One of my favourite veg - and since I discovered solar dyeing, one of my favourite dyestuffs too.
Those who know me will already know my GOLDEN RULE OF DYEING which is:
IF YOU CAN EAT IT, DON'T DYE WITH IT - EAT IT!!!
............................but dye with all the bits you don't eat .....................................
So, I bought a couple of bunches of this lovely fresh beetroot, to make my favourite beetroot, rocket and blood orange salad.
I cut off the leaves and stems, putting the stems into one dyejar and the leaves (with some bits of stem) into another jar. Then I cooked the beetroot. Once they were cooked I peeled them and put the skins and the cooking water into a third dyejar. I put wool tops into the jars with the dyes.
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| left: cooked beetroot skins and cooking water, no mordant middle: raw beetroot stems (some leaf), alum mordant right: raw beetroot leaves (some stem), alum mordant |
The dyejars will sit in a sunny place for at least three months, until I think they are ready. In the past I have been able to re-use the dye from the skins for further batches of fibre. I've never tried the stems or leaves before.
In the meantime here's a ball of yarn spun from wool I dyed with beetroot last year
I love the colour! Will you get three different reds in your three jars or will they be varying shades of the same red?
ReplyDeleteDifferent reds I expect Bev, the leaves will probably eventually give some yellow/green to alter the colour, the mordant will alter the colour too.
DeleteCiao Deborah, come va? Questo colore è' stupendo , lo provo anch'io.buona serata.
ReplyDeleteGreat colour but I was always led to believe that the colour wasn't fast ?? Have some beetroot to cook so will try again :)
ReplyDelete