I Love to Create: Hand Dyed & Knitted CowlKerchief

There’s something magical about being able to dye your own yarn to any shade you wish, especially when that yarn is intended for a simple project that’s perfect for showing that color off. Today on I Love to Create, I show how easy it can be to be the designer of your own palette, with the help of a craft store dye kit. Bonus, once you’ve customized your yarn, you can knit it up into a modern “CowlKerchief”! Here’s how.

Undyed Wool & Customized Dye Kit Supplies

Materials

Chunky, Undyed Wool (approx 100 yds/110m)

Tulip Custom Dye Color Kit

Rubber Gloves

Salt

Mild Shampoo or Yarn Wash

Junky Towel

Hanger

Size US 11 (8mm), Circular Needle

Tapestry Needle

Large Button

Needle & Thread

How-To Custom Dye

Flip through the Custom Dye Kit “Color Recipes” booklet. Choose your color from the palette–I went with a purple-grey called, “Horizon”.

Following the recipe for your chosen color, mix dye with 1 gallon of hot water & 3 Tbs of salt in the sink or a large pot.

Immerse yarn in dye bath. Gently stir, continuously (taking care not to agitate so much, that the yarn felts) for 15 minutes, then occasionally every 5-10 minutes for the next 45 minutes.

Remove yarn from dye bath and rinse with cool water & gentle soap. Make sure not agitate while washing!

Roll yarn in towel, removing excess water. Place on hanger; let dry.

Wind into ball.

“Horizon”, Hand-dyed Wool

CowlKerchief Directions

Cast-on 3 sts. Knit all sts.

Next Row (RS): Kf&B (knit in the front and back of stitch), knit to last st, Kf&b. (5 sts)

Next Row: Knit all sts.

Repeat last 2 rows, increasing at each end on every RS row, until you have 67 sts.

BO. Weave in ends.

Sew button onto one tip of triangle. On the opposite side, pickup a stitch and crochet a chain that’s long enough to go around button. Attach chain to tip to form loop.