Natural dyes

Natural dyes are obtained from the leaves, bark and flowers of the plant or from bugs. I only use dyes that historically have a good light-fastness and colourfastness. 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.

However, natural dyes may not be quite as robust as some synthetic dyes and may gently mature over a long period time giving them a unique quality. Of course, how you store the yarn could accelerate fading, and it's recommended that you keep naturally dyed yarn and fabric out of bright sunlight and wash with a PH-balanced wool wash in lukewarm water.

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.

By purchasing naturally dyed yarn or fabric, you understand that gentle maturing is part and parcel of the natural dyeing process and acknowledge that Herbarium Dyeworks cannot be held responsible for any natural fading.

Please note: Nuts used in the dyeing process such as walnuts and areca nuts 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.

There is also a very small chance that cochineal used in the dyeing process could potentially cause a reaction on contact with some people.