An ancient dye plant with true yellow staying power – welcome to Weld! Weld – Dyer’s Rocket (Reseda luteola) – Click for seeds! Weld, also known as Dyer’s Rocket or Dyer’s Weed (officially Reseda luteola) is a member of the brassica family and grows as a rosette of green leaves with a spike-like shoot of smallContinue reading “Growing Weld”
Author Archives: knittyvet
Natural Orange Dye – The Magic of Jewelweed
I’ve been taking advantage of the late summer/early fall surplus of lovely jewelweed, made easier to reach due to the low water levels this year. I’m happy to share this dye tutorial with you and look forward to hearing about your experiences! HISTORY – Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a native of North America andContinue reading “Natural Orange Dye – The Magic of Jewelweed”
Dyeing Pink with Hopi Red Dye Amaranth
This is a long-promised post about my method of dyeing with the gorgeous Hopi Red Dye Amaranth plant. I have another post with more details about growing this plant over here. I’ve grown this amaranth for several years now, and it is a consistent and hardy plant in my garden. Fair warning though, it DOESContinue reading “Dyeing Pink with Hopi Red Dye Amaranth”
Growing Dyer’s Chamomile
A beautiful garden plant with bright yellow, fragrant, pollinator attracting flowers. Read on for some growing tips! Dyer’s Chamomile (Cota tinctoria) – Click for seeds! Dyer’s Chamomile, also known as Golden Marguerite (officially Cota tinctoria or Anthemis tinctoria) is a bushy daisy-like plant with feathery leaves growing 1 to 2 feet high and developing large numbers of fragrant,Continue reading “Growing Dyer’s Chamomile”
Pinks from Second Year Woad
Hello fellow plant dye enthusiasts! I’m here today to tell you about a use for your 2nd year woad leaves (other than waiting for seeds, chicken feed, or compost additive)! As we know, woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a rather plain looking plant from Europe that has a long history as a source for blue dye.Continue reading “Pinks from Second Year Woad”
Growing Dyer’s Coreopsis
A lovely North American native prairie plant, a bee magnet, and a strong orange in the dye pot – what’s not to love?! Dyer’s Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) – Click for seeds! A cheerful North American native, this annual plant is easy to grow and will produce hundreds of beautiful little flowers in tufts 2Continue reading “Growing Dyer’s Coreopsis”
Growing Japanese Indigo
Here is a quick little growing guide for this great plant! Japanese Indigo (Persicaria tinctoria) – Click for seeds! A member of the knotweed family, this easy to grow annual plant has long been a part of Japanese culture and is used to produce a beautiful blue dye. This dye is present in the leaves,Continue reading “Growing Japanese Indigo”
Growing Hopi Red Dye Amaranth
Hopi Red Dye Amaranth – buy seeds here! A gorgeous annual 4 to 6 feet tall with long, draping flower heads, this amaranth is a stunner in the garden and has so many uses! Find organically grown seeds here! How to grow: Site Selection: Annual, support of mature plants may be necessary. Plant in wellContinue reading “Growing Hopi Red Dye Amaranth”
Growing Madder
Madder (Rubia tinctorum) – buy seeds here! Native to the Mediterranean and a member of the coffee family, madder is a hardy perennial grown for its red dye. The roots of this plant have been used for centuries to make a bright, lightfast dye on both protein and cellulose fibers. Second and third year rootsContinue reading “Growing Madder”
Growing Woad
A quick post for those of you interested in growing a plant to produce blue dye! Woad (isatis tinctoria) – Click for seeds! A member of the mustard family, woad has been used since ancient times to produce a beautiful blue dye. It is an easy to grow hardy biennial, but is classified as anContinue reading “Growing Woad”