If I don't drink it, why would I use it on clothing on my body?

[sohj]

What's with this dying of wool with kool-aid?



I hate the look of bug juice in a glass and if I was doing my own dying of wool, I doubt I'd want aniline dyes on it.

[LaLa]

I woudln't either, but then I'm a freak for the natural colors and organics.
:LOL

[sohj]

Then why do we have so many threads about it? Isn't this still "THE Natural Family Living Community"?

Are we going to be encouraging Jell-O recipes, too?

[madrone]

But there are lots of food threads on this board that have recipes using things like m&m's and cool whip.

[sohj]

Realized that now.

Am rather confused about it.

There's an awful lot of people on these boards who need the Feingold diet. I'd assume they'd come here to find assistance in using it, not more stuff using dyes with lead, or other lovely concoctions.

[LaLa]

I think that many of us found mothering for similar base reasons, but we are not all on the same point in our paths to where ever we may be going. What natural family living means to one person could be quite different to another.
If you are concerned then you could post alternate ideas on those threads for other more natural means of dyeing fabrics and provide some information for people who may not know about the ingredients etc.
Just a thought

[madrone]

Well, maybe a lot of people here just wandered over after purchasing an $80 diaper and aren't quite interested in natural living. Or, there have been some posts at other boards to send freepers here. Maybe that's how we end up with some not very natural threads. There have been senior member freepers here.

Those threads don't make sense to me either. If I'm going to dye something, I plan on making a visit into the garden for chrysanthemums, walnut husks, violas, or something else like that. If I'm going to bake cookies, I'm not going to put m&m's and green #? in them. If I make a fruit salad, cool whip and all its chemicals will not be an ingredient in my salad. But I'm obviously not like everyone here. Part of why I'm not here very often these days.

[happy2bmommy]

I never even THOUGHT about it. I wouldn't drink Koolaid, but I didnt' think twice about dying with it! Hmmm, something for me to consider!
And for what it's worth, I always thought of Mothering.com as an attachment parenting site, as opposed to a natural family living site. I've always marveled at the people who are here who aren't parents! (Unless they were planning to be, of course!) I guess we all have different reasons for being around.
I would LOVE to learn to dye with plants!

[madrone]

But it says "THE Natural Family Living Community" right up there at the top of every page.

To me, being an attached, gentle parent is something that came out of living a natural life. Not the other way around. Maybe my mindset is just different and that is why I don't feel like I fit in here anymore. I'm crunchy and natural and was crunchy and natural for many years before becoming a parent.

I do want to help people who go about it the other way from me. I don't want to put them down. I just feel too on the fringe when unnatural things are always suggested. Maybe this isn't where sohj is wanting this thread to go though. Veering to the shoulder is something I often do.

[Anguschick1]

I have a question about dyeing....I'm ~13/14 weeks pregnant and have a great idea to make a rug w/all of dh's old ratty white t-shirts, but I don't want an off-white sweat-colored rug. I thought I might dye w/kool-aid because when I posted a question here about dyeing while pregnant I got "you shouldn't do it at all" but I want to make this rug for the summer.

What natural dyes could I use to make bright colors and how do I go about dyeing?

I don't drink kool-aid either because of all the crap in it, but why would it be harmful to wear it or walk on it (in the case of a rug)?

PS: I love that there are still mama's here who LIVE the nfl way and are willing to help those of us aspiring to become more nfl along our journey. Thank you, Ladies.

[BusyMommy]

But, to me ( a non artsy person) every time I see a thread about koolaid dying in the "new posts," I think HOW COOL, I want to see if this is something I can do at a kids' party. Now, my kids don't know what kool aid is, but it sounds like something cheap they can mix themselves and I won't be worried about waste or mess.

Of course, that's as far as I've gotten b/c I always get to the diaper part and am stumped. :

[LaLa]

in our craft tutorials there is a sticky that gives step by step on plant dyeing. It shares a thread with koolaid dyeing.
:

Quanilez was kind enough to type all that info out for us with references too!
Check it out
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=140047

[madrone]

Your skin is not a solid barrier between your body and the outside world. Some of the chemicals you put on your skin do get absorbed into your body. I don't know how much will go into the skin, but some definitely does. That's why I don't use shampoo. It's why it's better to buy organic cotton or used cotton items. In the case of used, someone else washed it enough times to get the pesticide residue off the clothing.

If you wear shoes in the house, your skin will not come into contact with the chemicals in a kool-aid dye. But you and your family would inhale them for a while. And your hands would touch the dyed fabric while braiding or weaving the rug. What colors do you want in the rug? People have dyed fabrics for thousands of years with plants and the chemical dyes are not neccessary. You might not be able to get some vibrant colors from plants, but you can get many beautiful shades.

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by madrone

Well, maybe a lot of people here just wandered over after purchasing an $80 diaper and aren't quite interested in natural living. Or, there have been some posts at other boards to send freepers here. Maybe that's how we end up with some not very natural threads. There have been senior member freepers here.

Those threads don't make sense to me either. If I'm going to dye something, I plan on making a visit into the garden for chrysanthemums, walnut husks, violas, or something else like that. If I'm going to bake cookies, I'm not going to put m&m's and green #? in them. If I make a fruit salad, cool whip and all its chemicals will not be an ingredient in my salad. But I'm obviously not like everyone here. Part of why I'm not here very often these days.

Well, I have never spent $80 on a diaper, but i have on wool.I have spent alot on diapers though. And many of those people spending big money on diapers also use family wipes and are very concerned with the environment and NFL. I really don't see what money has to do with it.
And kool-aid actually produces some beautiful colors.i have great interest in dropping it though and learning plant dyeing.I even plan on going to the farmers market soon and getting some local yarn to dye upBut for now, how is koolaid dyeing any less"natural" than using,say, Dharma dyes?I honestly haven't looked into so I don't know. I mean, I am NOT drinking it!
And, the wool I dye is going over a diaper, not even really touching their skin for the most part.
I guess your judgement of the person spending $80 on diapers just set me off.Sorry.

[Anguschick1]

I wanted to do one in a "caribbean" style w/lots of bright colors (I was thinking lime, fuschia, teal and lemon) and a blue shades one.

We don't wear our shoes in the house (I don't like the idea of street gunk, oil, city "germs" being tracked all over the house and I can't stand shoes/socks so mine would be off even if we lived in the country.

Where can I get the ingredients? We have a Whole Foods and Wild Oats not too far from here. Neighbors on either side of our house (north and behind) douse their lawns in pesticides every year (our neighbor to the south no longer does since ds was born and we asked them not to) so I don't feel good using flowers/plants that I would grow here. Can you order ingredients on-line?

Thanks for answering all my questions :-)

[sohj]

Originally Posted by Leilalu

But for now, how is koolaid dyeing any less"natural" than using,say, Dharma dyes?I honestly haven't looked into so I don't know. I mean, I am NOT drinking it!
And, the wool I dye is going over a diaper, not even really touching their skin for the most part.

Well, have you read the ingredients list lately?

Blue # 30

Red # whatever.

Et cetera, et cetera, etc.

http://diet-studies.com/dye.html

and you might find this interesting:

Lead poisoning associated with imported candy and powdered food coloring--California and Michigan. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1998 Dec 11;47(48):1041-3.

" Although the most common source of pediatric lead poisoning is dust within the home that contains deteriorated lead-based paint from walls and windowsills, other less common sources (1-3) can result in excess exposure among children . . . This report describes two cases of pediatric lead poisoning associated with eating imported candy and food stuffs and underscores the importance of thorough history-taking to identify unusual sources of lead exposure. "

[sohj]

And in order to get your "vibrant" colors (root of the word vibrant includes the latin "to live"...rather ironic, there, eh?) people have to work in chemical factories. And get cancer. And pollute our water supplies.

And, yeah, what madrone said about being a "natural" living person first and coming to attachment parenting through that. In fact, most of the earlier members fit this description. It is only very recently that it has changed.

[Leilalu]

Ok, so those things need to be taken into account. But- many thins that are natural are dangerous as well. Take pottery glazes and oil paints for example. And thoe are made with natural ingredients. And, lead IS natural. Just because it is bad for you doesn't mean it is unatural. So, technically I should not be using dharma dyes either.

[sohj]

Yup, lead is natural, but it is never as concentrated in nature as it is in manufactured products. Nor is it ever in a "pure" state. It is unrefined. So, it is in a compound that might have some buffering or protective qualities. (Or, maybe not.)

I don't know the ingredients in Dharma Dyes. If they are vegetable based, they would be far less harmful in the concentrations you'd be using for dying...and they would have less "persistence". Many of them would be completely harmless. They also would degrade in the wastestream.

Speaking as a civil engineer (my profession), I can ASSURE you that the waste from a chemical dye plant needs special treatment in the WTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant) to make it fit to be considered "clean".

Of course, you should check the ingredients in everything and consider the possibility of allergic reactions, etc.

Using the argument of whatever-the-element-is-natural-too evades the issues of concentration and persistence. It is also a red herring, because by that logic, lettuce should be avoided during the day as it is a soporific.

And, yes, many pottery glazes are potentially toxic. That is why care should be taken in using them. And using stuff that is glazed. Or made from clay that contains high concentrations of aluminum (kaolin) or other potentially harmful metals. (You cannot avoid metal in clays: Clay is clay and NOT silt because of the presence of ions. You need metallic particles. That's what makes it sticky.)

[AdinaL]

I guess it is all a matter of which evil you choose. There are some very natural wonderful, very safe ways to dye things. However, most dye that you can buy - unless using raw vegetable or mineral matter -are in fact toxic.

I used to work in a costume shop - we dyed a LOT of fabric. We were required to wear gloves and masks AT ALL TIMES while handling the dye. Most dyes, even when natural (we used a lot of really good dyes, natural and non-natural) are toxic. Would I let my kid play with them - HECK NO! But we wear stuff the it dyed with those substances all the time. You may not even know it - they don't tell you what kind of dyes they use in your t-shirt or underwear.

Ultimately, while kool-aid is not a terribly friendly substance, I would much rather let my kid use that to dye something - with gloves of course - than with some of the pro dyes.

I have also used just plain food coloring - which works pretty well and things like onion skins, saffron, etc...it is all pretty nasty and all of it dyes your skin.