrylics left over from projects from over the years and you are my craft Oscar nominee right now! TY TY TY
Very interesting. You make it look very easy. I have some boring beige curtains that I would love to change the color, but they are polyester. Can this technique work with polyester fabric? Thanks
Can't wait to see what it looks like knitted into something! Could you add some mica pigment to add shimmer and the acrylic would lock it in? Or, would the acrylic paint hide most of the shimmer?
I would love to see what you made with the green yarn that's yummy. also to help find the ends maybe you could tie them onto a peg or something like that. great video thankyou for sharing. Oh quick question I just bought some nylon yarn in white. would acrylic dye that? thankyou in advance. Doreen
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I've been trying to dye all of my plain acrylic for months with no luck. I just finished drying 200 yards of teal and now I'm going to start a skein of purple!
I have watched the tutorial and I am wondering if this would work with dying a bright pink acrylic jumper into black or a colour that my hubby will wear! What do you think?
This is a wonderful idea. Do you think it would work with white Knit-Cro-Sheen or Aunt Lydia's crochet cotton? If so, do you think you would have to unwind and rewind it? In any case, it would be lovely to see a finished piece using the yarn you dyed. Have a lovely weekend.
The crochet cotton would take almost any dye, yes you would need to unravel it and it is more likely to tangle. In the case of crochet cotton you might want to crochet your project (because it will tend to be more of an "open" design) then spray apply a fabric dye. I crochet little flowers from white crochet cotton then spry it with spray ink before adding it to a card or scrapbook page and it looks great! I would use dye rather than paint on cotton personally but either would work:)
Thanks for the video! I would be anxious to see a finished project be dyed, even if it is just a potholder as I have an afghan I do not like the colors of and would want to dye the whole thing.
You are frickin brilliant!! Thank you soooo much for sharing this!! AWESOME!! FYI...Being a single person, I have utilized the back of a chair to ball my yarn and it works swimmingly!!
That was awesome!! I should have wat he'd your video before I bought tie-dye. BUT the information was great. My question is can you do a simpliar concept with already crocheted projects? And will it wash the same or remove the dye?
Just an idea but if you put a big bead or something on each end when you go to dye it you would be able to spot the ends.. your video was vary informative thank you for sharing
thanks a lot! that was very helpful, as I wanna make myself some ombre yarn braids so I need to hand dye my yarn for that and regular fabric dye just won't stick to acrylic yarn - and you can't use natural fibers on your hair, cause they cause so much damage. I finally can complete my project
I dyed some white acrylic and I can't imagine knitting a garment out of this. It's stiff - did I add too much paint or is the typical result of this technique? I could use it for household items, like a basket, placemat...
Much appreciated! I needed a small quantity of a pale blue yarn for a plush for myself, and didn't much want to buy anything new. The advice is appreciated. X)
great Video, thanks for sharing , I am wondering if using a fabric medium...I can't remember the name but it's for preparing fabric for painting would help? also wondering if leaving it soak in (more) watered down paint for a few hours after the initial process would help , also moving it around every so often while soaking...and also wondering about trying with a finished project ...your insight on my ?'s would be greatly appreciated TIA
I have knit with it, it was a bit stiff until I washed but but then it was fine. I will be a bit paler after you wash it but then it is good. I think fabric medium would get too diluted to be of much benefit but it won't hurt anything
how I fined the starting end is the last end on the outside I tie a piece of yarn onto it that's a different colour to the ball so when u dye it is will be even more a different colour :) what will happen when u was the yarn like this ?
Question : I bought some mitts that I liked but they are dark burgundy . I prefer an orange- red color . Do I have to bleach out some of the original color first ? Mitts were only $5 and have a cable design but just too dark. Would appreciate any advice.
Okay so i did everything and have it hanging to dry i added some extra paint for pigment because the project im using this for the texture doesnt matter gotta say looks very promising so far i think this ones a WIN!
Hi! Would you need to color remove from the yarn before dying with the acrylic paint? I have a "tweedy" looking light brown yard that I would prefer to be a dove grayish. Was thinking it needed to be lighter first? Love to hear what you say! Thanks!
hiii!! I was wondering if its possible to do the same with an acrylic scarf? I bought it for dirt cheap but I realized the colour is kind of funky. thanks! xx
ok question dont know much about yarns so, would it not be heat set by putting in the dryer or to speed the last drying part up? i do wash and dry some of my sweaters, no many problems.....so just wondering. thanks your the bomb! :)
can fabric softner be used in the washing or drying of the yarn = will this paint method puff up some & change the py = ty 4 the great video ... I didn't think you could dye acrylics ... now I will be on the look out 4 cheap white acrylic yarn ... you are the best ~~
DLR310 I would wash it plain first, it will soften, but if you decide you want it softer then go with the fabric softener. Remember you are using a lot of water and really letting it soak into the yarn, it is not as crispy as it would be if you just painted it on
Yes...I do have a question....could polyester ribbon be dyed the same way? I've tried different things....only to find later that the ink bled onto the cards I had made(I have a contraption- same idea to dry the ribbon on...which I leave for several days) Thanks
Awesome! Very much needed this one! Now it has me curious how well a color works over another color to get a two tone umbre.... any thoughts? I'm definitely going to be subscribing! Couple of tips you might like.. Look up Yarn Swift. Some are expensive, but they have some that are like $20-30 and they save your sanity in dealing with hanks and children that get too bored to hold it for you ;P They expand out to hold your hank securely from inside and free spin, you can clamp them onto a table and just unwind it as fast as you want without the fuss. Also, when you bind up your hank before you dye, tie your outer wrap end (or both ends for that matter) into your binding knots. You'll never loose your ends again.... though you might have to fight with them just a bit to move them for the dye.
Oh my goodness this video helped me so much!! I haven't been into crocheting in a while, and I wanted to get back into it when my great grandma gave me a LOT of yard that she had had for a while. However, the yard was all cream colored and I would not find a cheap way to dye it... until now :)
I love this video!! When my aunt passed away I was giver about 50 skeins of her white yarn, acrylic of course. I love knitting dolls but finding a flesh colored yarn is very hard but you can find acrylic paint in that color. Now I can make my own flesh yarn and it will be pale enough to look natural. Thank you so much for this fabulous information!!!!!!!
Judy
Thank you so very,very much,for making this video & sharing this technique! I have been looking into the many, many, different dyes &what fabrics/fibers are best suited 4 1 another,for a couple of yrs.now & becuz of all the varieties of both,it's just daunting,confusing,& the amt.of info+sources seem endless..I mainly started out looking into how to dye synthetic hair(2 use for hair extensions & wigmaking,which I became interested in doing right around the same time I started learning crochet & loom knitting,lol). Anyway,since most of synth.hair is made like nylon(ish)/acrylic/polyester/plastics basically,& is so similar 2 acrylic yarn,I'm hoping 2 find out what dyes/paints/inks & techniques 4 applying the colors work best w/what..I've already seen vids on dying wigs w/acrylic paint like this,& it had great results,so now that I know it can be used on white acrylic yarn 2,then this video makes me more confident about going ahead & trying it out on both materials. This will be knocking out 2 birds w/1 stone basically(& should also save $,create less waste & save a lil time,pots,& pails,lol)..I am truly greatful 2 have seen this!
This is awesome! But one thing that's worth mentioning is that higher quality acrylic paint is more pigmented, so it will go farther and you can use less. :)
I might try this sometime!
I can not believe that I was just thinking about dyeing some white yarn that I have. Timely video! Thanks for the tip.
This is really brilliant and it makes sense because pigment from a similar material would bond with the fibers and be colorfast! I was wondering if you could use fabric softener on it later once it dries to make it softer or would that degrade the pigment?
I cannot say how excited I am to find this video. I came across some very cheep acrylic/ wool blend yarn but the color is horrible after hours of searching for a way to fix that and discovering that most people said acrylic is imposable to dye at home I stumbled across your site and I have to say I am excited to try this
Omg! I love your sense of humor. .. Girl you just saved me some money! Thank You!
Years ago, I used to paint on clothes such as wrap skirts and T shirts. At first I used acrylic paint, but didn't like the stiffness. Later found fabric dyes and they were wonderful and soft. Made by the same company that made the acrylic paint.
Who was 5he company you bought the paint from? Thanks
Thank you!!! This is so helpful. I was wondering how I was going to dye yarn for a project where I need a specific color, and I like using acrylic yarn the best. Now I can just get some acrylic white yarn from the store and a ton of acrylic paint and just dye my yarn the way I want, including with a gradient.
I LOVE THIS!!! WHEN I SAW THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME I WENT RIGHT INTO MY CRAFT ROOM AND MADE SOME. I LOVE IT SO MUCH THAT I SPEND 100.00 ON WHITE YARN TO HAVE FUN WITH IT THIS SUMMER!
I am sooo glad that I found your video! I've been having a heck of a time finding multicoloured #3 DK yarn, and since I'm sensitive to wool I usually use acrylic yarns. I know what I'm jumping into this weekend.
Thank you so much for this!
I've just done this in blue and green :) can't wait to see how it turns out
Since years have passed, hows the colour fastness now?
Klara G I want to know too !
Since even more years have passed I would like to know too
Colors always are and always have been good for decades if you don’t leave them outside in direct sunlight
@@HunterAnsorge-ok9jk some colours wash out. Do you have experience with these colours?
Maybe Lindsay could update this video (tho young Lindsay is always fun! 😂)….
Maybe could try it with gouache which is popular now and more pastal’ y… and Inktense since they have in blocks and since they are actually ink will work too… just paint it on! 🫶
I love this! I have a huge box of acrylic yarn, and a big box of acrylic paints. Duh. Never figured this out!!! You ROCK!
Rit now makes a dye for synthetic fiber. It is called Rit Dye More.
Lora Knutson awesome thank you for sharing that.
Lora Knutson thank you!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing that info!!
I've had meh results with the synthetic dye from rit. Two bottles of black for a concentrated bath for a hat. Went from soft beige to navy.
This is awesome! I used to hand dye, card and spin my wool but unfortunately i was allergic to wool and had to stop. I missed the unique colours you get from hand dying. Thanks so much for helping me find a way of getting that with yarn I can still use! lol
Skedgell Skeins , I have read that bison and alpaca are good for people who are allergic to wool.
Thank you so much for this. I love working with acrylic yarns, and though I've been told repeatedly that I can't dye it, I now know that this is not the case! I'll be experimenting with paint dyeing soon! Thanks again!
I stumbled on video,I love how you kept it so real. Also love the fact that you use acrylic paint, I use acrylic paint quite often. However I was wondering after you dye your yarn, should you wash it?With acrylic paint when you get on your close it comes out. So with yarn does it come out after washing?🤔
I was wondering that too
I saw another video where the woman washed it after and most of the color came out and when it dried it was stiff. Hope that helps
I tried tie dye with acrylic paint after thinking about how well it stains. But you have to wash it after, it will get the paint medium out and make it soft again. But I left it on over night first to get more vibrant colour.
Now, I have to try dying yarn too!
Thank you for sharing that. I just asked someone last night about dying acrylic yarn. This makes me happy because I had bought some yarn that is an off white that would be perfect to experiment. I also have the exact same color plastic bin you used in your video from when I was in the hospital. I can't wait. I just bought some 100% wool yarn last night to experiment with. Now I have this info. I am glad I found your channel. I'm definitely a subscriber from this day forward.
That's really cool I'll have to try it. A little tip ...dye your ends darker so you can find them easier. Very pretty yarn! Thank you for sharing!
I loved it! you were so lucky to find the yarn so cheap, I have a question, in which projects would you use this yarn? or can you show us a quick tutorial with the yarn so we can see the texture. thanks
I am in love with your skill and with your energy! Thank you for this inspiring video!
My daughter and granddaughters and I have been learning to knit on those plastic looms with the pegs....it's fun, but we don't all like the same colors, and it can get expensive for us all (4) to make the same project together. This video is great!! We will be buying larger skeins of yarn, and dying some to please everyone's preferences!! Thanks!
A friend sent me this link, BLESS HER! And bless you! I have 400 g of cotton/acrylic yarn but it's deep red. Can't wear it! I plan to use your method with either green paint (will make some shade of brown hopefully) or teal paint. I want a deep heathered color and think this will work. I know ideally the original yarn color should be much lighter but this is a reclamation project. Even if it comes out something like mahogany would be great. I'm DYING to try it! I love your energy and enthusiasm.
Good to know that acrylic paint can be used to color light yarn too!
I see a few people wondering about doing more than one color. I laid mine out on the counter and painted it on with foam brushes. It looked exactly the way I wanted it to, but then I hung it on a hanger to drip and dry and the colors on the lower sides bled together quite a bit. I need to think of a way to dry it flat - maybe cookie racks?
Amanda Pockrandt good idea or an old window screen
The best way to get what you see, is to do it in steps, 1st color then dry, and repeat for each color , longer time for sure, but that will stop the colors blending in each other to create a third color.
My gosh, this is amazing! You are brilliant, seriously, and you have helped me save my yarn stash - primarily all that miscellaneous stuff I bought on sale that is now out of style and of course, out of the stores. Who woulda thought.
I Cant Wait to Try This!!! A wonderfully clear & concise video. Thank - you so much for sharing your frugal inspirations with us Lindsay. ~~~ I noticed down in the comment section that RIT makes an acrylic dye, but I'll bet it would cost more than 60 cents to color several hanks of yarn!
How interesting! I'm looking forward to trying it. I love dying things, but have yet to try yarn.
Just dyed my first experiment ... I used a 2 oz bottle of Anita's All Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint in Purple Pansy mixed with 4 oz cold water. My acrylic yarn is white Bernat (I think ... I misplaced the label that had been with it after I made the hank). After dyeing and squeezing out the excess color, I've decided I should only use 2 oz water to the paint ... there was a LOT of extra! Too bad I didn't have more hanks ready. LOL Anyway, it's now hanging by the ties in the nice warm bathroom and I am already excited by how it's looking. I wish purples would photograph well on my phone, but it just looks blue :( Thank you for your tutorial ... I have watched several of them and I am just blown away by your creativity!!
Sylvia
Make sure to let it dry completely so the color can set. I actually knitted mine up before washing. Also clean any drips off the floor as needed (if needed) so it does not stain;) have fun!
Yep, I have it hanging on a clothes hanger on a drying rack with a bucket under it and a puppy pad (hahahaha ... it was handy) under the bucket. There is a heater close by so hopefully it won't take days! I am just too excited about this!! I don't know if I can wait til this one is completely dry before I attack my next project :)
Lol whatever works:)
Hoping to try this for a HUGE project, since white yarn tends to be cheaper than some of the colours.
Question - I am going to attempt to dye some yarn in a specific pattern of colors. If I dye each color alone and let dry before moving to the next color, will it become permanent when it dries? And after I color all the colors and let them all dry, will I be able to wash the yarn or project made with it without the colors running and staining each other? Thanks for this vid it has been so helpful!!!!
that is correct;)
Decided that I am going to have a go at this. Multi shades of blue if possible.
Update on my first attempt ... it finished drying and I really love the outcome!! I wish I could figure out how to post a photo here so you can see it. It's a little stiff-ish, but I'm going to do as you did and not wash it until I've turned it into something.
Thanks for the tutorial. :)
So are you putting the same amount of water to paint? Also, I don't won't any white stripes or marbling in it. That's pretty for clothing, but I'm dying it warm brown for doll making. So, I want it brown through and through. Any suggestions on that? And is this acrylic dye safe for children? Thank you so much for sharing this video. I'm at my wits end trying to find warm brown in the Caron one pound 100 percent acrylic that I love so much. So, I've decided to try to dye some white Caron the color I need.
I dunno if anybody else has tried this, but I used airbrush paint just because I had some. Worked amazing! I believe it has a heavier pigment load, plus it's already the perfect consistency. I'm dyeing yarn for fishing flies so if it bleeds out a touch, that makes it look even better. Thank you so much for the idea!!!
I bought bulk yarn for machine knitting, and it came with quite a few skeins of safety orange. I so hope this will work to put a new color over the old!
How well will it wash after being made into a project? Love the color variegation. TFS
it will wash fine and the color will not run:) One it is dry after dying it s permanent:)
Going to use this technique as a launch point for a bunch of experimenting today! I've got to age and modify yarn colors for a latch hook rug project. I'll try to remember to report back once I've done it!
I was scrolling through the comments and trying to find answers to some questions I had and they all seemed pretty vauge. So here are my questions:
1) would it be a good idea to hang my yarn to dry in my oven at 100 degrees? I know acrylic is a form of plastic, but I live in southwest texas and our winter is at 70 degrees and my apt is at about 100 because its so small and I live with three other people. I figured this would be a good idea but oven heat is not the same as atmospheric heat. What do you think?
2) Will this dye wash off the yarn? I know how acrylic yarn reacts with any and all fabrics, and I know it is pretty washable on its own, but if it does wash off after its completely done drying, would adding vinegar help the acrylic hold? How many days should I wait before I wash it with fabric softener?
3) I'm trying to dye baby yarn because I couldnt find a store anywhere in my area that sold all pink baby yarn, do you think dyeing the baby yarn would have a different effect than dyeing the regular weight 4 yarn? how big will it expand? do you think that the finished product may be too rough to use for baby items?
please respond as promptly as possible, I ran into this dilemma and i have fallen behind on my work and I need to catch up as soon as I can. I really appreciate all your help :)
gave this a try today. will see how the yarn comes out. thank you for the tutorial.
Veronica Beaudry how did it come out?
You said you washed it and so far its colorfast, but do you mind me asking how many washes you did? One of the first things I thought was brilliant paint has binders.This woman just keeps proving her genius. But then I thought plastics aren't known for playing well with acrylic paint over time. (Still you are genius) This being a problem at all is something that there isn't an answer to yet. I appreciate that, but if down the line the color does fade or just come off all together, I would love to hear how you counter the problem. Some sort of sealant? In the mean time I'll try this out and if I have a problem later or come up with a way to counter it-- I'll send back the info in return. Thanks for sharing this amazing idea. I have TONS of light colored acrylics left over from projects from over the years and you are my craft Oscar nominee right now! TY TY TY
sorry, I forgot to ask, I dun haf to soak in vinegar n salt to prevent bleeding as u said it wun bleed right?
Awesome! Finally a way to dye acrylic! Thank you for sharing!
Very interesting. You make it look very easy. I have some boring beige curtains that I would love to change the color, but they are polyester. Can this technique work with polyester fabric? Thanks
marcelogranda sure but it will probably be variegated in color. Check they Rit dye package, it might be suitable and work better though:)
thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich Thank you
Pretty cool idea I can’t wait to try this! Thank you for sharing!
Can't wait to see what it looks like knitted into something! Could you add some mica pigment to add shimmer and the acrylic would lock it in? Or, would the acrylic paint hide most of the shimmer?
Use metallic acrylic paint, you can get that at walmart too, it is around 75 cents a bottle:)
I love this idea and you're adorable!!!
I too would like to know about the colourfastness
I would love to see what you made with the green yarn that's yummy. also to help find the ends maybe you could tie them onto a peg or something like that. great video thankyou for sharing. Oh quick question I just bought some nylon yarn in white. would acrylic dye that? thankyou in advance. Doreen
+doreen watson-read I have not tried it so test a scrap first.
wow, this is truly amazing. Never thought it was possible. Thank You
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I've been trying to dye all of my plain acrylic for months with no luck. I just finished drying 200 yards of teal and now I'm going to start a skein of purple!
I have watched the tutorial and I am wondering if this would work with dying a bright pink acrylic jumper into black or a colour that my hubby will wear! What do you think?
This is a wonderful idea. Do you think it would work with white Knit-Cro-Sheen or Aunt Lydia's crochet cotton? If so, do you think you would have to unwind and rewind it? In any case, it would be lovely to see a finished piece using the yarn you dyed. Have a lovely weekend.
The crochet cotton would take almost any dye, yes you would need to unravel it and it is more likely to tangle. In the case of crochet cotton you might want to crochet your project (because it will tend to be more of an "open" design) then spray apply a fabric dye. I crochet little flowers from white crochet cotton then spry it with spray ink before adding it to a card or scrapbook page and it looks great! I would use dye rather than paint on cotton personally but either would work:)
What an awesome idea I wouldn't have never thought of that
Great tutorial
Thank you
Im just wondering if the yarn is not staining afterwards 🤔
it muz b completely dry then the color won't bleed is it?
I was wondering if fabric paint can be used??????I would think it would keep the yarn soft.
Nice video,
I was wondering if you can put more than one color on your yarn when you dye it that way?
Thanks!
yes, absolutely!
Which permanent dye for acrylic would you recommend that doesn't stain other clothes?
Thanks so much for this. It was not only informative but just great fun to watch you.
Thanks for the video! I would be anxious to see a finished project be dyed, even if it is just a potholder as I have an afghan I do not like the colors of and would want to dye the whole thing.
You are frickin brilliant!! Thank you soooo much for sharing this!! AWESOME!!
FYI...Being a single person, I have utilized the back of a chair to ball my yarn and it works swimmingly!!
Gypsy Mama nice!
That was awesome!! I should have wat he'd your video before I bought tie-dye. BUT the information was great. My question is can you do a simpliar concept with already crocheted projects? And will it wash the same or remove the dye?
It might have a hard time soaking in the dense knit for a consistent color but it should work. Test on a sample swatchbfirst.
I wonder if sharpie marker ink would work well. I use to use tge inks to dye sythetic wigs. I might give it a try with some red heart acrylic yarn
Nichiiro I bet it would work but it would take a while:)
Just an idea but if you put a big bead or something on each end when you go to dye it you would be able to spot the ends.. your video was vary informative thank you for sharing
great tip, thanks!
thanks a lot! that was very helpful, as I wanna make myself some ombre yarn braids so I need to hand dye my yarn for that and regular fabric dye just won't stick to acrylic yarn - and you can't use natural fibers on your hair, cause they cause so much damage. I finally can complete my project
I dyed some white acrylic and I can't imagine knitting a garment out of this. It's stiff - did I add too much paint or is the typical result of this technique? I could use it for household items, like a basket, placemat...
beftefur1 you might have used more paint than I did but it will soften when washed.
Much appreciated! I needed a small quantity of a pale blue yarn for a plush for myself, and didn't much want to buy anything new. The advice is appreciated. X)
I need to dye a blanket but I also need to condition it. Which order should I do this?
Great video! Will this work on a 100% acrylic beanie?
yes, be sure to wet the beanie first and really work the paint in and let it drip dry completely before washing.
great Video, thanks for sharing , I am wondering if using a fabric medium...I can't remember the name but it's for preparing fabric for painting would help? also wondering if leaving it soak in (more) watered down paint for a few hours after the initial process would help , also moving it around every so often while soaking...and also wondering about trying with a finished project ...your insight on my ?'s would be greatly appreciated TIA
I have knit with it, it was a bit stiff until I washed but but then it was fine. I will be a bit paler after you wash it but then it is good. I think fabric medium would get too diluted to be of much benefit but it won't hurt anything
how I fined the starting end is the last end on the outside I tie a piece of yarn onto it that's a different colour to the ball so when u dye it is will be even more a different colour :) what will happen when u was the yarn like this ?
Question : I bought some mitts that I liked but they are dark burgundy . I prefer an orange- red color . Do I have to bleach out some of the original color first ?
Mitts were only $5 and have a cable design but just too dark.
Would appreciate any advice.
just make sure the bleach is compatible with the fiber the b=mittens are made of
ahhh thank you so much I needed a specific color for a project and I didn’t want to buy specific dye for acrylic yarn!!
will this method work with acrylic lace and trims as well?
after you dye the acrylic yarn with the acrylic paint and its completely dry. Can it be used in the hair for colorful braids?
Wondering if this would work for a finished product or not if I worked it well?
yes, I used it on a hat.
I have been looking for this. I loveeeeeeee you for this. Thank you and I wish you all the best.
I've always wound my yarn around the back of a chair.
You think this can work with Bernat Pipsqueak Fluffy baby yarn???
Will this work on an 100% acrylic sweater it's like a mauve pink I want it black?
Can I use hair dye if I'm going to use it for my hair?
Okay so i did everything and have it hanging to dry i added some extra paint for pigment because the project im using this for the texture doesnt matter gotta say looks very promising so far i think this ones a WIN!
have you attempted dyeing any colour besides white? I have a large skein of heinous orange.
sure, just fine something that will go with it and that is darker, maybe a spicy red-brown?
i'll let you know how it turns out, thanks for a great tutorial!
Have you tried doing this in variegated colors
Hi! Would you need to color remove from the yarn before dying with the acrylic paint? I have a "tweedy" looking light brown yard that I would prefer to be a dove grayish. Was thinking it needed to be lighter first? Love to hear what you say! Thanks!
Could you wash later in a soap for yarn? I know with wool, you wash in Dawn...I’m definitely going to try this...
hiii!!
I was wondering if its possible to do the same with an acrylic scarf? I bought it for dirt cheap but I realized the colour is kind of funky.
thanks! xx
huckxing sure, just soak it in water first.
ok question dont know much about yarns so, would it not be heat set by putting in the dryer or to speed the last drying part up? i do wash and dry some of my sweaters, no many problems.....so just wondering. thanks your the bomb! :)
you don't need to heat set it but it is fine to wash and dry:)
I wonder if this works with felt??
can fabric softner be used in the washing or drying of the yarn = will this paint method puff up some & change the py = ty 4 the great video ... I didn't think you could dye acrylics ... now I will be on the look out 4 cheap white acrylic yarn ... you are the best ~~
DLR310 I would wash it plain first, it will soften, but if you decide you want it softer then go with the fabric softener. Remember you are using a lot of water and really letting it soak into the yarn, it is not as crispy as it would be if you just painted it on
How helpful...and timely for me...is that!!?? Thanks so much for an informative and very fun video!!
awesomeness personified. loved the video.
Brilliant! I didn't think this was possible! Kudos to you!
Anything is possible, didn't you know:)
Wonderful, wonderful. I've always wanted to know how acrylic yarn could be dyed. Thanks
Yes...I do have a question....could polyester ribbon be dyed the same way? I've tried different things....only to find later that the ink bled onto the cards I had made(I have a contraption- same idea to dry the ribbon on...which I leave for several days) Thanks
I was wondering, if I were to be making yarn wefts and I dipped the tied wefts into a bucket of acrylic paint mixed with water, how well would it dye?
Awesome! Very much needed this one! Now it has me curious how well a color works over another color to get a two tone umbre.... any thoughts?
I'm definitely going to be subscribing!
Couple of tips you might like..
Look up Yarn Swift. Some are expensive, but they have some that are like $20-30 and they save your sanity in dealing with hanks and children that get too bored to hold it for you ;P They expand out to hold your hank securely from inside and free spin, you can clamp them onto a table and just unwind it as fast as you want without the fuss.
Also, when you bind up your hank before you dye, tie your outer wrap end (or both ends for that matter) into your binding knots. You'll never loose your ends again.... though you might have to fight with them just a bit to move them for the dye.
Oh my goodness this video helped me so much!! I haven't been into crocheting in a while, and I wanted to get back into it when my great grandma gave me a LOT of yard that she had had for a while. However, the yard was all cream colored and I would not find a cheap way to dye it... until now :)
Awesome Video! Question.. what about using multi-colors ? I dye wool and I use squeeze bottles could I do this same technique when dying acrylic?