[Regia-NA] Samples of natural dyed yarn

[Christina Krupp]

Hello, Jan!

This sounds like a wonderful project. I wonder if there's any way you 
can scan and post the dye samples online somehow? That way, many people 
can see and learn from them.

Also, for your trials in the future, would you be willing to include 
linen among your samples? Hemp is close, I know, but it's not the same 
as flax, and it might take the dye differently. (If supply is a problem, 
I'd be willing to send you some for experimental purposes.)

The colors alone are useful - thanks for doing that! - but even better 
would be a bit of detail about the dyestuff, mordant, and dyeing process 
used to obtain each color. Maybe this is more detail than most people 
need or want.... but it would be useful for people trying to reproduce 
those colors, and for people who might be trying to limit their mordants 
and dyestuffs to substances that are plausible for their location and 
time. Otherwise your samples may have the same fate as the "Viking Color 
Wheel" website (http://www.42nd-dimension.com/NFPS/nfps_colours.html). 
That website is a useful starting point, but I find it frustrating on 
several points: 1) some people think it represents a complete range of 
colors available and allowable (that anything not on the wheel is not 
possible); 2) No information about dyes and mordants is given (so how 
can we tell if they are really authentic for our time and place?); 3) 
Only wool is tested (so it's really great that you're testing other 
fibers!); and 4) Pale and intermediate shades are not shown, and colors 
obtained through overdyeing are not shown (green, from weld and woad; 
purple from madder and woad).

If there's any way you can provide details on the dyestuff and mordant, 
the samples will be even more useful....

I'm trying to remedy this situation myself, at least as far as linen is 
concerned. Having heard way too much about how linen is difficult to 
dye, I am working on natural-dyes-on-linen project (slowly). So far I've 
tested weld and madder on linen. I'm only using alum and tannin as 
mordants for now. I've posted the resulting color swatches, along with 
the detailed recipes and techniques, here:  
http://photobucket.com/albums/y252/ChristinaKrupp/Dyes%20on%20Linen/

Let's all continue the quest for beautiful, authentic colors!

Brihtwen