NaturalDyes

The plant dye process keeps going on. I keep on using our own AAW yarn and also some 100% Finn sheep wool I inherit on 2010. Here´s what came out from my Earl Grey Tea soup.

In Finland garden lupine is classified in the top five invasive species. Because they pose a threat to Finnish nature. I have grown lupine in my garden on purpose. We moved in on 2009 and the feral garden had a huge hog-weed problem. Also hog-weed is classified in the top five invasive species in Finland. On my list the hog-weed is more unwelcome than lupine because here by the arctic its getting far too cold for the lupine to spread around and survive in massive way. Opposite to hog-weed. And hog-weed is much more dangerous than lupine. In my arctic garden I noticed where the lupine grows hog-weed will get drown under it and die. That's why at early years I had massive lupine field. Now I have been weeding the lupine away but I still need it to grow over hog-weed if needed because hog-weed still is a huge problem everywhere. My garden is in control -finally- but dogged hog-weed still tries to rise up its head every now and then here and there. And I know it won't stop until the municipal does its work and gets rid of massive hog-weed fields everywhere. Before that happens I keep my tiny lupine flower bed just in case. 

Meanwhile waiting the hog-weed to face its eternal end I use lupine blossoms in dyeing. It is very interesting and at this point it feels a bit crazy when you have it all in the kettle at the same time. You start to fear nothing will happen and you get just huge amount of trash into your yarn.

At the end it makes the difference, and the difference is fabulous! Worth of every step in the process. Can't wait next summer to get more!

It is interesting to collect samples of the dyed yarn to remember the shades later. Also, the sample cards are easy way to show my friends and students what I have done and how. Also, the years and yarns and growing places impact on the dyeing process and the final shades, so I always include the year on my own sample cards.

So far I've used these on this summer.