Shilasdair Yarns

Naturally Dyed Yarn on the Isle of Skye

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A dyers diary

Peace Bauble

March 2022

There is no need for me to write about the challenges facing the world at this current time.  Knitting offers me comfort and solace whilst my mind is whirling. I have uploaded a free bauble pattern to the online shop with a thought that it may offer you comfort and solidarity.

https://shilasdair-yarns.com/product/peace-bauble/

 

 

Dyeing with Reeds (Phragmites australis or Cuilc in Gaelic)

September 2021

The common reed is a traditional Scottish dye plant that really conjures up the magic of natural dyes. The reeds like alkaline wet marshy land. Here on Skye they generally grow up  to about 1.5 metres although in less wild weather locations can reach up to 4 metres tall. The reed beds provide a thriving and safe home for so much wildlife. They are invasive and a real spreader once they take hold so not ideal for planting in your dye garden but if you can find a patch locally already taken hold I definitely recommend having a go and dyeing with the purple flower heads of this plant.

Research shows the roots, leaves and seeds of the reed as are all edible but I have never tried and wouldn’t recommend without further guidance!The reeds themselves have been used for so many things over time: roof thatching, basket making, broom making, paper making.  Here on Skye it has been documented that fishermen used the reed for rope making.

For the dye pot it is the unopened flower heads that we use, which here on Skye are purple and sleek in mid August but that may vary on where you live especially if you have a warmer climate. Once you have gathered your seed heads pop them in your pot, cover with water and heat slowly for about an hour – you will soon see a lovely purple liquor develop.  Allow it to cool and then add your yarn, fabric or other textiles to be dyed.  Our samples shown below are 100% wool mordanted with 12 % alum.  Heat the dye bath gently for another hour and you will see the wool takes up the colour readily. The lighter green sample was removed from the pot after and hour, the darker green was left in over night.

We then experimented with the ph – so often colours in the dye bath will shift depending on a low or high ph. By adding vinegar to the dye bath and lowering the ph to 3 we dyed another wool sample which remained purple and didn’t turn in to the beautiful greens above. This acidic dyed sample is not stable as a colour, but it is a fun experiment and a good example of how one dye pot can produce such different shades of colour depending on ph. Taking the science out of it I just love the magic of pulling different shades out of one pot!

Latest Entries
November 14, 2019Natural DyesBog myrtle Bog myrtle was one of the first dye plants that I experimented with many years ago using nothing but my intuition and limited dye knowledge. I was very free and easy with my methods but always got a pleasant result, and this in turn encouraged me on in my natural dye pursuits. Since these experiments I have researched and learnt a lot more about this Skye shrub that grows all around us here at Shilasdair. Bog myrtle or Myrica gale is a woody deciduous perennial shrub from the Myricaceae family. It thrives in damp or boggy soils, which explains why we have so much of it here! As with many of these ancient plants people have used them in the past for all sorts of uses – the Vikings are said to have used Bog myrtle to treat depression and poor memory and to give a sense of well-being. We use the leaves ourselves in a tea and on Skye it makes an excellent midge repellent. But it is for it’s secret dye colour that I have my strongest connection with the plant. We tend to harvest the bog myrtle in late August but it is still possible to sneak in a final forrage as late as October before the first frosts have arrived. We use not just the leaves but also the woody twigs and stems. Without these twigs a lovely warm yellow colour can be achieved. As can been seen above. Just an over nights soaking in cool peat water can produce a yellow dye – however further heating unlocks the rich tannins which will aid us in our pursuit of a richer colour. For it is the warm khaki green that we just love to get from bog myrtle. After long and slow heating we dye our fibre in the yellow dye liquor and then leave to cool over night. The following day we reheat the dye pot and do a post mordant iron bath where we add just 2 % of dissolved ferrous sulphate. Bringing the pot back up to a low heat for 20 minutes the colour transforms before our eyes to a warm khaki green – soft and earthy it is all the more special for coming from under our feet on the hills here on Skye. [...]

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