Here's an idea to try

[jimbo]

I don't have a clue if this is common practice or not, but it seems to me to be a pretty nifty way to make some really interesting stuff.

 

Ok what you do is get some white yarn and some permanent color markers.

You crochet, say, a dishcloth type square and as you go along, you change the color of the yarn as you'd like by simply rubbing the about-to-be crocheted section of yarn with one of your markers. Let it dry then crochet the colored section into the piece. Change colors as you go, to make oh, say a picture of a flower or whatever.

 

Whatcha think????

 

i'd sure like to see something done like that. I bet it'd be fun.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

 

I think this is an interesting idea, and I'd like to draw more attention to it. The only problem I foresee is being patient enough to let the marker dry.

 

Has anyone tried anything like this?

[jimbo]

Thanks Sonnets, for bumping the thread... i was scaired that it'd drop off the board without a comment... and i thought it was such an interesting concept.

 

and Debbi, yeah you could do that but i think you'd get lots better color definition by pre coloring strips of yarn as you go.... plus i think it would just be a fun thing to do that way. Heck you could even crochet in the area you want colored, just to see how much yarn would be involved in that particular spot, frog it, and then apply the color before you crochet the frogged length back into the image.

[TX CrochetLover]

Are you thinking that may be a way to do the picture wall hanging up at the crick? I have never marked on any of my yarn, but I agree, it may be interesting to try.

[RoseRed]

Do we have to start with white? I was thinking maybe some food coloring.

 

I don't know about the crochet and frog for the length - that might take more time than coloring the yarn.

 

And I was looking for a new technique to try LOL

[jimbo]

Yes TX, the thought crossed my mind. But i think when that project gets started, i'll leave it up to the artist to do as they will. In fact i'd have no problem if someone cross stitched a square next to someone elses crochetd square. I think the whole thing would just be fascinating.

 

And Rose... no you don't need to start with white... but white is kind of a standard base. You know like a white canvas for a painting.

 

Thanks for your input!!

Jimbo

[frogsrock]

i think the marker would rub off on your hands, especially if they're sweaty

 

and when you wash it some of the color would probably be lost

[Jozzie]

How about dyeing it with Rit dye - like tie dye?

[birdlady1]

One of my crochet books talks about painting the yarn after it's been crocheted. Never in a million years will I remember which book it was in. Some teddybear artists use kool aid to tint the mohair. Why not yarn?

[iamnichole]

This is so cool!!! I never thought to do something like that.

Tie Dye sounds like so much fun! You could make white dishclothes and then tie dye them. That would be a cool gift and pretty fun to make!

[head2toepets2go]

WOW!! Has anyone tried the marker or kool-aid thing?

 

I have an entire box of white (mostly RH) yarn that I cannot use for the charity I work with. I'v looked at the rit-type dyes at Wal-mart and they say not to use in on nylon/acrylic so I didn't think it would work on the yarn. I'm really interested in the kool-aid thing & am wondering about making a white blanket & washing it in the washing machine with kool-aid crystals added. I might try it next week, but could use some input as I'e never done it before!

 

I'm so excited about the idea - that's for suggesting some alternatives!!!

 

Fran

[Addey]

I think if you use a "Sharpie" or something like that, it dries pretty fast and doesn't rub off much. It may be better to do this with a cotton yarn, as it's more absorbant. I think it would be cool to 'dye as you go'... Great... another idea floating around in my busy brain... gee... thanks Jimbo!

[head2toepets2go]

sorry for the second post I forgot to subscribe to the thread & couldn't figure out how to that in an edit - I'm just too excited about being able to use that that yarn!

 

Fran

[RoseRed]

Just to let you know- this is a joke. Jimbo is our resident jokester. You have to check out the Pringle can cozy post on his blog.

 

You really can do the kool aid thing tho- there's quite a few posts here at the 'ville about it. i'm pretty sure that you die in before you use it and in a bowl or your sink - not the washing machine.

 

Don't forget to post pics!

[Auntie Kellie]

He may be a jokester but I think this is a great idea to get the actual colours I want in a varigated yarn/thread. The only downside would be keeping the markers away from the kids.

[mizduck]

I agree with Aunt Kel...even if it was meant as a joke, it's gotten our crafty lil brains working...we're mad scientists, donchaknow?!

[jimbo]

Actually its no joke. My crocheting is indeed a joke... but I brought this idea up because i thought it would be a really cool way of changing colors without having to use different yarns. I did think of the markers staining but figured if permanent markers are used (art supply stores have them in all kinds of colors), the process could be fairly quick since that kind of ink dries pretty fast.

I suppose it wouldn't work really well on wearables or things other than decorative stuff (freeform wallhangings always come to mind), but i just can't think how it wouldn't work.

Here's a very simple example. Lets say you'd like to do a piece with red and white stripes. You'd crochet the first row with the white, then use the marker to color the yarn red as you do the next row, then go back to the base white for the next row and so on.

Now if you wanted to get a little more complicated... and another example here.. Say you do a couple rows of green. Then interrupt the green to do a little strip of brown, repeated in consecutive rows so you'd be gradually forming a tree trunk. Get it? and you could add branches and leaves, birds and whatever as you go.

But because i really don't crochet, i have to leave it to you experts to say whether it could be done or not.

 

Thanks you guys for your comments. I hope somebody tries this out and posts a picture of the results... good or bad.

 

Jimbo

[cluless]

DO NOT.. I REPEAT DO NOT use permanent markers to dye one peice of yarn to match another color. Been there, done that, DIDN'T WORK.

 

I was sewing together squares of multiple colors and somehow ended up with two blue squares joined with light tan yarn. Didn't notice until the blankie was completely put together. So I grabbed my favorite permanent blue sharpie and started to "color" the tan yarn, maybe the black sharpie would have matched closer, maybe if they have sharpies with dye lot codes to match yarn dye lots, maybe shmaybe. Things got really ugly. Oh well.

 

But maybe if you weren't trying to match an existing color...interesting concept...I have lots of sharpies .

[jimbo]

"if you weren't trying to match an existing color"

 

Zactly! This would be an original piece so you wouldn't be trying to match colors. The color you'd be making would be original to the piece and the only matching you might be doing would be if you ran out of marker in the middle of a length of yarn.

[mythunderbird]

hmm now i have to try this, next week a trip to joanns for all those pretty markers they have and some cotton yarn, it won't work well with acrylic. i will see what i can figure out. maybe do a freeform kind of thing, not ready for a big picture kind of thing, maybe a flower would be nice but i think maybe a rainbow would work too,. jimbo i think its a good idea, even if it is going to make me crazy trying it lol. sigh another project to start:yes:yes

[Elle]

Yes TX, the thought crossed my mind. But i think when that project gets started, i'll leave it up to the artist to do as they will. In fact i'd have no problem if someone cross stitched a square next to someone elses crochetd square. I think the whole thing would just be fascinating.

 

And Rose... no you don't need to start with white... but white is kind of a standard base. You know like a white canvas for a painting.

 

Thanks for your input!!

Jimbo

 

This IS a neat idea, Jimbo! I agree, I think that white would make the best base, if for no other reason than the colors you use, be they marker, dye or whatever, would be true on white, whereas on a color yarn they will be affected by whatever the yarn color itself is. For example, if you use white, and put blue on it, the yarn will be blue. But if you use yellow yarn, and put blue on it, the yarn might end up green.

 

Elle

[jimbo]

Zactly right, Elle. I spose you could use a non white base color if you wanted that effect, and that color would then be the basis for whatever other color you'd use, like you say. You'd just need to consider what the results would be. But you'd not be able to go to white from the base color, i don't think.

[peggytoes]

I rarely but sometimes use permanent markers for highlights... testing it

on a sample piece of yarn first of course, and with patience and experience

it comes out pretty good....IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT COLOR OF MARKER!

To do it AFTER the piece is crocheted is okay, but takes lots of dabbing to

fill in the entire area. I haven't tried the "color as you go" method, but think I'll give it a shot on a little project I've got on my list and let you know.

[Auntie Kellie]

Having slept on the idea, I'm wondering if Fabric Markers might be better. I am definitely going to do this idea with Filet crochet, it will be so much easier then changing colours.

 

Hugs and Cookies

Auntie K

[jimbo]

Thought I'd bring this back to see if anyone has tried it yet. I'd like to know if its a workable idea.

 

Anybody experimenting???

 

Jimbo