There are four dyes we use to make reds.  Cochineal and lac are insect based dyes, madder and quebracho red are plant based dyes.  Lately, I have been dyeing fleece with all four of these dyes.

Click on any picture to see a larger version.

Cochineal gives a pink to pinkish red depending on how much dye is used. It can even make a screaming hot pink.

Lac gives a purplish red.  This is lac with logwood (a plant dye) and a bit of iron.  Iron saddens colors, making them grayer.  This combination gives a purple color.  Lac all by itself is more of a purplish red than this reddish purple.

Madder makes a wide range of colors from peach to orange to tomato red.  This is near the tomato red end of the spectrum.

This is the peach end of the madder spectrum.

Quebracho red makes sweet pinks.

Many lovely colors come from combining the dyes.  This is madder, quebracho red, and cochineal in the same vat.   Adding the madder makes a peachy pink.

Madder with fustic (a yellow plant dye) makes an orange.  The fustic adds a warmth and glow to the madder.

These fleeces are destined to become Sincere Sheep roving.  Sincere Sheep is our “think local” line of products.  The wool comes from local sheep, mostly from Sonoma County, are dyed by us, and processed at a local mill.  I keep each fleece separate even though it is dyed with several different dyes.  The colors will be blended during processing to make a wonderful heathery roving.

While we can’t claim the fiber is organic, it is fair trade and sustainable.  The sheep are usually pets.  The sheep are usually fueled by weeds (earning them the nickname lawnmower sheep).  Sometimes we even know the
name of the individual sheep.  And, by keeping each fleece separate, we maintain
the characteristics of that fleece for that year.  I love that.

By keeping everything local we are keeping down the amount of fuel used to transport the wool.  Local sheep, raised sustainably, processed locally, a very satisfying combination.

There are a lot of misconceptions about natural dyes.  We hear them all the time.  Here are a few of the things we hear:

Myth:  Natural dyes are not light fast.

We use high quality dye extracts from Earthues.  They have been rigorously tested for lightfastness and are comparable or better than commercially available synthetic dyes.  Additionally, they are  EU certified organic (US certification is in the works) and Fair Trade.   Read more on their About Us page.

Natural dyes typically fall into one of three categories: fugitive (meaning the color will fade or wash out), substantive (meaning the dye does not require a mordant to be fast - more on mordants later), and adjective (meaning the dye does require a mordant to be fast).  We use only substantive and adjective dyes.  We will not sell a yarn or fiber dyed with a fugitive dye.

Myth: Natural Dyes are toxic.

Natural Dyes are not toxic.  There are some mordants that are dangerous to use, like tin and chrome.  We do not use any dangerous mordants.  We use alum (potassium aluminum sulfate), a food grade ingredient used in making pickles and as a component of baking powder.  We use precautions when handling powdered dyes and mordants as all powders can harm the lungs when inhaled.  Spent alum mordant water can be safely disposed in septic and city wastewater systems.  In fact, alum is commonly used by municipal wastewater treatment facilities to extract excess nutrients such as phosphates that can cause algae bloom.

What is a mordant?  Simply, it is the glue that bonds the dye to the fiber.  We pre-treat the yarn or fiber in a mordant bath to adhere the mordant.  The yarn or fiber then rests for at least a week.  This resting period gives stronger colors.  We dye only after the mordanting process is complete.

Myth: Natural Dyes are harmful to the environment.

We use organic and Fair Trade dyes from Earthues.  We are thrilled to have access to such high quality natural dyes.  Part of why we use natural dyes (along with the fabulous colors they make) is because they are gentler to the environment than synthetic dyes.  The dyes we use have been ethically collected and manufactured.

Myth: Natural Dyes can’t make bright colors.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Not only can natural dyes be bright, they are very rich.  Each dye is comprised of many compounds that together make the color we perceive.  It is like blending many colors together to get one heathered and complex color.

In upcoming posts we will explain more about the natural dye process.  If you have any questions or topics you would like to see covered, drop us a line.