Flower Power; solar dyeing with petals

I've been having a great time experimenting with solar dyes and flower petals. 

One evening I found the head of an orange zinnia thrown out. 

I picked it up feeling curious about the colors inside. 

It was as big as the palm of my hand. 

I then collected some blown away pink sea rose petals.

All the yarns tested had been pre-mordanted with alum on 100% wool

left to right:

orange zinnia, undyed, pink sea rose

after 3 days

I then got curious about my geranium petals

And then the sun flower petals...

Here, I added a sample of alum and a sample of copper mordant to two seperate jars of sunflower petals.

I just loved this juicy red juice that the geranium petals created!

This happened after about an hour.

A few days later....

I then tried these purple hibiscus blossoms that had fallen of the bush.

Also got a jar of red onion skins going.

When I opened the jar of hibiscus a day later, 

it almost exploded with weird slimy bubbles!?!?

Also the yarn was all slimy and only slightly colored. 

I decided to ditch the project as I just didn't feel like dealing with slim sometimes. 

{my growing dyer's coreopsis} 

every time I find a blossom that has passed, I pluck it off and pop it in my freezer to use over the winter. 

I did a wash and light test when everything came out. 

Everything is holding well 

except, sadly, the rose petal dye. 

That washed right out. 

However, I've collected more petals since, stashed them in my freezer for now

and will be thinking this fall about setting up a different experiment that might work. 

salt water? keep it cold? I do have my doubts as using alum as a mordant, in my mind, is such a tried and true way to test for color as it really aids to the permanency of the pigments extracted. 

from left to right:

red geranium petals, orange zinnia petals, red onion skins, red onion skins with no mordant, pink sea rose petals, yellow sunflower petals, yellow sun flower petals with copper mordant. 

The two strips of fabric on the onion skins are silk. 

Love how the silk and wool took compliment colors of each other. 

This was all as simple as making sun tea. 

And so so rewarding. 

I felt like a child again when I used to collect plants 

and wish I could some how extract the color from inside. 

Now, more than ever, I'm eyeing every plant I see and wondering....

Next week I'll be in Santa Fe which will be so exciting as I've never been.

I've been preparing piles of pre-mordant samples to take with me 

so I can test at my whim. 

Especially looking forward to the different soil. 

What's Up Doc? a carrot top dye tutorial

You know when you workin' away 

and with out really thinking about it,

just one thought pops into your mind

which can remind you of another, and then of a taste, a tv show, an age, 

and so on...?

The other day while working away chopping up these carrot green 

and my hands where full of 

damp featheriness from 

4 bunches of carrots (thats a lot of carrots!)

trying to keep it under control on my tiny cutting board which balanced on my tiny counter top,

this was my thought sequince;

carrot tops

carrots

bugs bunny

saturday morning cartoons

my dad's Navy friend stopping by with a box of dunkin donut munchkins.

soon the tv time limit is forgotten as the adults enjoy another cup of coffee in the kitchen chatting and laughing loudly.

my sister and I dig into the box way too happy about the treats instead of snipping at eachother 

we hit our spots on the huge sectional and watch more 

Bugs. 

This also makes me think of that Cadbury Egg laying Bunny. 

Oh the days when we LIVED for such sugary treats. 

I used 124 grams of carrot greens

added a 6 gram skien of pre mordanted (ity bity) skein of 100% wool and a tiny strip of 100% silk fabric.

But first I pre soaked pre mordanted yarn and silk.

30 minutes later in went in one pot;

carrot tops

fibers

water

I heated the pot to a medium heat, so that the temp would climb slowly.

it took about 2 hours for any development of color to occur. 

I was expecting a brighter yellow because of what I got the first time I did this.

However, I was so pleasantly surprised. 

Look at that green!! 

I pulled out this little skein and the silk strip

and in went a large thick 100 grams of merino from Purl Soho.

And a vintage silk hankerchief. 

This time I added mordant to this second bath. About a teaspoon I think.

I should point out that in between the first and second bath I took the pot off the heat as I decided what to add next. As I was thinking the pot had time to cool down. 

Which can be really important when adding fibers to the bath because you want the fibers to be affected as little as possible so their delicate structures are not altered to a point that makes them not feel nice. 

Finally results. 

Love that green of the top tiny skein and the little silk wrapped around it. 

I can't quite decide if it's brassy or chartruese. 

The silk hankie will be avalible in my etsy shop soon in your interested:):):)

I thought it was be super fun to incorperate in a wedding. Groom's gift? Mom's gift? Whatever. Where ever. I have a whole collection going on right now of these natural dyed vintage silk hankies and I am in love with them. 

Have you tried dyeing with carrot tops? 

feel free to share your results ans thoughts in the comments.

Do you have any questions I didn't answer here? Let me know:) 

I love hearing from you. 

Happy Coloring!

ox,

rachel