Colorful Cotton: Dye Your Own Yarn

I love the look of hand-dyed yarns—with their speckles, swirls and innovative color play, but I’ve always been too intimidated by the process to try it myself.

- By Kathleen Berlew

Not anymore! I changed my mind about hand-dyeing recently when I had the opportunity to experiment with Cushing’s Direct Dyes. These dyes are formulated specifically for dyeing cotton and other plant-fiber yarns. They’re heatset in a pot on the stove, which turned out to be much easier than I expected.

After a bit of trial and error, I got the hang of combining colors and using different application methods, and my results really improved. In fact, I now have a new craft obsession. If you’d like to try dyeing your own cotton yarn, here’s what you’ll need:

• Cotton or other plant-fiber yarn (I used Patons Grace lightweight mercerized cotton)

• Cushing’s Direct Dyes*

• Salt

• White vinegar

• Stainless steel, glass or ceramic vessel suitable for stovetop use

• Plastic basins or buckets

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Squirt bottles or jars

• Wooden spoon, skewers, eyedropper, syringe, plastic spoons and forks

• Old bath towels and paper towels

*Cushing’s dyes are available at www.wcushing.com.