Spin-Off – September 2019

Fall 2019 • Spin Off 73

Buckthorn Berries: Green Dye Recipe

I often use berries collected during the summer that are frozen until I am ready to use them. Label stored

berries so they are not consumed—buckthorn berries can have a strong laxative effect.

For this recipe, I think the temperature of the dyebath when the fiber enters it plays a part in the color

you get. My hypothesis is that a higher temperature will give colors toward the yellow end of the spectrum,

and lower temperatures will give colors toward the blue end of the spectrum. Another interesting thing

about this dye process is that as you pull the wool from the dyepot, it will look blue; as the liquid from the

dyepot drains off the fiber or yarn, the color shifts to green.

1 

First, weigh frozen berries and yarn or fiber so that you have a ratio of two parts dyestuff to one

part wool.

2 

Mordant your fiber or yarn with alum if you have not done so already. I use an alum solution that is 10

percent alum to weight of fiber, bring it to a boil, and then let it cool.

3 

Place berries and enough water to cover them in a bowl and blend. I use a stick blender that is used

only for dye materials. Add this mixture to a dyepot with sufficient water to cover the fiber. The

dyebath at this point should be an inky purple, blue-black color.

4 

Add the fiber or yarn to the pot and raise the temperature to a boil. Hold the temperature at a boil for

15–20 minutes.

5 

Leave the fiber in the dyepot until it cools and then remove the fiber from the dyepot and rinse. You

can dye more fiber to exhaust the pot, which will produce a lighter shade of the first color.

Ph

oto

s^ b

y^ C

ind

y^ C

raft

Buckthorn berries are easily frozen. Buckthorn green as it is pulled from the dyepot.