Cake dyes ....

Are not just for cakes.

Here is the latest batch of toothsome yarns from the kitchen. Using only red and blue cake dyes, I turned four small skeins of cream four ply merino and one 70 gramme skein of left over pale pink merino double knit into these lovelies.

I am particularly pleased with this blue skein which looks striped. The before photo is shown above. Its a fake dip-dye job. Fake because I couldn't be bothered to put my yarn into pot A, then remove it slowly, four inches or so at a time, doubling the time in the dye bath between each four inches being removed, and letting the part I have removed sit in pot B with the bit in the middle dripping cake dye (which WILL stain) all over my mum's stunningly lovely, genuine granite, pale peachy-beige worktops. I cheated. I made up a strong dye, and with the skein on a piece of very thick plastic on top of very thickly laid dustsheets, I painted the dye on one end. Tipped out half the dye, made up a new, half strength dye, painted that on the next section, tipped out half, new half strength dye mix, paint next section, repeat until dye bath is almost clear but not quite. Working from one end to the other it took about twenty minutes. Gave a pretty similar result as far as I can tell, and didn't make much mess. The dip dye skein is second from left in the finished skein photo. The left one was blue cake dye brushed and dotted randomly on the yarn. The red and blue one was also brushed on.

The cream and purply brown skein was a very pretty accident. I was trying for a much more purple purple and failed. Also, the cake dyes are set with vinegar and the more vinegar is on the yarn/in the water/in the dye pot, the faster the dye will strike the yarn. In this particular case I guess I'd gone overboard with the vinegar because it struck instantly when I poured it over the yarn. I should have made up the dye bath then put the yarn in it. That would have been the sensible choice. I thought I'd be clever and tip the dye onto the yarn. I didn't have time to stir up the dye to make it even. Once it was skeined it looked lovely but it was definitely an ugly duckling prior to that point.

This little experiment was so successful, and mum enjoyed it so much, that she has ordered a set of Wiltons cake colours and is planning all sorts of colour adventures. I expect I will adventure along with her, yarn availability permitting.

This weekend's skeins were all small and only enough to make baby items or possibly small accessories if some of the yarn was held together double. Mind I think the red and blue one will make fabulous little boy socks.