About Natural Dyeing
These natural dyes can be used to dye natural plant fibres (cotton or linen) or animal fibres (wool or silk), but are not suitable for synthetic fibres (nylon).
In order to be colourfast, fibres must first be mordanted, or treated with a soluble metal. Plant (cellulose) fibres such as cotton must also be treated with a tannin.
Detailed instructions included in the kit will take you through the step-by-step process of preparing your fibres and dyeing with these natural dyes.
Kit Includes
- 15g logwood chips - soft purples
- 15g osage sawdust - yellow
- 15g ground madder root - peach orange shades
- 7g cochineal beetles - pink
- 90g alum, a foodsafe ingredient made of potassium aluminum sulfate for the mordant
- 30g gallnut, a tannin powder made from the galls formed on oak trees
- Comprehensive instructions in English or French
- Optional addition: 1-2 skeins 100% Canadian wool worsted-weight yarn (110g/245yds each)