Who'd have thought, black beans!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I saw some posts on Ravelry where people were talking about dyeing yarn with black beans. I had to give it a try.

This is what I got.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/...b4c87f51ab.jpg

All the yarn was treated with Alum as a mordant. I used the liquid from soaking the beans over night. When I drained the beans I saved the liquid and soaked the yarn in it for several hours. I made soup out of the beans.

From left to right
1 bean liquid with vinegar added to the dye bath near the end of the soaking time
2 bean liquid by itself
3 bean liquid with ammonia added at the end
4 yarn dyed with onion skins and then with bean liquid.

I can't wait to knit with these pretty colours.

I looking forward to the soup too, it smells good.

[JessicaTX]

That's beautiful! I look forward to seeing what you knit in those pretty colors =D

[3boobykins]

Wow, crazy! Beautiful, earthy color!

[l_olive]

Those are gorgeous colors!

[MamaFern]

that is super cool!

[cristeen]

I love those colors! If only I'd popped in and read that half an hour ago! I just drained my beans.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by cristeen

I love those colors! If only I'd popped in and read that half an hour ago! I just drained my beans.

Next time, I'm sure you'll eat beans again someday.

[caiesmommy]

Those are amazing!...I lovet hem

[Callimom]

Very beautiful.
Would you post a quick how to?
Thanks
Karen

[fallriverfox]

That's amazing. Do you have any idea how fast the dye is?

[Aurora]

Those are beautiful!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by Karenwith4

Very beautiful.
Would you post a quick how to?
Thanks
Karen

First mordant the yarn I used 1 4oz ball of Lion Brand Fisherman's wool. In my dye pot I heated enough water for the yarn to move around freely with 2 tbsp of Alum (sold in the spice section of most grocery stores) and 1 tsp of cream of tarter (sold near the baking soda in most grocery stores) When the water came to a boil I put in my yarn that was separated into loose hanks. I let the yarn sit in the alum water until it was cool enough to handle. I poured the alum water under my rhododendron bush as they like it.

Meanwhile I had soaked my beans for about 24 hours I had a 5lb bag of beans soaking in about 3 gallons of water. I strained the beans out of the soaking water and put them into a pot with fresh water to cook Some we had for supper and the rest are in little bags in my freezer for quick meals some other time.

I had 4 hanks of yarn. the first one I dyed first with onion skins. To do that I simmered about 2 cups of onion skins (I save them whenever I cut up an onion) in enough water to cover them, strained out the skins and then set the mordanted yarn into the liquid to steep for an hour or so. Then I put the onion skin yarn and the other 3 hanks into separate jars (big old pickle jars) Any heat safe container will work. I heated the bean liquid until is was almost but not quite boiling (actual boiling can wreck it) and poured some of it into each jar. Then I let it sit and tried hard not to poke at it too much. I gave in and pulled the yarn out after about 3 hours I probably would have gotten much deeper colours if I'd left it over night.

Just before I pulled the yarn out of the jars I poured some vinegar into one jar and some ammonia into another the third I left as is (the fourth was the onion skin yarn)

Originally Posted by fallriverfox

That's amazing. Do you have any idea how fast the dye is?

The yarn has held up to washing and I'm doing a light fast test. I'll let you know how it goes.

Now I've heard that you can get reds and pinks from avocado pits and peels. I'm going to have to try that next!

[Callimom]

Thank you so much!
Karen

[fallriverfox]

Originally Posted by Rhiannon Feimorgan

Now I've heard that you can get reds and pinks from avocado pits and peels. I'm going to have to try that next!

I've tried avocado skins. It came out....interesting. It was a pinky brown with some green undertones, but prettier than it sounds. I don't know if using the pits makes a difference. But a word of caution.. If you can, cook it outside. I thought it smelled awful.

In the picts below everything was done with an alum mordant and from left to right it's avocado skins, tea, onion skin and the second pict was red cabbage which came out a very pretty silvery blue.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11600093@N06/3915723417/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11600093@N06/3915722693/

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by fallriverfox

I've tried avocado skins. It came out....interesting. It was a pinky brown with some green undertones, but prettier than it sounds. I don't know if using the pits makes a difference. But a word of caution.. If you can, cook it outside. I thought it smelled awful.

In the picts below everything was done with an alum mordant and from left to right it's avocado skins, tea, onion skin and the second pict was red cabbage which came out a very pretty silvery blue.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11600093@N06/3915723417/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11600093@N06/3915722693/

beautiful!

How long did you soak the skins for? The tutorial I have says to soak them for about 2 months in a sealed jar and that it's very important to clean every bit of flesh off them as that can muddy the colour.

[flapjack]

Oh my goodness. Very nice!

[MissRubyandKen]

Amazing!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Just thought I'd show you my WIP. I'm making mittens.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2649/...ee8d86a81d.jpg

The pattern I'm using is the Karisma pattern from DROPS
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/vi...d_id=7&lang=en

[fallriverfox]

Ohh I LOVE the mittens.

I actually didn't soak the avocado skins. I cleaned them very well so all the flesh was gone and let them dry out. Then I broke them into pieces and simmered them in water for an hour, then let it steep for an hour and strained. Then I simmered the roving in the bath for an hour. I've been working from this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Dyeing...3581826&sr=1-1

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by fallriverfox

Ohh I LOVE the mittens.

I actually didn't soak the avocado skins. I cleaned them very well so all the flesh was gone and let them dry out. Then I broke them into pieces and simmered them in water for an hour, then let it steep for an hour and strained. Then I simmered the roving in the bath for an hour. I've been working from this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Dyeing...3581826&sr=1-1

Another book to add to my wish list!

I was given a pdf tutorial by Carol at http://www.thesheepshedstudio.com:80/ she's a member of the Natural Dyers group on Ravelry. She recommends soaking the peels for at least a week several is better gently heating (but not boiling) the pot every day or so to prevent mold. I had said 2 months and now I'm not sure where I got that number from. But a long soak at any rate to get the stronger colour out. She has pictures with the tutorial of fleece dyed this way that is various shades of rust, rose and burgundy. She said she gets the various colours by using different mordants or adding vinegar or ammonia to the dye bath.

I'm sure if you contacted her through her site she would send you a copy of the pdf. She's very helpful and approachable.