Solar dyeing, Day 423
September 25, 2011
Birch bark dyed wool with a beautiful woodsy fragrance even after a thorough wash.
The alum mordanted wool was layered in a jar with birch bark and covered with water. Last summer the jar was placed in the greenhouse to solar dye and brought into the house for the winter. It was shaken occasionally, but I forgot to bring it back out into the sun this summer. When I emptied the jar the liquid was clear. This didn’t achieve a very deep gold colour perhaps due to the small amount of dye stuff I was able to put into the jar for the weight of wool.
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It’s a beautiful color and I love the fact that the woodsy aroma stays with the yarn.
What a lovely delicate shade of gold. I don’t think I could wait 423 days though…
It may not be what you were aiming for but it is awfully pretty. Those soft yellow shades are some of my favorites.
I love the soft yellow gold color. Paired with other soft natural colors, it will look wonderful. I’ve never tried natural or solar dyeing, but I really enjoy reading about other people doing it.
Have a great week Evelyn.
maybe not what you had in mind, but beautiful nonetheless.and fragrant
it glows with sunshine. did you forget it? how did you leave it that long? I have trouble waiting a month.
Love the color, and also love the image of apricots a few posts earlier. Any chance I might have your permission to see if it would make a good candidate for a jacquard weaving?
Thanks! Sandra
It is a lovely shade of yellow. Why do natural dyes so often end up in yellow? At least yours is fragrant.
Hi Evelyn
Thanks for your comments about my grey weaving. I had just been thinking last night about using a rigid heddle, I know i have one somewhere that has been unused for the past 30 years, and I’ve just managed to find it too! Amazing! I think cutting this down to size will even be up to my woodworking competences!
Your apricots look gorgeous, not many blemishes there! Hope you are enjoying the jam and that your health is ok. The solar dying is lovely too?
Best wishes
Clare
Sorry, didn’t mean to put a question mark at the end there, it is definitely lovely.
I have done some solar dyeing, but I have never left it for so long, wow! Do you do all your solar dyeing over long periods or just with barks? I love that the wool smells like wood.
I have only just found your blog, i am going to have a look around.
Hi Evelyn,
I don’t have your email address, but I wanted to see if you’re okay? You haven’t posted in a while, so I was thinking of you.
Take care,
Judy