Month: July 2020

Natural Dyeing Experiments: Day Lillies

July 31, 2020

When I introduced this series of blog posts exploring my adventures in dyeing, I pledged to share with you my mistakes as well as my successes on the basis that we can learn from each others’ mistakes as well as our own. It’s therefore quite ironic that it was just before the launch of the ‘new look’ Ravlery which meant that I could no longer use the site, that I discovered the Natural Dyeing Ravelry … More Natural Dyeing Experiments: Day Lillies

Natural Dyeing Experiments: Pomegranate

July 24, 2020

After my high hopes for Dyer’s Camomile were somewhat dashed, I wavered as to whether pomegranate should be my next experiment. The colour swatches in Wild Colour by Jenny Dean seemed a little muddy and off putting compared to the vibrant yellows of Dyers Camomile which had attracted me, but I had failed to achieve. I think it was actually the thought of yet more beige that was lurking in the back of my mind that … More Natural Dyeing Experiments: Pomegranate

Natural Dyeing Experiments: Dyer’s Camomile

July 17, 2020

After a couple dyeing experiments using less conventional dyeplants, I thought it was time to reward myself with something a little more recognised… and to also put a stop to my beheading these wonderfully cheery flowers until I was sure they could deliver a colour that surpassed what I could achieve with garden waste. Dyer’s Camomile / Golden Marguerite or Anthemis tinctoria is a standard dye plant that grow plentifully along the roadside verges and hedgerows … More Natural Dyeing Experiments: Dyer’s Camomile

Vitalbini

July 14, 2020

In my last post a made reference to Old Man’s Beard/Clematis Vitalba shoots being edible and being eaten here in Tuscany. Not to leave any stone unturned I thought I should at least give it a go and report back… The edible bit of the plant is the new growing shoot, so I picked those from the hedgerow. I went with this very simple recipe for a frittata. You boil a pan of water with … More Vitalbini

3 skeins of yarn naturally dyed with Old Man's beard pictured in a hedge of Old Man's Beard.

Natural Dyeing Experiments: Old Man’s Beard or Travellers Joy

July 10, 2020

Old Man’s Beard, Traveller’s Joy or Clematis Vitalba was an iconic part of traditional British hedgerows when and where I grew up. As kids we loved those hairy fronds that appeared around about the same time as blackberries. As a gardener however, too much of the old boy in the hedgerow is a pest. I’m not alone in thinking this and clematis vitalba for all its charms has become regarded as an invasive species in … More Natural Dyeing Experiments: Old Man’s Beard or Travellers Joy