The Practical Spinner's Guide--Silk by Sara Lamb

Author:Sara Lamb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: F+W Media

The black yarn and the black-and-white samples in the upper right show the undamaged silk after it had been heated while dyed with acid dyes. The multicolored scarf in the foreground has a faded, rough, and worn look caused by overdyeing the silk by heating it in an alkaline solution.

Natural Dyes

Natural dye substances have been used for both immersion dyeing and painting on silk for centuries. However, most of the fixatives (called mordants) used with natural dyes are alkaline, so the temperatures at which the dyes are fixed should be kept as low as possible.

Sodium hydrosulfite, lye, or ammonia are typically used as reducing agents for indigo dyeing. All of these are alkaline substances that are corrosive to silk. Take care to use them in sufficient, but not excessive, amounts and to use a low temperature range. Consult natural-dye books (see Resources) for information.

Potassium aluminum (alum) is another alkaline substance that should be used sparingly with silk. Alum mordant can be used for many natural-dye substances, such as madder, onion skins, and coreopsis flowers. It’s usually used in a pre-mordant bath before immersion into a dyebath or before painting the fiber or yarn.

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