Once you've basked in the absolute joy that comes from learning how to spin, you might start casting around for other equally satisfying pursuits. One of those is dyeing your yarn with natural dyes. Just as ancient people learned that they could infuse their textiles with the colors of the earth and heavens using some pretty simple techniques, so can you.
Natural dyeing can be as simple as collecting tansy leaves from your garden or old tea from your cupboard, placing it and a skein of yarn in a canning jar filled with water out on your porch on a sunny day. Of course, it can be more involved as well—it depends on what colors you're looking for, the fibers you are dyeing, and the pH levels in your water supply.
From roadside plants to your spice cabinet, to mineral infused muds, the world around you can yield amazing colors that are harmonious and balanced. Imagine yarn you have made with colors extracted gently from the natural world—imagine bliss.
In our new free eBook, Guide to Dyeing Yarn: Learn How to Dye Yarn Using Natural Dyeing Techniques, gathered from the pages of Spin-Off magazine, you will learn the ins and outs of natural dyes, explore dyeing with black walnuts as well as using a natural hot springs to supply mineral mordants (the "glue" that holds the dye to the fiber), and get instructions for making a solar dyeing oven. Learn along side of experts in the natural dyeing world—spinners like you who have explored and experimented until their hearts are content with natural dyes.
Happy spinning,
