First Day of Summer....

Berberis

Out of the pot and much to my surprise, this Berberis produced 

a wonderful pink, pinky-peach color all by itself.

Maple Tree Seed Pods

The Maple seeds produced a wonderful cinnamon color. 

With the addition of iron, a nice dark brown. 

Cherry Tree Leaves

With the cherry tree leaves in the pot, the water was a deep purple. 

Adding silk and wool, the color  was a chocolate brown 

with a hint of purple when you looked at it sideways. 

Macleaya Poppy

The big surprise was the dye color from the Macleaya or Plume Poppy leaves. 

In the pot today is Indigofera leaves from the front yard at the farm 

and Iochroma australis. The Iochroma isn't supposed to be hardy in Tacoma, 

but it has lived in the warm arms of the pellet stove for many years.

June 19, 2013

Saw my first blooming Queen Anne's Lace this morning.

Queen Anne's Lace produces light chartreuse to sage green.

And first Thistle flower...

I have in the dye pot...

Berberis

Buckthorn Berries

Cherry Tree Leaves

Maple Seeds

On a test it produced a beautiful cinnamon color.

Lotus corniculatus

I am also waiting for the Teasel to flower ... just to see the flower. 

It's protective spines will keep it's flowers to itself.

Fresh Natural Dyes

Moved into this apartment complex because it has a large 

natural hill with grasses, etc. for my cats, Sweet Pea and Luna.

When Spring arrived and the plants started to grow, 

I first harvested Dandelion flowers. 

Dandelions produce a creamy light yellow color on yarn and a lovely gold on silk.

Dandelion

 California Poppies

No California Poppies on my hill, but plenty along the roadside. Picked a bunch...just the flower heads.

The poppies produced a butter yellow yarn and golden yellow silk material and ribbon.

Creeping Buttercup

Then found Creeping Buttercup creeping up my hill. Picked just the 

flower heads, but read that the whole plant can be used. That's next.

Creeping Buttercup produces a nice tan color on yarn and silk.

Wavy Leaf Thistle

Next on the hill is Wavy Leaf Thistle (at least I think that's what it is). 

I will know for sure when it flowers. Using the whole plants, the yarn 

and silk were dyed a beautiful brown champagne color.

Yellow Dock

Dock leaves and dock roots produce a wide range of colors.

Love it!!

 Dock root all by itself produces a lovely yellow. 

Adding a little bit of iron produces a mustard color.

Adding more iron produces a gold and 

adding even more iron turns into a sage green.

Spearmint Leaves

Again the plant without iron produces tan to yellow. 

Adding iron produces a wonderful sage green.