NATURAL DYES
Caroline of Gorgeous Yarns explores the colours of nature
SINCE WEAVING textiles became common, natural dyes have been used to create colourful garments. People in medieval times would not have worn the dull browns we might imagine, but a range of subtle green, brown, yellow and orange, producing the colours from foraged plants, berries, leaves and bark. At this time in history, most woven fabrics were woollen or linen, and it is only later that cottons and silks became available.
The process for dyeing onto animal fibres is different from dyeing on plant fibres, and trial and error would have taught what worked best.
Mordants and modifiers
We now use mineral salt fixatives for our natural dyes. Most natural dyes need this fixative or ‘mordant’ (from the Old French, morder, to grip) as this helps the dye colour literally grip the fibre and remain fairly colourfast. Some dyes have their own ‘built-in’ mordant, especially barks and tree dye stuffs such as oak galls and acorns - the mordant here is tannic acid.
Colours can be modified by changing the pH of the solution in the dye pan. Vinegar and lemon juice decrease the pH, and often acidic modifiers will shift reds towards orange or yellow, purple towards pink, and orange towards yellow. Alkaline modifiers, such as baking soda, baking powder, soda crystals and wood ash, shift purples towards blue-greens, yellows and reds to pink. Copper and iron modifiers are often used too, and oak galls can ‘sadden’ a colour and reduce its brightness. Copper will tinge yellows with turquoise and green.
Seasonal and sustainable
Natural dyes, of course, have no harsh petrochemicals in them, and so are ideal if you are dyeing fabric or fibre to make something for someone with sensitive skin. Natural dyes are also a positive choice in sustainability, and to create something special and unique.
The colour palette that natural dyes give you can be soft and subtle, or bold and vibrant. Surprising colours go well together, for example the mustard yellow of rhubarb root (Rheum rhabarbarum) and the rich rust of madder roots (Rubia tinctorum). Interestingly, lots of plants which have been used for centuries to dye with have ‘tinctorum’ as part of their Latin name.
Each season, the garden and hedgerows give us a foraging and harvesting opportunity, and many will continue to give colour throughout the season. Early stinging nettle leaves give a pale greenish yellow, but as the summer comes and goes, the colour darkens, and by the autumn, it is more of a khaki.
Spring gives us gorse flowers, bracken fronds, daffodils, and young comfrey leaves. A favourite of mine is dyer’s chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria) which gives a reliable and stable yellow, and can be overdyed to give other shades, such a lime green with weak copper solution.
Summer gives us a riot of colour from flowers in the garden, hedgerow horse parsley (Smyrnium olusatrum), hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna) rose hips (Rosa canina), and elderberries (Sambucus nigra) to name a few.
The gentle colour changes in nature around us in the autumn are reflected in the gentler dye shades you can obtain. Alder cones (Alnus glutinosa), acorns and oak galls (Quercus robur), willow (Salix alba), and copper beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) all give beautiful tones of honey, beige, brown and grey. In the winter, after a storm, lichen can be collected, but only from fallen wood, and only in small quantities. Lichens are endangered, so are best left alone on the forest floor.
The winter is the time to use the dye colours you have grown and harvested, such as madder which grows like a weed. Home-grown dyes can be successfully dried in paper bags, and hung up in a dry shed or outhouse. Kitchen ingredients like onion skins and turmeric can be used to dye with too, but that’s an article for another day…
Rules for foraging
When foraging for natural dye plants, follow these common-sense rules: – Only pick what you need, and no more. – Don’t strip one plant of dye stuff - spread your foraging. – Get any permission from the land owner to harvest what you need. – Be very sure of what you are harvesting, and if necessary, wear protective gloves and use secateurs.
– Don’t put yourself at risk by climbing up trees or foraging alongside main roads.
– If in doubt, don’t pick. (That’s why I never use fungi to dye with - I’m not sure what I’m picking, and don’t want to poison myself!)
Collect the dye stuffs when they are dry, so that no mould will develop. Use them immediately, or dry them for later use. Generally, you will need 200% dye plant to fabric/fibre weight if using fresh materials, and 100% if using dry dye stuff. The mordant you use with your dye stuff will depend on what fibre you are using.
Once the fibre has been mordanted, the colour is ‘extracted’ from the dye stuff, often by gently heating to make an infusion. Some dyestuffs, such as acorns, oak galls and alder cones, are better crushed; madder, nettles and rhubarb roots need to be chopped; and some flowers such as daffodils need to be pulled away from the calyx before infusion. They all need to be strained, as all those bits in your wool fibre would be a nightmare!
Once you have the dye liquid, you are ready to go. Only use a pan which will not be used to cook in again. Dyes are pH reactive, so stainless steel is best; aluminium can change the colour. Even the pH of your water will make a difference, especially if you use spring or rain water.
Dye your fibre gently, particularly wool which can shrink and felt in the pan. Once you are happy with the intensity of colour and/or it is not getting darker, remove your fibre, leave to cool, then wash in cool water until no further colour comes out. Dye gently in the air, away from sunlight. Hand-dyed yarns like this will not have an even, solid colour, but that’s normal and part of their beauty.
“Will it fade?” is a question I often get asked. The honest answer is yes, but slowly, like every fabric exposed to the sun does. “Will the colour wash out or run?” No, it shouldn’t if you have used the correct mordant for the dye stuff and the fibre of yarn, and you have fully rinsed it before drying it ready for use. “What shall I make with it?” You can use naturally hand-dyed yarns as a straight swap for any hand-dyed yarns; socks, shawls, scarves, blankets and sweaters, whatever you enjoy knitting.
If this has interested you and you would like to have a go yourself, have a look at www.gorgeousyarns.co.uk for naturally hand-dyed yarns and DIY dye kits which contain everything you need.