The picture of them watching tv in their new handknit and dyed hats is so precious. How cute!

Very nice! Thanks for posting the dye info!

My son and I had the same problem with not being able to find a lot of variety with the kool aid. We experimented with dying one skein on the stove and sprinkling another color on top after most of the color had been absorbed. The second skein we "handpainted" with the kool aid and then microwaved. Both came out great! One is blue/green with purple (raspberry and cranberry flavors) and the other red/orange/yellow (pineapple and cherry). He claims them both!

I like the Tropical Punch version of red - which is available in Shaw's on Comm Ave (BTW). Also, we've started branching out into Wilton's cake decorating colors (extremely concentrated color gel intended to be mixed with icing). You definitely need to add vinegar and let it cook well with that, as its not nearly as colorfast as the Koolaid. In particular, I'm using the blue color, since Koolaid blues around here seem to be only teal. You can get them at AC Moore, Michaels, I Party, etc. They also mix up well.

I think the color looks great!

I haven't done any yarn dying yet, so I'm wondering if there's any concern about bleeding? Especially with the white stripes. I'm so impressed with how well both boys' hats match their coats! Super Mom!

Idea for the linings:
I have a very scratchy wool knitted toboggan that is lined with a much softer, denser fiber of some sort. I've had the hat for a long time - don't know where it came from.
The lining seems to have a smaller gauge also.
It is a very warm hat. I don't have too many chances to wear it here in North Carolina!

This is a silly question- but after dying with Kool-Aid does the fibre retain the scent of the flavour or does that instantly wash out? Because that would be rather cool :D

It's so nice that your boys really appreciate the things you make. The "Thing" hats must have been so much fun to parade around!

Karma, I can't swear to the color-fastness, but when I washed and rinsed the yarn after dyeing (following the dyeing instructions), the water was clear. Still, I'll have my fingers crossed for sure when I first wash those stripes!

Alison, have you ever knitted a dubbelmossa-style hat? It's self-lining; maybe it would get the paternal seal of approval.

Yes, I've knit double-knit hats before and hubby does approve. He has a hat he wears that I made for him that is a double layer of alpaca and very warm. For these hats, though, I didn't have enough yarn to make them double knit. Plus, I'm trying to match the jackets, which have a gray fabric lining themselves. So these will get a gray fabric lining.

Belinda, the yarn does retain the scent! The hats smell very yummy when you hold them up to your nose. I could also smell it as I knit them. The scent should fade though.

Whew. It is good they like them more than the blue Things!

Love the hats, a great match with the jackets in both cases! I think the red is downright perfect now. (I've had better luck controlling/matching reds with food coloring than kool aid, so I'm impressed).

The hats look great. Hey, I found something for you...

http://www.anniesattic.com/plastic_canvas/index.html

I'm still amazed at how vibrant those colors came out! Nice Hat Trick! :)

They're SO styled out now! They've got to be the coolest boys around, eh?

Could you please elaborate a little on how you plan to line the hats ? What kind of fabric and how will you attach the two different fabrics to each other ?

Two great hats!

How thick do you want the lining? I'd either use a microfleece (for a lot of extra cold protection) or a lighter knit fabric (just a wee bit extra warmth with no real bulk).

Love your blog! The hats are great, and it's so great to see kids who love their handknits as much as mom loves to knit them.

I was about to suggest a microfleece lining for the hats, and then I saw that Kathy just did. So, I second her suggestion. It would be warm, block the wind, and it has some stretch to it.

I love it. As simple as they are, these are two of my favorite knits - sometimes simple is best!

Wait a minute...so you can use any powder drink?...maybe I can find something in Israel than...we used to have a powdered drink, my mom only bought it for birthday parties...but they only came in cans I think...they were called ZIP...more sugar than anything else.
I still have to wonder...what on earth it is that "we are drinking"?
Luv the hats!

You can't use just any drink mix - avoid the ones with sugar added, as they will mak the yarn sticky!

You are one cool mom! (I almost spelled it "Kool", but decided against that awful pun).

Very, very, very nice!

Oooooh - I think I like the red even more than the yellow (of course, I've always been a sucker for red). The boys are so cute watching TV in their hats. Reminds me of last August when I knitted a super thick winter hat for my grandson who is a few months younger than your boys. He wore it around the house for the entire day until my daughter hid it when he wasn't looking. Isn't it great the way the little guys show their appreciation?