Feature
| natural dyes
Natural dyes
Delve into a whole new world of creative possibilities
By Becky skuse
with the Inside Crochet guide to natural dyes…
P
eople have been using natural them. Using natural dyes involves less dyes react differently with different
items to dye yarns and fabrics waste, less transport, less pollution and mordants and different materials to be
for thousands of years. this less processing – natural dye materials are dyed. Cheryl Kolander from Aurora Silk
age-old tradition is something a renewable source, many of them can be (www.aurorasilk.com) has been using
that any crafter can master and grown in your own garden, and the waste natural dyes for 39 years, she says: “The
learning the skills involved will open up products can be composted. Everyday plant stronger the dye (the more plant used), the
a whole new area of creativity. materials like onion skins, stinging nettles, deeper the colour. Concentration, time and
It wasn’t until 1856 that the first chamomile flowers, St John’s wort flowers, temperature are the variables involved in
synthetic dye was invented, and natural rhubarb root, safflower, turmeric, indigo, any chemical reaction.” Amanda Perkins
dyes tend to have been overlooked ever annatto, logwood and so much more, can agrees: “There are so many variables in
since. But it’s plants that still offer the all be used to dye yarns, creating beautiful, natural dyeing, such as weather, the age of
greatest source of dyestuff – you can make natural colours to crochet with. the plant when harvested, water type, etc.”
natural dyes from a huge variety of plants, Amanda Perkins at The Natural Dye
bark, wood chips, leaves, flowers, roots and Studio (www.thenaturaldyestudio.com) MORDANTS
berries, simply by soaking or cooking them knows all about natural dyes and she says: With so many variables, one of the appeals
in an old saucepan. “A lot of dye plants can be grown at home of natural dyeing is the unique colours you
Any crafter concerned about the or collected from hedgerows. Many are can produce. One important variable is the
environment will be interested in natural actually considered weeds and grow on mordant – different fibres and dyes require
dyes and the yarns that are coloured with wasteland. Not only are hand-dyed yarns different types of mordanting and each
safer for the environment, they’re also method creates a different effect on the
kinder to your skin.” colour and fastness. Teresinha Roberts from
Wild Colours (www.wildcolours.co.uk)
THE PROCESS explains the importance of mordants:
If you know nothing about dyeing, the “Animal fibres such as wool and silk
process is both simple and complex! The take up dye much more readily than plant
simple part is that every dyeing process fibres such as cotton and linen. With the
needs a dye (a substance whose colour can exception of woad and indigo, most natural
become attached to a surface), the material dyes do not adhere well to the fibres and
you want to be dyed (like yarn or fabric), need the help of a mordant. A mordant is a
and, usually, a mordant (a mineral salt chemical binding agent that adheres well
used to help fix the colour onto the fibre to both the fibres and the dye. Plant fibres
and make it colourfast). Most dyes are need to be treated with tannin as well.”
dissolved in water (the dye bath), where the Many natural dyers use natural
s.co.uk
yarn or fabric is soaked until the shade you mordants like alum or cream of tartar –
R
ou
want is achieved. For example, the original other mordants are made from heavy metals
colour of denim came from indigo, which and need to be handled with care. In fact,
ildcol was dissolved in a vat of water. precautions should always be taken with
.
W
The process starts to get complicated any mordant, like wearing rubber gloves
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t
when you realise how many variables are and goggles, ensuring good ventilation and
ts a
involved in each dyeing process – different wiping up any spills.
R
Mike Robe
Y
ics b
P
top: Weld plants.
Middle: Fabrics dyed with weld
(yellow) and woad (blue).
Bottom: Yarn dyed with woad
“
You could be experimenting for the rest
of your life! Around 70% of British plants
yield colour so the possibilities are endless.
28 | INSIDE crochet
”
IC2.feat.Natural Dyes.FINAL.indd 28 12/5/09 16:08:46
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