Dyeing With Beans (DAYS 1 & 2)
Ever since I saw Yarn Piggy’s lovely colours achieved from Black Bean Dye, I decided I HAD to try it for myself!
image source: flyingpigknits.blogspot.com
Can you imagine that these lovely colours came from BEANS?!?!
image source: flyingpigknits.blogspot.com
The instructions seem easy enough….
Soak the dry beans, drain the murky purply dye water off, dye the wool (no heating or anything required!) Plus, you can eat the beans while you are waiting for the perfect colour. There’s a bit of experimenting with fiber types and after baths of ammonia or vinegar….but I’m game to give it a go!
black beans
soaking the beans for 2 days
skein of 100% wool
mordant bath of alum for an hour
soaking in bean juice
I decided to try an ammonia dip after taking the wool out of the bean mixture. It turned the yarn a greenish colour.
yarn drying in the sunshine
lichen green yarn compared to the original colour
I’m really impressed at how green the yarn is! When I did a great deal of natural dyeing 2 summers ago I always struggled to get a good green. This is a method that will work year round and end up a great green colour. It’s making me curious about what would happen if I dyed it first with onions and second with beans with ammonia, it may turn an even brighter green.
More yarn is in the bean juice for a longer soak. Fingers crossed for blue this time!
Tags: dyeing, natural dyes, stash, tutorial
