Preparing for natural dyeing 2024

Last year I experimented with natural dyes, creating a palette of colours that reflect the area I live in – Shropshire UK.

Alongside homegrown plant materials I augment my colour palette with natural dye extracts – easy to mix in solution and they have a certain consistency. For example, I will get a much deeper red from a good madder extract and blue from indigo crystal, however weld, coreopsis, buddleia and onion skins can be grown in my garden for strong yellows and greens and browns.

Today I planted out young coreopsis plants and second year Weld (biennial) – they grow happily in with other herbaceous plants.

Weld

Coreopsis ready to be planted into a bed.

Hop Amaranth

I discovered Hopi Amaranth – a North American plant that produces a strong red dye that is traditionally used by the native Hopi Indians to dye yarns for their hand woven rugs. This beautiful plant grows to 120cm- 180cm tall. It has bright red stems and foliage and tall, scarlet, feathery bracts.

How to grow Amaranth:

1. Sow indoors in April
2. Plant out after the last frost (end of May)
3. Harvest: Any time after flowers open.

My little seeds are tiny as I was late sowing – and I was amazed to see they are already a deep red!

How I plan to process the amaranth

• Mordant the wool with Alum or potassium alum
• Equal amount of plant stuff to wool – 50:50 ratio.
• Soak the seed head, stem and leaves in cool water to extract colour – leave for a day.
• Heat the dye pot to 60C for an hour, the leave to cool and sit for 2-3days.
• Once the dye is extracted add the wool fibre.
• Bring the temperature back up to 60 C for at least 1 hour. Then leave to cool for 24 hours or more.

My Natural dye and naturally coloured fibre Palette

Natural dye Light Fast Test

I will post as my plants mature and I begin to dye wool through the summer – what a wonderful thing to look forward to!