As light snow peppered down from the sky today, I decided to take my focus to warm weather tasks and begin planning my dyers garden for this summer. If you find the concept of dyeing with natural or cultivated plants intriguing, let me suggest an easily grown annual that will produce lovely colors from the flowers and the leaves.
The African marigold, Tagetes erecta, and the dwarf, French marigold, Tagetes patula, are both easily found in garden centers and start readily by seed 6 to 8 weeks prior to planting outdoors. These species thrive in sunny areas throughout the summer months. To encourage the plant to continue blooming all summer, be sure to pinch off the flower heads before they go to seed. Towards the end of the season, allow them to produce seed so you can save for the next season. The long grayish-black seeds will fall to the ground if left on the plant, and usually germinate on their own when the ground warms after winter.
The marigold has long been known to the old herbalists and its attributes have been written about since the mid 1500's. It is an easily grown summer annual of which many varieties are now available. Amongst the many accolades bestowed upon the marigold, is the use of the fresh flowers as a remedy for the pain and swelling of a bee sting.
In addition to the beauty and colors offered by a garden, my interests often focus on the colors that might be extracted from various species, as dye plants. I have experimented with leaves and flowers of all the colors of the marigold and have found it will always make shades ranging from yellow to rusty gold. Depending on the amount of plant material used and whether or note you mix leaves with the flowers, you may be surprised by the intense, warm colors that this plant will produce.
By using the leaves only, you will normally produce soft yellows and golds. The yellow and orange flowers make brighter yellows, golds, and shades of orange. Rusty red and bicolor marigolds will produce these colors, in addition to tans and browns.
Dye is extracted from the flowers and/or leaves by gathering the plant material, tying it in cheesecloth, and then placing it in a glass jar. Pour hot to boiling water over the dyestuff the day before you plan to dye your wool or cotton. This will allow the color to be drawn from the plant material. Some species barely show a tint of color using this method, but marigolds always produce a bright yellow to golden dye bath almost immediately upon covering them with heated water.
When growing or collecting marigold flowers, keep in mind that they are very sensitive to humidity and excessive moisture, thus rotting easily. If you choose to dye your yarn indoors, rather than outside over a fire, you will need very good ventilation, as marigolds produce a strong odor.
Remember, the type of pot you use will affect the color. (and NEVER use your dye pot to prepare food!) Iron will darken or sadden colors, while bronze, copper, or brass will brighten the color. If you use an enamel pot, you might want to add something that will act as a mordant (to help the color stick to the wool). Iron nails or a rusty horseshoe will add iron to the dye bath, while natural materials high in tannic acid (such as acorns or plant galls) will do the trick and save you the trouble of having to deal with the disposal of some of the chemicals often used in the dye process.
The truest color will be attained by dyeing light colored natural wool or cotton. The day before you plan to dye your fibers, measure out your skeins and tie them loosely on four sides to keep the thread from tangling in the dye bath. Immerse the skeins in room temperature water so your fiber will be completely soaked when you dye them. Do not agitate wool; gently poke it under the water, but never stir or you will create felt instead of strings of yarn or unspun fiber.
On dye day, put your fiber, the plant material (still in cheesecloth), and enough water to cover, in the pot. Heat it very slowly and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Check the color of your yarn until you have the desired result. Take the pot off the heat and allow the fiber to cool in the pot until it is close to air temperature. Remove the yarn and let it hang to air dry, being careful not to allow the color to drip and stain anything you might not wish to turn a different color!
One of the great beauties of a dyer's garden is our ability to plant, grow, and produce the colors we would like to use, while preserving our native species in their environment. Collecting plants in the wild can be detrimental to the survival of a species and upset the balance and diversity of the environments that we impact.
As you consider using plants for dyes, plan your own unique dyers garden that will supply you with a rainbow of color!
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