greener shades dyes

First time using greener shades dyes. They are made in the US and are non-heavy metal acid dyes and comply with the  criteria for organic processing. This means that if I use certified organic yarn I can use these dyes  if I want to dye with acid dyes, and sometimes I will, even though I am aiming to use primarily plant extracts,and still create a product that will comply to organic standards. I am really happy with the bright clear colours, all of which I achieved with just  three primarys and black. I used very little dyestuff; my usual palette is much more subdued then the above, so I will have to experiment to achieve more subtle results. But so happy I can get rid of my heavy metal dyes!

natural dyeing - eucalyptus

 

Super bulky thick an thin organic merino. After I spun it I boiled it up for and hour with some fresh picked eucalyptus leaves which resulted in a felted yarn that is still extremely soft. I really love it.

walking home

sour sop from the footpath, eucalyptus bark from the park. Heading for the dyepot on the weekend.

natural dyeing - eucalyptus

 

This is the results of my first attempt with eucalyptus leaves. At top organic merino and below some mohair locks. i was suprised as I expecting the russet tones that eucalypus typically produces. These are beautiful, silvery tawny greens. I can only speculate which variable produced these tones..perhaps the species, time of year, ph of my water etc.

yarn

here is the organic merino that I dyed with onion skins all spun up. 2 skeins, about 70 gms each.

natural dyeing

 

materials I am collecting: spent blooms, avacado pip, pomegranate, gumnuts

new camera

      first image from my new camera (canon 550D). bundled recycled sari silk strips.

natural dyeing -onion skins

organic merino top,  added at different stages of exhaustion.

carded into a transitioned batt

carded with tussah silk

as above