Greens and all the Rainbow Glory

Natural Rainbow Glory

Left to right strips: Goldenrod/Indigo(4), Indigo(4), Indigo/Cochineal(3), Logwood(1), Cochineal(2), Bloodroot(2), BlackWalnut(3),OsageOrange(1), Marigold(1), Goldenrod(2)

I always have extra yarns around when I simmer up this many colors and dye bits and pieces.  I have finally knit up a little swatch to show them off.  

Greens are everywhere in nature especially in summer but it is really hard to achieve in natural dyeing without over dyeing (combining two colors).  Indigo and goldenrod have to be my favorite color combinations - they greens I are given are spectacular and I like to leave the finished color all around the house so I can just look at it as I pass by.    

I was dyeing two different yarns - Bartlett and Brown Sheep - both produce wonderful greens but spectacularly different even pulled from the same pot at the same time.

Here are the finished custom naturally dyed yarns for Green Meadow Waldorf School.  You too could have spectacular color just drop me an email by stoping by my Etsy shop, I dye yarns, loose wool and some natural cloth.

Brown Sheep Worsted: OnionSkins, Marigold, BlackWalnut, Logwood, Blackwalnut/Logwood, Cochineal/Indigo, Bloodroot, Cochineal 2ndRow: Goldenrod, Mint (Iron), Indigo/goldenrod, Indigo, Indigo/Cochineal

Bartlette Yarns:  OnionSkins, Goldenrod, Goldenrod/Indigo, Indigo, 2nd row:Bloodroot, BlackWalnut, Cochineal/Indigo, Cochineal

Used the Indigo pot to dye some cloths for the obligatory Family Beach shot - I think its going to be great this year.

Bloodroot Plant Dye

I have been dyeing a long time now and I am still finding new to-me dyes that are exciting.  Bloodroot is the new one for me this Spring.  Its an old Native American dye and has been used for centuries.  

What took me so long?  Its orange - bright beautiful orange.

The rhizomes are ugly and quite frankly they look like bugs lying on the counter.  The leafs are up right now and have a white flower that is just about to die out if they haven't already.  You can find them on a shady road sides & in the shadows of the woods (please be responsible if you dig them up). They are easy to dig as the rhizomes are shallow. 

I diced the fresh rhizomes up and warmed up the pot to just below boil. 

 I also have a few drying and I am also putting this jar in the sun to see if a slow cool seep changes the color.

 The upper left corner is after dipped in washing soda and I didn't see a strong color change in the wool.  The silk however you can see a change in the top part (washing soda) a more yellow orange, the bottom is just out of the pot.  I plan to do a light test next to see the color fastness but I have high hopes given the history.