Natural Dye Instructions for
Natural Fibers and Yarns

The instructions below are for natural dye extracts from Blue Castle Fiber Arts Other sources of dye include fresh or dried plant material you gather or purchase. See our Plant Dye page for more information and resources.

These natural dye extract powders are from India, developed using a special process. They can be used with any mordant (although my favorite is our eco-friendly herbal mordant) and colors can be combined to give an endless range of shades. The amount used is dependent on the desired shade and is measured as a percentage of the weight of yarn or fiber being dyed. For example, 5-20% will give lighter shades, 80-100% darker shades.

For indigo you will often read that a special dye vat with a reducing agent is needed. It is a very interesting process but intimidating especially for new dyers. With these dye extracts, the indigo is used exactly the same as the other colors; no special process is required.

Method 1:
Measure out the required amount of natural dye powder based on the weight of dyeing material and the desired shade. Mix with enough hot water to make a thin paste. Begin heating large pot of water (enough water to allow material to move freely) and add a small amount of vinegar or acetic acid to make the water pH 4.
When water reaches about 60C (140F), add the dye paste and stir well. Then add the pre-wetted fiber or yarn. Bring to a simmer, about 80C (180F) and simmer for 30 minutes, moving the fiber around regularly.
Remove from heat and allow to cool back down to 60C (140F). Remove material, drain and allow material to dry. (Yarn can be hung to dry; spinning fiber should be laid flat to dry.) Once dry, use a little soap to wash the material to remove remaining dye particles. Dry material again (you can use the spin cycle in your washing machine to speed up the drying period).

Method 2:
I have also used another method to make a dye bath that leaves less dye particles in the fiber to be washed out. Add the same amount of dye paste as Method 1 to a smaller pot of water, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow particles to sink to the bottom. Pour off the dye liquor into a larger pot. Add more water to the smaller pot and repeat the process 2-3 times until no more colour is extracted. Discard the used dyestuff.
Let the dye liquor cool down, then add the prewetted fiber, slowly heat to back to 80C (180F) and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool down. Material can be removed, cooled, rinsed and washed or it can be left in the dye bath for an extended period, ie. overnight, to allow as much dye take-up as possible. Then rinse, wash and dry.

Notes:
Unless using a superwash yarn or fiber, remember to handle wool gently so it won't shrink and felt. Temperature changes should be gradual, not extreme. Avoid excessive agitation and move wool gently in the dyebath and wash water. Non-wool fibers can tolerate more handling but be careful not to heat silk above 80C (180F) as it can lose its natural sheen.

Dye enough material for an entire project all at once (and then some). It can be difficult, if not impossible to replicate an exact colour using natural dye – part of the charm, fun and creativity but better to avoid the disappointment. If you don't yet have a knitting project planned, an average sweater in a DK or worsted weight yarn requires about 600 gm of yarn.

You can reuse a dyebath to get fiber/yarn of a lighter shade. Unfortunately, since you won't know how much dye is actually left, if you really like what you get you may never be able to replicate it. But it's a good way to use up all the dye.

Go to Natural Dye Catalogue