HOW TO MAKE NATURAL DYE WITH LICHEN | ORGANIC COLOR | PINK BURGUNDY MAGENTA | OAKMOSS | AMMONIA VAT

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Color Quest Friends - Please make sure you use household ammonia for this process (5-10% ammonia), NOT industrial strength (15% and higher). Not only will it cause problems for the lichen vat dye process, it can cause irritation to the skin and nose. Please keep yourself safe 🤎

[@bethkolle1]

Lovely colors! In a workshop I learned to frequently open the jar to renew the air supply in the jar, and stir often as you said.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Many thanks, Beth 💕 Yes, for the first oak moss vat I made, I opened the lid religiously every day for many weeks to give it more oxygen. However, for the batch I made for this video, the color shifted so quickly and mostly by simply shaking the jars. It can be so different each time!

[@Sarah-KateH]

I’m just starting and so happy to see I got the right book already… I’m lichen natural dyes

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Haha - very punny! The book is a great resource, so stoked you added it to your lichen library. Enjoy 💚

[@Sarah-KateH]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest 🥁🛎

[@somepinkflowers]

Loved seeing your Iceland art installation. 💕👏🏽👏🏽🌸💕💕

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are so sweet - thank you! Fun to share a bit more of how I personally use all of this natural color wonder 💚

[@BearsCrochetCritters]

I've been planning to try this since this video came out. I just now am getting around to starting and had to come back to your video to see if I forgot anything. I also recently got the same book you mentioned but didn't realize that until now. I'm glad I got it and have been reading and then looking up other lichen on a plan id application I have. Lichen dyes have also rekindled my intrest in other fungi in my area just got a lichen id book for the PNW. I even dug out my microscope to help me figure out what I found. Thank you.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

So wonderful that you are ready to start dyeing! The book is an amazing wealth of information even without photo guidance, and I remember checking it several times when I dyed with lichen the first time. We have so many incredible lichen and mycopigments in the PNW, so I also hope to keep exploring. I'm going to attend the International Fiber and Fungi symposium in October at Fort Worden in Port Townsend so I can learn much more 😊 Let me know how it goes for you!

[@BearsCrochetCritters]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest I agree with you on the lichen dye book. At first I was surprised that there were no photos but I don't mind. I'm not so great at remembering scientific names so it has pushed me to work on that and not rely as much on visual recognition. I have a bunch of bookmarks in it already so I can refer back to a specific type of lichen or bit of information that I may need later. I will let you know how it goes. Silly side note: I am pretty sure I have the same jar(s) you used. They are recycled spaghetti sauce jars and worked perfect for my solar dying experiments.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@BearsCrochetCritters I had read a few reviews about the book before purchasing it years ago and recall that the lack of pictures/drawings was discouraging for some. Like you, however, I found it to be a wealth of information and refer to it often. It was my first 'dye' book, so it has a special place in my library! Yes, any glass jar that I use for cooking becomes a dye jar, and I definitely have a few of Newman's basil marinara that show up in recipes from time to time 😉

[@СветланаПосельникова-ф2и]

Вы умница, вы чудо, ведунья. Спасибо за прикосновение к уникальной природе. Счастья и здоровья вам.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Для меня большая честь называться ведьмой! Большое спасибо, что присоединились к нам в Color Quest, Светлана 🌼

[@jdmosaics]

Good to see more people getting into Lichen dyeing. I was wondering why you didn’t you get the beautiful rich Purples or Magentas that come from the AM method with orchil lichen?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yes - lichen dyes are amazing! In this video, I used oak moss and did get the deeper magenta color as expected from the ammonia method. I believe the purples of orchil lichen come from a different lichen like Rochella and I haven't yet had an opportunity to work with anything like that. Have you?

[@nancycolby687]

I just got back from NC, I brought back some lichen. I can’t wait to use it now. Thanks so much for such a great video, perfect timing…lol

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome, Nancy. I actually just dyed with 'muzgo' here (lichen) in Peru on my artist residency. The variety is called 'rock beard' and it made a beautiful orange color in the dye pot. I will be attending the Fungi & Fiber Symposium in late October, so hope to learn a lot more about the amazing colors of lichen. Have fun experimenting with it!

[@alex9190]

these colorful ice sculptures remind me of the ice castles in stratton mountain vermont :)

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Sounds beautiful! You can see all of my ice installation work on my website if you want to travel a bit more 😉

[@theforagersgarden]

Great video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge 🙏

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, Trina! So happy the video was informative. Hope you get to dye with lichen 💚

[@lisascenic]

Thanks for this lovely film!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome, Lisa! Thank you for stopping by Color Quest 🌼

[@dockalek1]

Hi Margaret, thank you for an inspiring video. I have one point to make and a question. I accidentally put in 18% ammonia solution, which is appr. 3 x stronger than all purpose ammonia. Where I am from we don't use ammonia for cleaning in household, so I got something more industrial, not being aware of the difference. Maybe a little information about the % or a warning would be useful. I was quite surprised by the strong smell and my whole skin was burning just from being close to it. However I survived :) and I am not writing to complain, but to ask : What effect do you think will the higher portion of ammonia have on the dye? So far it is still very dark, even after 6 weeks not turning purple. Thank you.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi there - welcome to Color Quest! I'm happy you found the video helpful, but I'm truly sorry to hear about the misunderstanding regarding household ammonia vs industrial strength. I tried to make that clear in the video by referencing 'household' and showing a clip of the bottle I use, but if you don't have this type of ammonia in your region, I see how it could be confused. I hope that your skin and nose have recovered 🤎 Unfortunately, I can't say the same for your vat - I consulted Casselman's book and she notes in a few places to not use industrial strength ammonia. She doesn't say what happens if you do, but she says never to add more ammonia to the vat beyond the recommended percentage. There is even a recipe for a diluted version in case people have a reaction to household ammonia too. I would probably just leave the vats you have to sit and occasionally shake them without opening the lids, but it is very possible you will not see color shift. As with most natural dyes, time is your friend and it can take months for color to emerge, but it may also not work. If you have more lichen available, perhaps you try again with the diluted ammonia (5-10%) or even with consult Casselman's book regarding the 1:3 formula for sensitivity. Hope you will give it another go!

[@barbaracabrera207]

This is wonderful!!! I love to do organic fabric & paper dyeing. I'd heard of lichen dyeing, but never saw anyone explain process. So thank you for sharing this technique. I'm going to start lichen collection today!!! It falls from my trees in rain or wind. And its been raining for several days. So I have a lot on ground. I have a lot in my yard here in Austin, TX. And around me. *** QUESTION: It seems to be a dry organism, so I assume I can collect and it won't go bad??? Or do I need to FREEZE IT??? Thanks *** I LOVE your ice art. Such lovely colors. Especially against the white snow!!! So unique!! Thank you for the video. Great instructions!!! Austin,TX USA

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Many thanks for all of your kind words, Barbara 💚 There isn't much out there on lichen dye, so hopefully, this video will spread the good word for those interested in mindful foraging. How lucky that you have it right in your own yard - what a gift from nature 😊 No need to freeze oakmoss. I've had my collected lichen stored in an open pot in my garage for several years with no issues. Let me know how your lichen vat blooms!

[@a.r.3742]

Thanks for the info. With ethical collecting, is it 1 handful per area as you are hiking? Or is it one handful for the entire hike even if you see more lichen as you walk in different areas? Allsi, would you include a warning about ammonia? It really is a strong irritant, as well as being poisonous if mixed with bleach. I don't think younger people get that info now as often.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome 💚 There are many thoughts on ethical foraging, and it truly is up to an individual to define that for themselves based on their environment and personal collecting philosophy. The one handful 'rule' was passed down to me by someone I greatly respect and who is a true steward of the earth. For oak moss, I tend to pick up one piece at a time as I walk, and if I pass another piece that catches my eye later in my walk, will pick it up too. I keep a jar in my garage and slowly add to it should I bump into downed lichen while out and about. In regards to ammonia, I would suggest one follow safe practices when working with any product that may cause irritants or potential toxins - gloves, mask & good ventilation. 🌠 Thank you for the reminder 🌠

[@jennamarks4699]

Hi Margaret, what brand of ammonia are you using? Is just any household cleaner that has ammonia in it ok to use? Does it matter how much ammonia is in the cleaner?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Jenna - I have a generic household ammonia that I get at my grocery store in the cleaning aisle. You will want to make sure it has only 5-10% ammonia which is typical of 'household' ammonia. Do not use industrial strength ammonia as this can be very irritating to work with and is not needed for the reaction.

[@jennamarks4845]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Thanks so much!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@jennamarks4845 You bet!

[@BBaxterSwank]

Beautiful and exciting work in your ice sculpture and how that transitioned to fiber. Decades ago a friend from Scandinavia sent me a letter with samples of her lichen dyed fiber experiments. This was a revelation for me. Now I am eager to dig through the boxes of my life history to find that letter. Separately, I have recently been respectively collecting lichen for my own dying projects. Back when I received that letter I was not even entertain the dying crafts. I am glad I found your channel and will check out other episodes. Thank you for posting your work. PS: have you explored dying with mushrooms? I recently found interesting info about the range of colors locked in mushrooms.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you for such sweet words, Wanda 💕 It's so amazing how certain things find their way in our lives and seem to cycle through again and again. Sounds like lichen is one of those pieces for you (just like me!). Please let me know the colors that are shared with you from your foraging 😊 Yes, I am super interested in mushroom dyes and have recently taken a course on it, plus I hope to attend a weekly workshop in the PNW next fall. There is a wonderful mycopigment group here since mushrooms are so abundant in this part of the world. I hope to explore mushrooms here on Color Quest in 2022 🍄

[@sharmenlacerte9715]

If we used usnea in the ammonia vat what color would we get? Thank you for all the tutorials, your amazing.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, Sharmen - how kind of you to say! I'm traveling right now, but when I get back to my dye studio, I will look in my lichen book to see about usnea in ammonia 😊

[@cathymontgomery7295]

What is the ratio by percentage for lichen and wool? For instance, if I have an ounce of lichen how ma my ounces of wool can I dye? Thanks

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

This can vary depending on the type of lichen you use and the process itself. For a simple dye pot heating method, a good place to start is 2 cups of lichen for 1 ounce of fiber.

[@jenniferh8693]

I can only find cloudy ammonia. Will that work?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I'm unfamiliar with cloudy ammonia, but it seems it is a soapy solution. I'm not sure how it will effect the vat, so I would suggest trying it and see what happens or keep looking for clear household ammonia.

[@joshb5742]

G'day Margaret, I was wondering if you know what it would look like if you did the short method for Oak moss dye, but added iron water at the end? Like would it still be a dark orange or maybe go brown? I'd be curious to know your thoughts. All the best from New Zealand, Joshua

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Joshua 🌼 Many thanks for question 🌼 I have only tried the ammonia vat technique with oak moss, so I have never experimented with stove top extraction...yet. I think you may have just sparked my curiosity to test it out here on Color Quest! Without testing it myself, my best guess is that iron would first darken the color, but depending on the undertone, it could easily shift to brown. I've seen other fungi dyes in the orange realm shift to both dark orange and brown, as well as oak moss giving only a light tan result. You can test by using a cold weak iron bath you dye for a short period of time, and then increase either strength or length of time to see how far you can push it. The mystery is one of the best parts of working with natural color, but it can be tough to fully predict as I'm sure you know. Best of luck and let me know how the exploration goes!

[@joshb5742]

I most certainly will let you know. Also, I have got a piece that I'm soy mordanting right now, so I might give that a go, just cause the short process might not be able to extract the Oak moss's own mordant as well. I'll probably know more in a week and I'll give you some updates if you want

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@joshb5742 Never hurts to add some extra mordant treatment even with those high tannin dyes. Excited to see what color transpires 🧡

[@joshb5742]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest I tried it today, but the results are rather disappointing, I'm only getting a kind of tan. It's slightly better on wool, but nothing to write home about. Also the iron water does not affect it much. It's quite probable that I have made a few mistakes so maybe you will have more luck than me. I also have seen people add salt to their dye pots, and I was wondering what exactly that does? Cause maybe that could help? All the best, Joshua

[@joshb5742]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Ps. If you are interested in my results, I could send you some photos if you like? And if so what would be your preferred method for sending them

[@sis9622]

Awesome

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, Sis! Give it a try if you have lichen nearby 💚

[@cristinapape]

Lindo! Beautifull!!!! Love it !!! I'm visual artist and I have some secret desire to spend sometine where ice is overwhere...I'm from Rio de Janeiro...

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Welcome from the amazing country of Brazil, Cristina! So many different kinds of lichen hold color, so hope you get to forage for some to try. I totally understand you creative wish to spend time in the icy landscapes - I share the same passion. I will be heading to Svalbard next year for a few months of artist residency so I can get my chilly fix ❄

[@darcyiltzsch6220]

I wonder if this would work with paper? As similar in tea or coffee paper dying. Have you ever done it on paper?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yes, it works on paper too! I made 'ink' drawings on paper while I was in Iceland - just pulled them out and they are still the same dusty rose color after 2+ years 💕

[@barbaracabrera207]

Well, today has turned into Margaret Byrd Day!!! LOL!! Been watching and catching up on your videos ALL DAY!!! Got 2 big bags of lichen. So while it dries, I will get ammonia. Super excited about trying it. Ever used dandelions to dye??? Last month I was house sitting for my son and there was 1,000s of dandelions in his back yard. So I had to try. It was strange results. I need more trials. But they went from yellow to brown when drying. And when I ironed,...back to yellow. I've been researching and found that steam can change colors too. I was wondering if you had any experience with dandelions??? Not really much on internet on it. Except dyeing wool yarn. I don't have any wool anything. I did read flower, leaves, and stem all produce yellow. And roots, I think reddish. I only used flowers. Anyhow,.....Since I found you today, thought I'd ask. Thanks for video. Austin,TX USA

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I'm honored to have spent the day with you 😉 The new lichen batch I made to shoot this video is already turning a burgundy color after just one week. You may have dye faster than you think, so keep an eye on it and shakeshakeshake! I tried dandelion root a few months ago, but never the flowers themselves. I figured they are always available, so no rush, and yellow is a popular color in my dye pot. I had also read about red from the roots, but my results were a very light brown. Probably would stick to the flowers/leaves/stems unless I'm really digging up weeds in the garden 🌼

[@jdmosaics]

Red dye from Dandelion root is a furphy unfortunately. Dandelion flowers can be simmered in water fresh. No need to dry them. Best book on Natural dyes is Jenny Deans Wild Colour and on page 137 she shows what Dandelion colours are possible. Lichen dyes can be used without a mordant.

[@barbaracabrera207]

@@jdmosaics Haven't tried the roots from dandelions yet. But I read about it. I've got a nice stash of lichen to try that. Soon.

[@rebeccadees2300]

Why the one handful at a time rule so to speak if it's already on the ground? I'm just beginning my organic dye journey... Thank you.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Such a great observation, Rebecca 😊 It is more of an overall practice of taking only what you need and leaving the rest for others to share. With lichen, you don't need much to create volume, so I choose to collect just a little bit on walks I take over time, and of course, always from the ground. There are many philosophies about foraging, so keep asking questions and learning to find what feels right for you and your practice 💚

[@rebeccadees2300]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest thank you. I'm just beginning to learn about natural dyes and have found fallen branches with lichen on them in small quantities. I plan to remove it from the little branches and use it to make a natural dye. How should I store it until I have enough for a half gallon jar? Thank you.

[@victoriawhite7684]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest It’s my understanding that lichen is a great nitrogen fixer. While it doesn’t hurt the host tree, fallen lichen provides a type of fertilizer, nourishing the host tree.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@victoriawhite7684 This is absolutely true and a wonderful reminder of nature's perfect cycle of life. Thank you, Victoria 💚

[@itsgoingtobeok-justbreathe4808]

isn't ammonia toxic to breathe and work with?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I'm using store-bought household ammonia that is highly diluted in the bottle, not pure ammonia. It is meant to use for cleaning in kitchens/bathrooms, but care should always be used when handling it. You may want to wear gloves to avoid skin irritation and working in a well ventilated area is always a good idea. Wearing a mask is also an option. The amount is relatively small and it is kept sealed in the jar while it goes through the fermentation process, so I have not experienced any reaction to it personally. It is the only way to extract the burgundy color, so if you are concerned about it, you may choose to simply try a non-ammonia extraction process for a different color.

[@paulhenry1713]

Soy milk isn't a mordant, it's a binder, that is it helps to glue pigment or dye to fibre. and it's also misleading to call salt a mordant as well, it's not

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are correct on all accounts, so thank you for the making this important distinction. I try to use the term 'binder' when I speak about soy milk since it is not a traditional mordant, but sometimes I slip the word 'mordant' in as a vernacular term. The use of soy milk to help bind dye to fiber is a great option, particularly to make it easy for people to get started with natural dyeing. The salt used in this recipe for lichen dye is recommended by the author of the book I reference in the video. She mentions that salt, vinegar & ammonia are used to increase dye uptake and improve fastness (among other things like shifting pH). Salt is not a mordant, but you will see it used across many dye recipes for various reasons.

[@TrishCausey]

Those end-result colors are drab & nothing like what should have happened. Salt is not needed (& is probably what screwed up the color) because lichen dyes do NOT need a mordant. The end result should have been a deep burgundy or a gorgeous purple.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Super cool that you have gotten such incredible colors from your lichen dye - amazing! As I mentioned in this video, I followed a recipe from Karen Diadick Casselman who used salt. Always great to experiment, right? I also discussed how mordants are not needed with lichen, but much of my fiber is pre-treated with mordants, so no harm in using it. What types of fiber do you normally dye with to get such rich results? So many factors can impact natural dyeing, so I welcome whatever results I get no matter how drab 🤎