I had a go around dyeing with pokeberries earlier this year. I got yellow the first batch, greenish yellow the second time, and finally found better instructions and got a deep burgundy at last!
One pound of berries will dye about 4 oz. of yarn. No mordant such as alum is necessary. Mash the berries or put them through a food mill. I learned to do this outside because I ended up with juice spatters everywhere. Combine 1 cup vinegar to 4 cups water and pour over berries. Let the mess sit for a day or so in a warm place to ferment, then strain off the liquid. Simmer wool for an hour in a one to four part solution of vinegar and water. Remove wool and add the pokeberry juice and put the wool back in. Simmer for about an hour on very low heat. Do Not Boil! Boiling turns the dyebath brown. Leave wool in dyebath and let cool overnight. Remove the wool, squeeze but do not rinse, and let dry thoroughly. Leave it alone for a few days, then soak and rinse it several times with cool water. I understand, but have not tried it, that adding a dash of ammonia to the dyebath will turn the color to a bluish gray. I tried this process with both white yarn and some of the previously dyed yellow from my first batch. The first turned out a dark rosy red and the yellow turned dark maroon! Nancy in southern Indiana "Niki B. Sawyer" wrote: > Has anyone else had this experience or any thoughts that might lead to a > repeatable color? > > Niki from Newark NY To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
