Information on Dyeing with Natural Dyes
YOU WILL NEED:
WOOL YARN, ROVING, OR BATS THAT HAVE BEEN MORDANTED. (Mordanting instructions to follow.)
DYE MATERIALS YOU HAVE BOUGHT OR COLLECTED
LARGE POTS, EITHER ENAMEL OR STAINLESS STEEL. (Once you have used these for dying they must NEVER be used for food again.) NO
ALUMINUM POTS
HOT PLATES, CAMP STOVE, CROCK POT, OR HEAT SOURCE TO COOK THE DYE
HEAVY EXTENSION CORD FOR HOT PLATE, CAMP FUEL FOR YOUR STOVE (Depending on the number of pots, we may have to share heat sources.)
DYE LIQUOR It really speeds things up if you have your dye liquor already prepared, but if you can not transport it safely, then bring dye materials and cook them on site.
STIR STICKS FOR DYE POTS. You can use wooden or plastic spoons, but again these may never be used for food.
HEAVY RUBBER GLOVES FOR HANDLING HOT WOOL. Light gloves will keep the dye from staining your hands once the wool cools, but you don’t need the chemicals in contact with your skin.
CHEESE CLOTH OR COFFEE FILTERS AND STAPLER. Some dye stuffs tangle in the wool and yarns so putting them in cheese cloth will allow for a “tea bag” effect and then it can be removed easily from the dye liquor. Coffee filters will work if stapled closed and not agitated too much to cause them to break open. Use your best judgement on whether your dyestuff needs to be “contained”. Cheese cloth works fine for larger items, but sawdust or very fine items work better in a coffee filter.
HOT PADS OR HOT MITTS for handling hot pans full of liquid.
SOMETHING TO TRANSPORT YOUR WET YARN HOME. You can use a bucket, pot, plastic zip-loc bag, trash bag, dish pan, etc. I’d also suggest you bring something to protect your car from drips or spills like a drop cloth, newspaper, etc. You will have wet pots, wet yarn, stir sticks, gloves, so figure out something that works for you.
WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING FOR WORKING OUTSIDE APPROPRIATE FOR THE WEATHER CHANGES OF FALL. I would suggest you wear something you would be willing to toss out if the dye were to spill and stain your clothing. If you insist on wearing nicer clothing I suggest you bring an apron to protect it.
MORDANTING INSTRUCTIONS
If your yarn is in a commercial skein you will need to wind it into a circular skein for dying. You can bring several small skeins to try out different dye pots but these need to be prepared before you come. If you have an umbrella swift you can make skeins on that of a diameter that suits your purpose. If you don’t have a swift you can turn a chair over and wrap the yarn around the legs to form a circular yarn package. Secure the loose ends to each other, and with another yarn ( acrylic works really well for this, and if you use a distinctive color you can find your yarn in any dye pot) tie loosely around the yarn loop in three or four places. These ties must be loose or you will get a tie-dye effect.
Soak your wool in cold water for several hours, to ensure even take-up. NEVER put dry fiber into a mordant or dye pot unless you want streaks. Fill a large enough pot with enough water to not crowd the fiber. Add the mordant and dissolve completely stirring with a clean stick or glass rod. Bring the bath to room temperature and add the wet wool.
Most commercial skeins are 4 ounces or 1/4 pound. Mordant amounts for 4 ounces are as follows: 3 Tablespoons Alum and 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
Adjust your amounts, either double or divide, for more or less fiber.
Bring mordant pot of wool to a SIMMER and hold there for an hour. DO NOT BOIL. Stir occasionally VERY SLOWLY AND GENTLY. (HEAT and AGITATION cause FELTING!)
Remove pot from heat and let cool, preferably overnight. Remove wool from pot. It is ready to be dyed or it may be stored wet or dry, for later dyeing. Wet wool can be placed in a zip-loc baggie and stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. If you allow the wool to dry, be sure to soak it well before dyeing.
Natural Dyestuffs There are others you can use. These are just a few that grow here or can be found at the store.
annatto
acorns nuts and cups
apple bark
beets entire plant
birch leaves
cherry bark/wood
canna leaves and stems
horse chestnut bark, leaves, hulls
cochineal
cocklebur
coleus
cranberry
curry powder
grapes
juniper berries
dandelion root
lilac branches and leaves
locust seed pod
maple bark
marigold booms
oak bark, oak galls
onion skins, red or yellow
Osage orange
paprika
pear sawdust wood chips
poplar leaves or bark
rose bush cuttings
sage plant
black walnut hulls
willow leaves or bark
Here is a link you might enjoy as well: MAIWA Natural Dyes
WOOL YARN, ROVING, OR BATS THAT HAVE BEEN MORDANTED. (Mordanting instructions to follow.)
DYE MATERIALS YOU HAVE BOUGHT OR COLLECTED
LARGE POTS, EITHER ENAMEL OR STAINLESS STEEL. (Once you have used these for dying they must NEVER be used for food again.) NO
ALUMINUM POTS
HOT PLATES, CAMP STOVE, CROCK POT, OR HEAT SOURCE TO COOK THE DYE
HEAVY EXTENSION CORD FOR HOT PLATE, CAMP FUEL FOR YOUR STOVE (Depending on the number of pots, we may have to share heat sources.)
DYE LIQUOR It really speeds things up if you have your dye liquor already prepared, but if you can not transport it safely, then bring dye materials and cook them on site.
STIR STICKS FOR DYE POTS. You can use wooden or plastic spoons, but again these may never be used for food.
HEAVY RUBBER GLOVES FOR HANDLING HOT WOOL. Light gloves will keep the dye from staining your hands once the wool cools, but you don’t need the chemicals in contact with your skin.
CHEESE CLOTH OR COFFEE FILTERS AND STAPLER. Some dye stuffs tangle in the wool and yarns so putting them in cheese cloth will allow for a “tea bag” effect and then it can be removed easily from the dye liquor. Coffee filters will work if stapled closed and not agitated too much to cause them to break open. Use your best judgement on whether your dyestuff needs to be “contained”. Cheese cloth works fine for larger items, but sawdust or very fine items work better in a coffee filter.
HOT PADS OR HOT MITTS for handling hot pans full of liquid.
SOMETHING TO TRANSPORT YOUR WET YARN HOME. You can use a bucket, pot, plastic zip-loc bag, trash bag, dish pan, etc. I’d also suggest you bring something to protect your car from drips or spills like a drop cloth, newspaper, etc. You will have wet pots, wet yarn, stir sticks, gloves, so figure out something that works for you.
WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING FOR WORKING OUTSIDE APPROPRIATE FOR THE WEATHER CHANGES OF FALL. I would suggest you wear something you would be willing to toss out if the dye were to spill and stain your clothing. If you insist on wearing nicer clothing I suggest you bring an apron to protect it.
MORDANTING INSTRUCTIONS
If your yarn is in a commercial skein you will need to wind it into a circular skein for dying. You can bring several small skeins to try out different dye pots but these need to be prepared before you come. If you have an umbrella swift you can make skeins on that of a diameter that suits your purpose. If you don’t have a swift you can turn a chair over and wrap the yarn around the legs to form a circular yarn package. Secure the loose ends to each other, and with another yarn ( acrylic works really well for this, and if you use a distinctive color you can find your yarn in any dye pot) tie loosely around the yarn loop in three or four places. These ties must be loose or you will get a tie-dye effect.
Soak your wool in cold water for several hours, to ensure even take-up. NEVER put dry fiber into a mordant or dye pot unless you want streaks. Fill a large enough pot with enough water to not crowd the fiber. Add the mordant and dissolve completely stirring with a clean stick or glass rod. Bring the bath to room temperature and add the wet wool.
Most commercial skeins are 4 ounces or 1/4 pound. Mordant amounts for 4 ounces are as follows: 3 Tablespoons Alum and 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
Adjust your amounts, either double or divide, for more or less fiber.
Bring mordant pot of wool to a SIMMER and hold there for an hour. DO NOT BOIL. Stir occasionally VERY SLOWLY AND GENTLY. (HEAT and AGITATION cause FELTING!)
Remove pot from heat and let cool, preferably overnight. Remove wool from pot. It is ready to be dyed or it may be stored wet or dry, for later dyeing. Wet wool can be placed in a zip-loc baggie and stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. If you allow the wool to dry, be sure to soak it well before dyeing.
Natural Dyestuffs There are others you can use. These are just a few that grow here or can be found at the store.
annatto
acorns nuts and cups
apple bark
beets entire plant
birch leaves
cherry bark/wood
canna leaves and stems
horse chestnut bark, leaves, hulls
cochineal
cocklebur
coleus
cranberry
curry powder
grapes
juniper berries
dandelion root
lilac branches and leaves
locust seed pod
maple bark
marigold booms
oak bark, oak galls
onion skins, red or yellow
Osage orange
paprika
pear sawdust wood chips
poplar leaves or bark
rose bush cuttings
sage plant
black walnut hulls
willow leaves or bark
Here is a link you might enjoy as well: MAIWA Natural Dyes