erieforage:

Natural dyes on wool

This is the results of my wife’s first round of natural dyes she has a lot more to try including poke berry and dyers polypore. This was marigold and black beans. I love the marigold. She also tried some butternut husks from out back, but she just did a little bit to get an idea of the color. As a side note the yellow hand spun was done on a homemade supported spindle.

Marigolds were from the garden it was a mix 2.2 ounces dry and 3.3 fresh. It produced enough dye to do 3 or skeins.

The other colors

I went out foraging along the riverside. It’s a great place to find nettles. These particular nettles are are called woods nettles and they have a broader leaf than the standard stinging nettle. When young they have a good flavor and are extremely healthy. In the first picture, I have both nettle and jewelweed the juice of the jewelweed can remove the sting or burn of the nettle. If applied quickly. I pick nettles by hand grabbing the tips from the back and snapping them off. My fingers are calloused enough not to be affected but if yours are not just rub some jewelweed on from time to time to stop the sting. Cook them like you would spinach the heat will knock out the chemical that causes the sting.

Nettles for dinner

I went out foraging along the riverside. It’s a great place to find nettles. These particular nettles are are called woods nettles and they have a broader leaf than the standard stinging nettle. When young they have a good flavor and are extremely healthy. In the first picture, I have both nettle and jewelweed the juice of the jewelweed can remove the sting or burn of the nettle. If applied quickly. I pick nettles by hand grabbing the tips from the back and snapping them off. My fingers are calloused enough not to be affected but if yours are not just rub some jewelweed on from time to time to stop the sting. Cook them like you would spinach the heat will knock out the chemical that causes the sting.