After an overnight of soaking and then a good hard boil this morning on the stove, the dye was ready for my yarn. I used alum as a pre mordant and then let the yarn simmer for about an hour. This is what came of todays work:
Yellow: Tansy flowers
Green: Tansy leaves and stems (I added a rusty railroad spike at the end to make it really green!) Brown: Acorn tops
Subtle, harmonious color, just as in nature.
So gorgeous, love the colour!!
ReplyDeleteThe colours are beautiful, it's lovely to see what can be achieved without the use of chemicals.
ReplyDeleteIt really is so satisfying to know that nothing toxic is going down the drain.
Deletebeautiful! I need to do that with the thousands of acorns I've got!
ReplyDeleteMy attempts at natural dyeing have been so disappointing. I suspect it's because I really need to just give in a find some alum. It just amazes me that I can't find any locally.
ReplyDeleteYour colors are absolutely stunning!
I'm surprised too, that you can't find it locally. Do you have a walmart near by? They almost always have it in the spice or canning section. Otherwise, I would ask the manager at your local grocery store to stock it for you. Ours is always more than happy to special order products when I need them. (We have a hard time finding washing soda for hand made soap!) Good luck:)
DeletePerfectly gorgeous, soft colors! What are you planning to make with it?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! I've got about 220 yards total to work with, so I think I may make a hat or a pair of mittens. Maybe something with a fair isle~ish color pattern!
DeleteLove this! I'm currently working on a plant dyes project for school. I have small dye garden planted. I've been gathering hollyhocks, dyers coreopsis, and marigold flowers. I can't wait to see what the results are.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! I'll be keeping an eye out on FB for your results and may pick your brain about the dye garden. It's on our list for the new homestead!
DeleteJust beautiful! I finished the goldenrod and am looking forward to trying to make some green this week - do you think the stems/leaves from the goldenrod would work?
ReplyDeleteWhen I used the stems, they turned yellow too. After I added the rusty railroad spike then it turned green. Maybe you could try some rusty nails? I picked some goldenrod today when we were up north, so it'll be fun to compare our results:)
ReplyDeleteGoodness...I had never come across acorn top dyed wool. That one is truly stunning. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie. I figured if I could use plants, I could try anything natural! My mind is swimming with possibilities.:)
DeleteIt's beautiful! gosh it really is.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever used ash leaves for green? I am considering this next.
Thanks, Melanie. I haven't tried ash leaves yet, but I'm bound and determined to try everything I can get my hands on! I'm adding it to the list.:)
ReplyDeleteHi there! Natural dyeing is fascinating me, and I'm so glad I ran across your lovely blog. The colors you achieved in the dye baths are beautiful, especially the green.. As soon as our pokeberries ripen I plan to try my hand dyeing yarn with the juice from them.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!