Natural Dyes for Wool & Silk

Wool, yarn and silk are protein fibers. They take natural dyes beautifully and give the richest, brightest colors. This collection has the mordants and dyes that work best on them.

The wool and silk method

  1. Scour gently with a pH-neutral wool wash.
  2. Mordant with alum at 10–15% WOF, with cream of tartar (about 6% WOF) for wool.
  3. Dye with madder for reds, weld and buckthorn for yellows, or indigo for blues.

Protect the fiber

  • Heat and cool slowly, and do not stir hard, so wool does not felt.
  • Keep silk below a simmer to protect its shine.
  • Keep iron at 1% WOF or less on wool and silk.

Use the WOF calculator to get exact grams for your yarn, and read how to mordant wool and silk.

Frequently asked questions

How much alum do I need for wool?

Use 10–15% alum WOF. For 100 g of wool that is 10–15 g of alum, often with about 6 g of cream of tartar.

Can I dye silk with natural dyes?

Yes. Silk takes natural dyes very well. Mordant with alum and keep the dye bath below a simmer to protect its shine.

How do I stop wool from felting?

Avoid sudden temperature changes and hard stirring. Heat slowly, move the yarn gently and let it cool in the bath.

Guides for this collection

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