I picked up this yarn at a farmer's market, it was so pretty, hand-spun and ready to be dyed whatever beautiful color I chose.
I found this really helpful tutorial online and thought I would try to dye my yarn with red cabbage and blueberries.
I started by soaking my yarn in lukewarm water.
Then I chopped up the cabbage in my food processor, until it was really fine and boiled it for 45 minutes with 2Tbs of salt and 1.5Tbs of baking soda.
Then I strained the cabbage and let the yarn boil for about an hour.
Next I boiled 1/2c of blueberries for 30 minutes with 2Tbs of salt
Then I boiled 1/3 of the yarn in with the blueberries (I didn't strain so the yarn would have a deeper color and it's easy to pick the berry skins out of the yarn)
I put the opposite 1/3 in a bowl with the cabbage water. I let this sit overnight.
I put the skien in our bathroom to dry.
It took almost two days to dry completely.
Here's the finished yarn! It didn't come out exactly how I thought it would, but it was really exciting to see how I could change the colors by adding salt or baking soda.
Have you ever made natural dye?
5 comments:
I think its a lovely hue all the same! I have made natural dye for fabric in the past from saffron, turmeric for yellow and beetroots for a reddy-purple. I'd love to try dyeing some yarn though... apparently nettles are good for dyeing too.
Lovely blog by the by, I found you via the beautiful K's Kalanagknit.
whoa. that is impressive! however, I have to admit, I would probably rather eat the blueberries. :)
oh wow! that's really clever! i'm so going to do this now :)
<3 Sharmaine Ruth
underpeachtrees.blogspot.com
This IS exciting. I need to try it, I have never made natural dye!
this is so fun to dye it yourself! i'm all over it
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