Natural dyes

Natural dyes are obtained from the leaves, bark, roots and very occasionally flowers of the plant or from bugs. I use plants grown in the garden, foraged plants, plant extracts as well as bug extracts such as cochineal and lac. I'm constantly amazed at the colours nature yields.

While natural dyes don’t behave in exactly the same way as some synthetic dyes, they tend to mellow and mature beautifully over time, developing a soft, lived‑in character. Historically-dyed textiles have survived for centuries with good colour retention demonstrating how enduring natural dyes can be. As with any fibre, good storage helps: keeping naturally dyed yarns and fabrics out of strong, direct sunlight will slow any fading and keep the colours at their best. Bear in mind that synthetic dyes will also fade in time. See Washing and care for further recommendations.

With indigo-dyed yarn and fabric, a little bit of crocking is considered normal. This is where a bit of blue may rub off on your hands as you're working. I've found a dyeing method that means that this is very unlikely to happen, or if it does, there will be a minimal amount of extra dye molecules (non-toxic) that may release onto your hands depending on the PH of your skin.

Please note: Nuts used in the dyeing process such as walnuts could potentially cause allergies on contact. This risk is considered extremely low and only applies if any powder has not been properly bonded to the fibre. As the dyer, I have an anaphylactic reaction to nuts yet hadn't had any adverse reactions to dyeing with walnuts, but I would rather err on the side of caution as a diligent practitioner. I've added a warning label on the relevant products from January 2025.