While I love to do things from scratch, when it comes to dyeing, well, I won't lie.  Most of my best color dyeing comes from little packets of dye powder.  I suffer from a lack of patience and a small kitchen, so an afternoon of dyeing is often all I can manage.  However, this year we grew a bumper crop of marigolds, so I tried something new.  We planted marigolds in the garden to help ward off bugs, and it might have worked. (I mean, think of how much worse the bugs would have been if we hadn't planted them!)

However, since I'm a fiber junkie, I couldn't imagine just planting

marigolds for their pyrethrin. Oh no.

First, I consulted Rita Buchanan's book, A Dyer's Garden.  Ms. Buchanan indicated that there was a possibility of a strong smell and suggested outdoor dyeing or strong ventilation.  I also emailed my fellow spinners on the spinlist listserv and asked for advice.  I discovered a wide variety of recipes for dyeing with marigolds...but I was most tempted by Carol Lee's one pot dye method.

Carol Lee owns The Sheep Shed Studio in Encampment, Wyoming

and runs large scale natural dye workshops.  She also emailed me right away and told me about her techniques for one pot dye dyeing with marigolds.  Briefly, she summarizes it as, "Just simmer your marigolds in a pot of water for an hour, strain dyestuff from the pot, weigh your fiber and add appropriate alum.........approx. 2 teaspoons per 4 oz. of fiber............for the amount of fiber you are dyeing.  Stir until mixed, add fiber........wet for more even dyeing, dry for more variegated...............and simmer for an hour.  If you have time, let it cool in the dyebath and then remove, rinse, and hang to dry.  Fast

and easy..........only problem being you get just one color from the

dyepot."

This set of directions might be confusing for the new dyer, so I'm going to point out a few of the details that might be glossed over for the more experienced.  When using most natural dyes, one needs a mordant.  Mordants are chemicals that help the color "stick" to the wool.  Different mordants will produce different colors...sometimes remarkably different colors.  Most natural dyeing enthusiasts start out with dyes that don't need mordant or with alum, it's the safest of the mordants for the inexperienced.   Other mordants include copper, tin, chrome, and iron.  Handled with care, these mordants help produce vibrant and rich colors.

Before worrying about the word "chemicals", bear in mind that we are surrounded by chemicals in our natural environment.  Natural dyeing doesn't mean "naturally safe" or without harm to the water supply, etc, in fact, sometimes a pot filled with dyepot powder might be an easier solution if you insist on consistent color results.  Our fibery ancestors absolutely used these chemicals to dye their fiber, and they may not have always had consistent or safe results.  Bear in mind that they even have polluted their own water supply!

Today, we know a lot more about how to handle these mordanting chemicals safely, and many natural dyers have very successful experiences with these mordants.  Just make sure to read first on how to handle mordants at home.

I had alum at home. .. I buy many of my dyestuffs from Earthguild.

I also prepared for my dyeing adventure by spinning approximately 2 lbs of Cotswold/silk worsted weight single yarns.  I decided to dye 12 oz, or three skeins of the yarn, with the marigolds.  I have three large stainless steel stock pots, a wooden spoon, and an old flannel shirt/smock that are exclusively used for dyeing.   On dyeing days,

I also cover the counter near the stove with newspaper and clear away any food or cooking utensils that could potentially be contaminated by dyestuffs.  At the very least, I like to have 2-3 hours to focus on dyeing without interruption.

For the marigold dyebath, I went out into my garden with the dyepot and my clippers and cut 6-7 marigold plants, just above the soil.  The whole plant, leaves, flowers, and all, went into my dyepot. ( To my surprise, this hardly put a dent in my garden marigolds. ..my scientist husband took me seriously last spring when I told him to line the garden paths with marigold-several packets of seed all grew into tall plants! )  For yellow dye enthusiasts, I hear you can dry or freeze complete marigold plants or just the blossoms to save for later dyepots, since the plants die after first frost.

I pushed the plants down in the pot and filled it with water to cover.  As Carol instructed, I simmered this mixture on the stove for an hour while I soaked my skeins of yarn in soapy warm water.  I also took advantage of this time to make my contrast color, using two packets of garnet colored dye, Putnam brand.  This is available at American Science & Surplus, in their assorted dye colors...I'd advise ordering several dye packs, just in case you must have garnet.  They also have a wide variety of other colors, and

it's always a surprise as to what you'll get!  

After an hour, I strained out the marigold plants and flowers by pouring off the dyebath into another dyepot.  Alternatively, you could just fish the plants out of the dyepot you used for the first simmer.  Since I was dyeing 12 oz of yarn, I added 6 teaspoons of alum, as per Carol's instructions, and I used my wooden spoon to stir the pot and dissolve the alum.

Then, I threw those damp Cotswold/silk worsted weight single yarns into the marigold golden dyepot.   As mentioned in Rita Buchanan's book, marigolds do have a scent, but I found the house filled with a strong flowery smell that seemed remarkably similar to---Fruit Loops cereal!  While this is a strong odor, it certainly wasn't toxic and the smell dissipated quickly.  When my weekend houseguests arrived later that night, they couldn't even smell it!

The yellow marigold dye is really rich and happy looking, even if it may seem a bit washed out in these photos.  After about 45 minutes, I had the color I wanted.  I let the dyebath cool a bit and I removed my cheery yellow skeins for rinsing.  The dyebath itself was still golden in color and definitely could have dyed more fiber.  Some dyers save these dye liquors for other projects, but in my small old kitchen space, this wasn't a possibility.  Also, I had plenty of marigolds outside for another day's adventure!

I am just itching to start knitting with this stuff. I haven't decided on a stranded knitted pattern or a slip-stitch one yet, but I see a v-neck garnet sweater with yellow twining patterns up the body, with matching cuffs in my future...or at least in my daydream knitting!

The bit of fluff you see in the photos is part of a caramel/gray Cotswold fleece that I also dyed the same day. This 1 lb bit is now dyed everything from black cherry to dusty pink, in fabulous variegated style. I used the same garnet dye as on the white Cotswold/silk yarn. Now I just have to dye the rest of the fleece, and all the lovely colors will be sent off to the processors for picking and carding soon!

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