How to dye yarn with Oak

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

Love this. I have white oaks. But wasn’t aware of the bark and leaves- had only gathered acorns. I prefer white oak over black walnut for dye, but do both. I only dye handmade papers, but now will try some white yarn I got at a sale years ago. 👍🏻

[@JoyfulStitching]

Ok the topless apron look with you holding an acorn out towards the camera saying Acorn and an axe on the wall....I was hooked and clicked subscribe.

[@jeribianca9013]

I love this episode. Introducing the iron mordant is fantastic. Hope to see the "oak apple" used soon. 👍

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Jeri, iron really is an interesting mordant to watch in action. Thank you for watching.

[@karenbiron5531]

How amazing!! I will admit I thought the acorn was my favorite until you showed the leaves! Thank you for sharing!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Thank you Karen

[@pabaril1995]

Perfect to listen to while spinning!! Beautiful work!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Pierre-Alexandre, what a beautiful image. Thank you

[@victoriafielding2478]

4 years later I am listening whilst spinning too

[@annieboulton5759]

Gorgeous, rich colours xxx

[@donnac368]

Great colors. I need to try this!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Go for it!

[@Hide_and_silk]

Wonderful colours!!!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Thank you 😊

[@karenfarmilo3067]

Fabulous colours produced!! Two favourite colours... Leaves and Acorn/Iron. Thanks Christopher..

[@robynsmith4352]

I absolutely love your videos ... it’s really fascinating how differently they dye up. I loved the skein from the leaves best too! Thank you for making these videos. Looking forward to more 🤗

[@patrickdobbels2342]

You really make things clear.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Patrick, thank you.

[@patrickdobbels2342]

Wow! I learned a lot. Thank you.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Patrick, thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@dorisbeers2577]

Very interesting! I love the different shades. Incredible!

[@richardcox7926]

Great information. I am a weaver and i do dying with acid dyes. I have used natural dyes Will do some after watching your video.

[@toomiepal]

This was excellent. So fascinating with information and those gorgeous colors! Thanks and best wishes for more November!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Michael, thank you and best wishes to you.

[@summerking8659]

Christopher, all the colours which the dye pots produced were wonderful, but my favourites have to be the beautiful golden from the oak leaves and the grey from the acorns dipped in the iron bath :-)

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Summer, those are my favourites as well.

[@barblair]

THANK YOU! I just noticed your videos and have subscribed.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Thank you Barbara

[@janwright6476]

They are such beautiful colours. Have you dyed with maple?

[@jennifercarr2672]

I've also done some dyeing with acorns and will need to compare the amount you used to what I had read, which was 3x the weight of the fiber. Also followed with an iron bath and the color really is striking. But after seeing the color from the oak leaves 😍 I need to collect all the ones I have in the yard. Thank you for sharing!

[@bridgetbarnes1422]

Hi Cabin Boy Knits! Loving binge watching all your videos! My question is: Do you have a video showing how you prepare your yarns? Do I need to simmer the wool in orvus paste then rinse and dry then simmer with alum …rinse dry then ready to wet and dye. Or can I use warm tap water and let sit overnight instead of simmering each phase? You seem to only simmer your mordants and dyes? PS I Love Ninas yarn shop here in Chicago!! They are the best. Will head over to buy some of your yarn soon, but am too busy trying to dye my own yarn stash! 😉 Thanks for sharing your help and expertise!

[@nghtguy13]

Would using a pressure cooker for the longer processes work? I remember my granny using a pressure cooker about the size of the pot on the left for different things, I've only ever used one for actual cooking... Maybe that's something that could help streamline the process. I know pressure cookers can be dangerous if not maintained properly but you seem pretty detailed with everything so I wouldn't think it would be too dangerous.

[@AndreaAlexander]

I'm so excited to give this a try! I'm not sure what kind of oaks we have around us but they're dropping acorns like crazy, and I want to dye a white cotton cardigan with them. Thank you so much for all of the information!!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Andrea, thanks for watching. I would love to know how it turns out. Best of luck 😊

[@janislf7584]

Hi, I just discovered you channel and find it so informative and wonderful to watch. I am a botanical contact printer on paper only in Denmark. We only have two kinds of oak here; Quercus petraea and Quercus robur. I use the leaves for printing. Will the bark and leaves of these two do for the dyeing pot?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Janis, thank you for reaching out. The answer is yes.

[@amanifayez4682]

Oh my goodness! I love your videos 😍 great and interesting flow of information.. I'll dye with the bark powder. I won't add alum and see what's coming out of it 😍 SO EXCITED!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Amani, thanks for watching. I hope your dyeing goes well. 😊

[@gailweeks4334]

Excellent video. Amazing colours. I wish we had Oak trees where I live but they are rare and not very big.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Thank you Gail

[@catrionabaird3756]

So good Chris! Interesting and beautiful. I just love watching your videos...learn so much. xo

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Trina, thanks. I hope you and your family are well.

[@kimberlypenney7216]

Amazing. This was my first view of your dying videos. I don’t die but I love the information. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Question do you use the same nails each time?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Kimberly, I generally use the same nails. If I find that the iron solution is not giving me the results I want, I will eventually switch them out. Thank you for your question.

[@sophievautour8573]

do you know any other tree leaves that have a distinkt colour when dyeing? I like the idea of a winter colour harvest

[@sunnyw4148]

Great demonstration. Just a world of caution about eating the acorn meal. They have to be leached to get the tanins out or else you will get quite sick. Here in northern California, Native Americans is often served it as a thick porridge sometimes with wild onions or garlic (a more recent addition). If not processed traditionally in a large stone bowl mortar, then blenders are also used to reduce the meal into a pulp that can then be leached.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Sunny, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with myself and the viewers. I am attaching an article to compliment your insight. honest-food.net/how-to-eat-acorns/

[@dollbellieknits]

Silly question, maybe... Do you "wash" the bark, acorns, or leaves before using them? Mainly, I'm thinking about dirt and animal droppings that may be on them that I don't want on my yarn. Also, why the white oak tree? Will other oaks not produce similar qualities? Thanks Christopher!

[@MorriganShay]

When you say "simmer for a few days", do you mean keep it on heat or just letting it sit?

[@phatveggie]

That’s awesome! I want to do it now.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Thanks phatveggie (great name).

[@marcwilson1052]

What about molds? Wouldn't the fabric absorb mold spores?how would this technique work for outdoor projects that you can't wash easily, like large tarps?

[@britdowson8324]

I really enjoyed that as I love to dye wool for rug hooking. Do you have to use the iron? I have played with onion skins. Neighbours and family saved their skins until I had enough. I even asked the grocery store if I could have the skins left in the display bin.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Brit, you do not have to use iron. I only use iron if I want to shift the colour to a darker tone. As a mordant, you can use oak gulls, alum, acorns, or avocado pits. Thanks

[@narrativeRx]

How does the color vary with the different oaks? I have california black oak in my yard. Have you used the red oak in your area that you mentioned?

[@denniscutts9912]

Cool

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Thanks Dennis

[@lisamariadorfhuber5888]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! I have tried it at home as well and the colors are stunning. The only thing is, that my yarn (wool merino) now feels very stiff. Before it was super soft, I left it in the dyeing bath for 1 day without heat. Do you have any tips how to prevent this from happening?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Lisa, did you use Alum as a mordant? Using too much Alum can make the yarn stiff.

[@cheryldowd6916]

Loved this. I live in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, USA. I have oak trees all around and I have been wanting to natural dye. Your episode was very informative. Were your pots sitting on a fire to simmer them? What appliance did you use to simmer that length of time?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Cheryl, I used electric burners. I find that they are great for keeping the temperature consistent for a long period of time.

[@cheryldowd6916]

@@cabinboyknits1816 I thought so. I went to walmart earlier and bought one to try.

[@zoyamichel215]

Is it possible to roast the acorns as one does with chestnuts 🌰 ? Are they eat able? Natives knew so much how to survive w/nature.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Zoya, the answer is yes. Here is a link to farmer's almanac explaining how to roast acorns. www.almanac.com/how-prepare-and-cook-acorns

[@SuzyEH]

With all the trees there must be some lichens, if so you can find them on the ground. Have you tried lichen dye? I have some fermenting now, currently it's a dark grape color. Dec 1 will be 90 days but I may let it set a bit longer.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

We have a lot of lichen around here. I haven't spent much time with Lichens. I would love to see your results.

[@SuzyEH]

@@cabinboyknits1816 I will make sure to send a photo when I dye with it in mid December.

[@emilykatemadethis]

Hello thanks for the really interesting video 🙂 I'm curious, is it possible to use apricot kernels/pips to dye yarn? I started naturally dyeing 3 days ago and now I'm looking at everything in a new light.. 🤣 I see you can use apricot tree leaves and bark but I don't see anything about the pips. Thanks 🙂

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Emily, i have never considered that. I will have to do some research on it. I am glad you started natural dyeing. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. 🤗

[@patrickdobbels2342]

Is it bad to use aluminum for a dye pot.

[@cwdresmker]

Hi Christopher...have you ever used "Pin Oak"? I love these colors...I would be interested in the results from other Oak species.

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Robin, I have not tried Pin Oak. I will look out for them.

[@cwdresmker]

@@cabinboyknits1816 I have a neighbor with 2 in her backyard. All the leaves are in my yard, I may give this a try to see what color I can get. I'll let you know the results.

[@melindas.4792]

Hello! I'm wondering if freshly spun yarn needs to dry completely after setting the twist before it can go into a dye pot, or if I can take out an extra soaking step. Also, can the soaking for setting the twist include the mordant, or does it really need to be separate steps? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks for the videos!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Melinda, the challenge is that you need to have clean yarn (grease free) before adding the mordant. I would let your yarn set after twisting. I sometimes add the mordant right into my dye bath, thereby skipping a step. It is also interesting to see how the mordant can change the colour of the depot.

[@melindas.4792]

@@cabinboyknits1816 Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge! I just built my first drop spindle yesterday, and I'm waiting for wool to arrive! I'd rather take longer to make a better quality, so that's good to know.

[@rebeccadees2300]

Did you spin the yarn you used on your videos?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Rebecca, I would love too, however there aren't enough hours in the day. At some point i will find the time. Thanks for asking.

[@rebeccadees2300]

@@cabinboyknits1816 I understand.

[@carolemayer8151]

Ok so now I need bigger dye pots! I sorry if I missed information about the yarn, what was it again. And do you think the dye will be about the same with any wool? Thanks, got to share this!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Carole, you will get different shades of colour depending on the yarn you use. The base colour, amount of oil in the fibre, and the texture of the fibre will impact the final colour.

[@joyofyarnwithkiwijames]

Fascinating. My last property had two scarlet oaks alongside the driveway, I wish I'd known then what to do with the leaves and acorns! Would you get a similar result with sycamore tree leaves?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

James, I have never tried sycamore leaves, however I do know that people use them for eco printing. My guess is that they will probably produce a similar result.

[@joyofyarnwithkiwijames]

@@cabinboyknits1816 Thank you Christopher. It's almost summer here now but next autumn I'll definitely have a go at dyeing with sycamore leaves and let you know how it goes 😊

[@yvancoulombe1230]

Amazing! Do you know if we can get a different color using red oak acorn & white oak acorn?

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

Experiment with them. I’m a natural Dyer and the best way is to do it and keep records for each type of oak trees to see red or white makes a difference. I live in PNW Oregon and we have native White Oak. Another plus is that you might consider; Truffles !!!!

[@yvancoulombe1230]

@@phyllisjeanfulton it will be my weekend experience! A walk in the wood, picking up a variety of acorn before the snow covers everything!

[@cabinboyknits1816]

@@phyllisjeanfulton I completely agree. keeping a record is key. Thank you

[@K-H-Creative]

How do you dispose of your die bath water?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

M, I dispose of the most dye baths through my septic system. Some dyes like rhubarb go back into the garder.

[@K-H-Creative]

@@cabinboyknits1816 thank you! I have my first 2 solar dyes baking in the sun😊

[@zoyamichel215]

What would've happened if u hadn't used the iron? Isn't it not necessary to use a mordant because u didn't use it in beginning to dye the yarn? Did u just want to show us the change that the iron did to the colors?

[@cabinboyknits1816]

Zoya, you are correct, you don't need to use iron. I just wanted to show you the difference in colour.

[@TheRivo]

What exactly is he doing? Does he cook cocaine?