Feature
| nATurAL dyes
NATURAL COLOUR EFFECTS
Natural dye Mordant Alum Mordant Tin Mordant Chrome Mordant Iron Mordant Copper
Brazilwood Xmas red to garnet pink deep maroon off-black -
Catechu yellow-brown - red-brown brown-black med brown
grey-violet to
Cochineal crimson scarlet lavender to violet -
black
Fusticwood yellow yellow-orange gold soft green soft green
Indigo no mordant needed
Logwood blue-violet purple blue-black grey/black grey
Madder brick red bright orange burgundy off-black -
soft green
Weld yellow cool lemon rich yellow sage
“
While synthetic dyes tend to create a
uniform colour, natural dyes create a less
‘perfect’ look that has its own unique beauty.
yellows and dyers’ chamomile for warm available and can cut down some of the
yellows.” Then creating a natural dye bath preparation time. Natural dye extracts are
”
is surprisingly simple. Cheryl Kolander concentrated powder dyes that have been
explains: “Just boil up your chosen dyestuff created from the natural raw materials.
in plenty of water. Flowers need 20 Companies like Earthues Dyes (www.
minutes, while bark, roots and dyewoods earthues.com) and Couleurs de Plantes
need to be soaked overnight and boiled for (www.couleurs-de-plantes.com) produce
30 minutes. Strain and save the water to them with ethical and environmentally
form the dyebath.” friendly methods. You only need a tiny
To dye your yarn, Cheryl continues: amount of dye (around half a teaspoon per
“Add additional water so the textile can 100g of wool) mixed with water, to create a
move freely in the dyebath. Add the textile ready-to-use dye.
and heat until hot for one hour or until the
colour is the desired depth. Remember, THE FINISHED EFFECT
the colour will lighten after it is rinsed Natural dyeing might take longer, but the
and dried. If the colour is too light, use results are truly unique. While synthetic
more dyestuff. Cool the textile and rinse in dyes tend to create a solid, uniform colour,
several changes of water, squeeze out and natural dyes create a less ‘perfect’ look that
leave to dry. has its own unique beauty.
Natural dyeing does take time, but being Teresinha Roberts says: “Natural dyes
able to create your own dyes is what makes produce an extraordinary diversity of rich
the process fun. Some dyestuffs also need and complex colours that complement
more time to prepare than others, Teresinha each other. If you look at a yarn dyed
Roberts says: “Brazilwood and logwood with madder under the microscope, you see
Above: The variety of colours that
shavings are easy dyes for a beginner.” a subtle variation of colour. A yarn dyed
can be achieved with natural dyes, Alternatively, natural dye extracts are now with the synthetic equivalent of madder
from
www.thenaturaldyestudio.com
30 | INSIDE Crochet
IC2.feat.Natural Dyes.FINAL.indd 30 12/5/09 16:09:12
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