As a dye-focused fiber artist, I ponder ways to incorporate all of my knowledge to create appealing designs and color palettes from start to finish. Everyone has their own personal palette. Some of us love the bright jewel tones of acid dyes, while for others it’s the nuanced hues of natural dyes. Or maybe you prefer to employ the sheep themselves as a “dye artist.”
I find that most people have an awareness of color aesthetics, despite how often people claim to lack this skill. A slight change in hue can be the difference between a purchase and a skein missing the chance to find a home. What if we had the ability to darken hues we might consider too pastel or subdue overly vibrant shades into more muted, complex colorways? We can! It does not take an excessive amount of knowledge, time, or materials to imbue our fiber with tannin to add a brown cast or tannin plus iron to create a gray shade.
How does it work?
Tannin functions as a natural sunscreen for the fibers. It forms bonds with both cellulose and protein fibers, and it can be used on its own or in combination with iron. The tannin provides a structure for iron to bond to, which occurs inside of the fibers and then precipitates (becomes insoluble). When the iron precipitates, it changes the tannin’s hue from brown to gray, modifying the color of the fiber. Each type of tannin—such as tea, gallnut, and pomegranate—and the amount of iron used will create different effects.
What kind of fibers can I dye?
Kate Larson put the instructions here to work on a series of samples from her stash. Here’s what she found.
“I pulled three skeins—undyed, naturally dyed, and acid dyed—from my stash to try modifying with tannin and tannin plus iron. I wound five sets of sample skeins: a control set and four test sets. Magan uses tea and gallnut as her tannin sources here, but lacking gallnut, I used tea from my cupboard and pomegranate extract from Maiwa. The results were fantastic! If I were to repeat this, I might dilute the iron bath first—as Magan suggests—to create more delicate grays. All of my samples created with the recipe below retained their soft hand, but iron can create a harsh hand and can damage fibers if used in certain forms and concentrations. Use as little as possible to get the effect you like.”
Kate started with three stash skeins to overdye. From left: Undyed Polwarth, Columbia mordanted with alum and tartaric acid and dyed with marigolds, and Polwarth spun from an acid-dyed braid.
The same three yarns were treated in four different ways: tea, tea + iron, pomegranate, and pomegranate + iron. The tea created warmer tans and grays, while the pomegranate created cooler browns and grays.
Materials
The instructions here will work for all natural fibers and may also work on acrylic fibers. Iron and soda ash must be used with care. Carefully read the handling instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer or vendor. Note that the bonds created during this process can be broken by acidic solutions, such as lemon juice. If you’ve explored natural dyeing, you may already have these materials:
- Water: Filtered, spring, distilled, or well water. Avoid using municipal tap water.
- Tannin: Gallnut (or others) in cheesecloth. Extracts can be added directly to the dyepot.
- Iron: Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4)
- Soda ash: Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)
- White vinegar: 5% or 10% diluted acetic acid
- Chalk: Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
Magan’s studio supplies and a bit of handspun yarn. Photo by Magan Wilson
Alternatively, common household ingredients create a similar effect. Using these ingredients comes with the acceptance of nonrepeatable results. Embrace it!
As a dye-focused fiber artist, I ponder ways to incorporate all of my knowledge to create appealing designs and color palettes from start to finish. Everyone has their own personal palette. Some of us love the bright jewel tones of acid dyes, while for others it’s the nuanced hues of natural dyes. Or maybe you prefer to employ the sheep themselves as a “dye artist.”
I find that most people have an awareness of color aesthetics, despite how often people claim to lack this skill. A slight change in hue can be the difference between a purchase and a skein missing the chance to find a home. What if we had the ability to darken hues we might consider too pastel or subdue overly vibrant shades into more muted, complex colorways? We can! It does not take an excessive amount of knowledge, time, or materials to imbue our fiber with tannin to add a brown cast or tannin plus iron to create a gray shade.
How does it work?
Tannin functions as a natural sunscreen for the fibers. It forms bonds with both cellulose and protein fibers, and it can be used on its own or in combination with iron. The tannin provides a structure for iron to bond to, which occurs inside of the fibers and then precipitates (becomes insoluble). When the iron precipitates, it changes the tannin’s hue from brown to gray, modifying the color of the fiber. Each type of tannin—such as tea, gallnut, and pomegranate—and the amount of iron used will create different effects.
What kind of fibers can I dye?
Kate Larson put the instructions here to work on a series of samples from her stash. Here’s what she found.
“I pulled three skeins—undyed, naturally dyed, and acid dyed—from my stash to try modifying with tannin and tannin plus iron. I wound five sets of sample skeins: a control set and four test sets. Magan uses tea and gallnut as her tannin sources here, but lacking gallnut, I used tea from my cupboard and pomegranate extract from Maiwa. The results were fantastic! If I were to repeat this, I might dilute the iron bath first—as Magan suggests—to create more delicate grays. All of my samples created with the recipe below retained their soft hand, but iron can create a harsh hand and can damage fibers if used in certain forms and concentrations. Use as little as possible to get the effect you like.”
Kate started with three stash skeins to overdye. From left: Undyed Polwarth, Columbia mordanted with alum and tartaric acid and dyed with marigolds, and Polwarth spun from an acid-dyed braid.
The same three yarns were treated in four different ways: tea, tea + iron, pomegranate, and pomegranate + iron. The tea created warmer tans and grays, while the pomegranate created cooler browns and grays.
Materials
The instructions here will work for all natural fibers and may also work on acrylic fibers. Iron and soda ash must be used with care. Carefully read the handling instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer or vendor. Note that the bonds created during this process can be broken by acidic solutions, such as lemon juice. If you’ve explored natural dyeing, you may already have these materials:
- Water: Filtered, spring, distilled, or well water. Avoid using municipal tap water.
- Tannin: Gallnut (or others) in cheesecloth. Extracts can be added directly to the dyepot.
- Iron: Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4)
- Soda ash: Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)
- White vinegar: 5% or 10% diluted acetic acid
- Chalk: Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
Magan’s studio supplies and a bit of handspun yarn. Photo by Magan Wilson
Alternatively, common household ingredients create a similar effect. Using these ingredients comes with the acceptance of nonrepeatable results. Embrace it![PAYWALL]
- Water: Filtered, spring, distilled, or well water. Avoid using municipal tap water.
- Tannin: Black tea bags (do not use a fruit or flavored tea) or finely ground coffee beans (new or used tea/beans will work)
- Iron: Steel wool; the finer, the better
- White vinegar: 5% or 10% diluted acetic acid
- Chalk: Calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Avoid colored sidewalk chalk and chalk with oils mixed into it. Eggshells can be roasted in the oven, crushed, and used.
Gather a digital scale, plastic wrap, gloves, shallow tray (such as a clean take-out container), spoon, and three vessels (plastic buckets, jars, etc.). For the tannin application, use any vessel, including plastic, that can withstand moderate heat. For the iron application, use a vessel and utensils that will NOT be used for food ever again. A bucket from the garden will work nicely. Both the iron and chalk applications use room-temperature water. You will also need to gather some handspun. Here, I am using Corriedale wool for sampling.
Procedure
The material amounts below are to dye a 100 g (3½ oz) skein.
1) Prepare the materials
Gather and wash all required tools and vessels. Some skeins have oils and protective substances applied to them by the producer, and you might need to wash them before proceeding.
2) Prepare the tannin solution
Place 20 g of the tannin material—2 or 3 tea bags—into a cheesecloth bag and immerse in hot water. Place a lid on the vessel to retain the heat and soak for 20 minutes. Remove the bag of tannin material and set aside. If using extracts, use the recommended amount for 100 g of fiber.
3) Apply tannin to the fiber
Submerge the fiber in the tannin solution and soak for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. The solution may cool to room temperature. Gently rinse the skein and keep it moist while following the next step.
After the skeins were soaked in tannin and rinsed, the tannin color is evident. The gallnut (top) creates almost no color, while the tea (bottom) has already made a nice color. Photo by Magan Wilson
4) Prepare the iron solution (ferrous acetate)
In this step, we create a solution of ferrous (iron) acetate in vinegar; I’ll explain how to do it with both studio materials and household materials. Create and use this solution in a well-ventilated area. Wearing a mask is also advised. Iron powder and solutions should be used with care and kept out of reach of children and pets.
Using studio materials: Fill a new vessel with 250 ml of vinegar. Measure 4 g of iron powder and add to the vinegar; stir to incorporate. Slowly add 2 g of soda ash and stir between each addition. This will create bubbles of CO2 and can foam a bit. After the last addition, allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes. This solution can be diluted with more vinegar to create delicate grays.
Using household materials: Place steel wool into a vessel, fill with vinegar to cover, place a lid on the vessel, and soak overnight. A longer soak will allow more iron to be suspended in the vinegar. Take note of how many hours the iron soaked in the vinegar and the resulting color on the fiber after dyeing. Remove the steel wool before the next step.
5) Apply iron-acetate solution to the fiber
Cover a tray in plastic wrap and put on your gloves. Dip one end of the skein into the iron solution for a minute, remove, and allow the color to change over five minutes. Dip repeatedly and/or alternate dips into the tannin solution for a deeper gray color. When finished, squeeze out excess solution and place the skein in the tray.
The tannin reaction with the iron is swift to start. Photo by Magan Wilson
6) Allow to dry completely
This step ensures that the iron in the acetate solution has bonded to the tannin in the fiber. If the skein smells like vinegar, it is not dry.
7) Create a chalk solution and soak the skein
Fill another vessel with 1 L of water. Stir 1 tsp of chalk into the water. Add your skein and allow it to sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chalk will bind with any excess ferrous acetate. Rinse to remove the chalk.
As the skeins soak in a chalk solution, it helps to give it an occasional stir. The chalk constantly tries to settle. Photo by Magan Wilson
8) Allow to dry and dispose of the solutions
Once the skein is dry, it is ready to use. The solutions can be reused for more fiber. Once exhausted, the tannin and chalk solutions can be poured into the garden or down a drain. Most vendors recommend that the iron solution can be mixed with chalk before being poured in the garden or down the drain. Many dyers simply keep iron solutions long-term and top up with more iron as needed. (See disposal notes from the product vendor.) The tea and tannin materials can be composted, and the steel wool can be dried and reserved for future projects.
Magan Wilson is a potter turned fiber artist with a love of plants, experimentation, cats, and the hidden beauty of the natural world. Her love of glaze chemistry and form transformed into a love of dyes, fiber, felt, and knitwear. Magan synergizes fiber properties with the intent to extend the longevity of each creation. Her work catches the wholeness of existing in the present—the wild nature of the world that flourishes on the fringes of awareness. Chasing the idea of a “wild night,” you can find her work via her alias Oíche Rua (EE-ha RU-ah), an Irish phrase capturing the chaos and fierce beauty of the night sky, at oicherua.ca.
