Unexpected Lessons from Natural Dyeing // Episode 157 // Taking Back Friday // a fibre arts vlog

SHOW NOTES: sweetgeorgiayarns.com/2021/08...
Here's an episode of "what I did this summer"! I did natural dyeing for 10 weeks this summer and learned SO MUCH more than just dyeing with plants. Natural dyeing taught me some life lessons that were unexpected...
Join us here to learn natural dyeing: www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/...
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Hand-dyed colour. It can transport you. Transfix you. Transform you. Since 2005, SweetGeorgia Yarns has been making exquisite hand-dyed knitting yarns and spinning fibres in passionate, relentless, and unapologetic colours to inspire, educate, and engage our world-wide community of knitters, spinners, weavers, and makers.

[@samio6978]

Thank you for another wonderful video! I love hearing about your process with each craft you do. And, thank you for being a fantastic role model for both multi-craftual makers and for aspiring full-time creators.

[@guitaristk]

I joined into the Natural Dye Study Group, but didn’t quite feel welcome. I’m glad you were able to get so many colors! I’ve dyed a lot naturally- sourcing eucalyptus and safflower. Botanical colors is great resource!

[@eL-li3hp]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Including your perspective on life lessons with wool. :) Thank you.

[@lisaw1175]

lot of mindfulness in dyeing yarns and fabrics. thanks for sharing

[@stephaniejosine]

I so love what you're saying here about relinquishing control! I started dyeing my hair vibrant colours about a year ago and it has honestly taught me so much about life and just learning to chill out, accept what comes, let go of the need to control everything and for things to be predictable and perfect. Who knew that hair / yarn could teach us so much?

[@ginandpins6081]

A bit off topic but it's all your fault - my 32 inch rigid heddle loom was delivered today. Thank You So Much. Please don't tempt me to try anything else, at least for now.

[@sweetgeorgia]

haha AWESOME!! Enjoy your new loom!! BTW, we were just planning out new rigid heddle weaving content for the new year this morning. 😊

[@skuldv8781]

I weld for my 8 to 5. But so happy I have channels like yours to listen to!

[@PandTRanch]

I loved your philosophizing! So many life lessons in there… the illusion of control… it sounds a bit like following your heart instead of always thinking (or over thinking) with your brain. I’m definitely guilty of that, but I’m learning!

[@saselbinehurtz8693]

super interesting, (live your life, do not control your life). And a wonderful, colorful result of dyeing

[@sandradearing604]

That indigo tiger-like striped scarf was stunning!

[@laurascholz7334]

Appreciated your insight, thank you.

[@susanerhardt2510]

Loved your discussion of natural dyeing. My life lesson in addition to yours is patience. It takes more time and you have to trust the process. The colors are great! Any plans on what to use your yarns for? ( I had to ask!)

[@kathleenkaar6557]

Ah yes. The old illusion of control…😆❤️

[@Angel-yz8gt]

Nice to see you today:)

[@audreydeneui192]

One of the things I've always enjoyed about working with dyes is that you are unable to predict the color you are going to get and it's unique to the dye lot. I've never really worked with commercial acid dyes (do Easter egg pellets and Kool Aid count?), I always gathered my own, or used spices.

[@saraa3418]

I've had great success growing marigolds and orange cosmos in my window boxes on my balcony. Then I pick the flowers right before they wilt and dry them. I was able to save 3 oz of flowers so far and they've bloomed all summer because they haven't been able to go to seed. In the past, I've gotten very intense yellows and oranges from these flowers. I also take my children foraging in the fall for acorns and black walnut to make all different browns. They love running around and picking up nuts, they say they're playing squirrel. I've seen people have great success from dandelions in the spring, but I'd rather make jam with them.

[@lucyb15]

another way to interesting colors is to spin and dye wool in shades of gray. Colors are muddier, more mysterious than what you get with flat white.

[@RhaynePrincess]

Does any of the aluminum or iron remain in the fiber after rinsing?

[@SmallFossy]

This was a very timely video for me. I’ve also been experimenting with natural dyes this summer, I’m extracting the colour from plants in our yard/ along roadsides and it can be difficult to get enough colour to get a really saturated colour. Love the colours you were able to get, were you using powdered dye stuff? Also, I recently watched your craftsy videos, I really liked them and had to search you out and found this video.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Oh thank you so much! That's so lovely that you found me after the Craftsy course! Thanks!! And yes, I used a lot of natural dye extracts for these skeins (just because I already had it on hand from years ago). But in the new class we filmed with Caitlin about wildcrafting natural dyes, she was telling us to use 100% weight of fibre for dye stuff. So... if you are dyeing 100g of yarn, try starting with 100g of natural dye stuff to see how it goes. You might need to increase or decrease the amount of dye to get the saturated colours you want. There's so much to explore!

[@SmallFossy]

@@sweetgeorgia thanks for the reply! I wonder if sometimes I might have too much water in the pot and it might dilute the colour, because I did start out measuring equal amounts but would get quite pale colours. I’ve been adding in a lot extra plant material if I have it and it’s helped get more saturated colour from certain plants. I was thinking it may be interesting to try a powdered form to see how different the colour might turn out or if it’s just me or my wool🤷‍♀️. Anyway, happy dyeing!

[@zoedvega3923]

this life lesson about natural dyeing really sounded like what it means to have "Faith" great life lesson analogy without being too religious here. Lol!

[@beverleylawton6899]

I’m about to start dyeing some of my handspun with acid dyes for the first time. I have washed the yarn with a wool wash when I wet finished it recently so would I need to wash again please?

[@sweetgeorgia]

You should be good to go! Have fun!

[@cindyp2181]

Where do you get your natural yarn for dyeing? You may have said... If so sorry!

[@gyongyilingg6171]

💐🌹🌻🌼🌷

[@lornanormand6963]

At a quick glance at your site...where are you? which continent? country? thanks

[@sweetgeorgia]

Thanks Lorna! We are in Vancouver, BC in Canada ☺️

[@orangew3988]

Omg, i have always assumed you are in Georgia.

[@mavisthetramstudios]

wow u r very skillful , i was wondering if anyone knows how to make grey natural dye? i'd prefer not to use chemicals for environment

[@sweetgeorgia]

Absolutely. Logwood grey… it’s a combination of natural purple logwood with iron and it can produce a lovely cool grey depending on the fibre you dye onto. It’s a place to start exploring… 👍

[@KittenBowl1]

I liked the first half of it but second half was too much of pure opinions and not really factual. Not all natural dyes fade so easily as you described. Yeah if you dye with avocado skin and pit or dandelion or some random vegetable leaves of course it will fade. Quickly rather in a few years even. That’s why they’re not considered as traditional dyes, just something to have fun with and not for sale. But there’re plenty of dyes that are natural that lasts generations. Just going out and wearing the garments dyed with natural dyes isn’t going to make them lose colors. Sure if you go sun bathing in it for hours in direct sun while you bake in it or something crazy like that sure even traditional dyes may fade, heck even chemical manufactured dyes will fade too slowly. But not all natural dyes fade so easily. I think dyeing with traditional natural dyes is fine but it can get quite expensive as natural dyes aren’t cheap. Avocado and dandelion etc that aren’t even considered a dye I think is wasteful as it will fade in a few years.