Reseda or Dyer's Weld is a Mediterranean herb and the oldest yellow dye plant in the world. Reseda alongside Madder, Woad and Chamomile produce the very best natural dyes for temperate areas.The famous medieval colours, Saxon green and Lincoln green, were produced by over-dyeing Reseda yellow with Woad blue. Lincoln green was apparently the colour of the clothing of Robin Hood's men.

Reseda is the base of many of our green yarns.

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Basic Recipe:

100% Reseda

7% Soda Ash

Wool (mordanted with 10% Alum)

Soak Reseda in Dye pot with Soda Ash overnight.

Bring to a simmer for 1 hour.

Strain through Cloth, put to the side.

Add wool to the dye pot and simmer gently for 1 hour.

*For a paler yellow add the dye bag to the 2nd bath and add the next lot of     mordanted yarn.

**The same bath can be used up to 3 times.

Glossy Buckthorn Bark Organic ~ Dye colour yellow golden, pinks and reds. 

*Collected in the Wild of Bosnia

To achieve reds and pinks, the PH needs to be increased to 10-11 (alkaline).  Keep in mind to always use PH neutral soap with PH sensitive colours. This dye gives a good green when iron is added and was used traditionally to make artist paint.

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Basic Recipe: 

65g bark, soaked in water for 2 days. 
100g mordanted yarn/fibre (Alum 13g)

Bring pot with dye to simmer For 2h.  
Strain through cloth, add yarn/fibre and dye bag to dye bath for 1h.  
Rinse.

SAFFLOWER DYE ~ lovely soft yellow and red

*Grown and harvested in Iran 

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds. Plants are 30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 in) tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head. Safflower is native to arid environments having seasonal rain. It grows a deep taproot which enables it to thrive in such environments. (wikipedia)

Safflower can give a lovely warm red, but it doesn't dye red on wool. First you have to knead the safflower in water for a long time, discarding the yellow dye regularly until the water turns red. It is a long process, but worth the effort. It will dye Linen, Cotton and other plant fibres.
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Basic Recipe for yellow

100g dye, soaked in water overnight.
100g mordanted yarn/fibre (Alum 15g)

Bring pot with dye to simmer For 1h. Strain through cloth, add yarn/fibre and dye bag to dye bath for 1h. Rinse.

PEPPERMINT CUT FINE~ Dye Colour yellow and green.

Country of Origin: Serbia

Peppermint though uncommon to be used as a dye, I can not recommend it enough. Peppermint gives a deep and vibrant, but warm golden yellow and a beautiful green. Mint can be used fresh or dry for dyeing and needs iron to turn the yellow colour to green. 

Stunning results on silk and wool fibres and can also be used on linen. 

Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world. It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.

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Basic recipe:

100-200% Peppermint (100% if using fresh only)
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted 10% Alum)

Line the pot with a cloth. Fill the pot half with water and add the mint.
Bring to about 85-95 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Tie dye in Cloth and leave in bath.
Add wool and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Add 3% -5% iron to the dye bath to turn it green.

Remove after about 10min, rinse & dry.

WHOLE POMEGRANATE FLOWERS ~ Dye Colour Yellow

Harvested in India, wild Collection

Wool, Silks, Cotton and Linen can be dyed with Pomegranate. It gives a darker yellow, depending on quantities used. 

*Also suitable for soap making and consumption
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Basic Recipe for yellow:

Basic Recipe for orange/yellow:

100gr wool or silk mordanted in 10% Alum and for 1 hour. 

50-100g flowers

1.Soak flowers over night. 
2.Pour mixture through a cloth, tie off the flowers (dye bag) and keep in the dye bath. 

3.To dye: Simmer wool for one hour. Leave in dye bath to cool (will deepen the colour)

Rinse and dry

LOVAGE ~ Dye Colour yellow and green.

Country of Origin: Germany
Fine for consumption

This European Herb is probably best known in Cooking. We love it in soups and only a small amount can give a surprising amount of flavour! So you might be surprised to find it in our Dyeing section.

Like with most dyes, if a plant has a strong perfume, it tends to give a colour. When I tried fresh Lovage, I was astounded by the colour it yielded. A deep green yellow, which turned into a stunning green, when a bit of Iron was added. The dried herb gives similar results, though not as powerful as the fresh herb.

Not everyone has Lovage growing in the garden, or only a small amount. If you have some fresh lovage available mix them with the dry powder and the result will be lovely.

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Basic recipe:

100-200% Lovage
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted 10% Alum)

Line the pot with a cloth. Fill the pot half with water and add the lovage.
Bring to about 85-95 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Tie dye in Cloth and leave in bath.
Add wool and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Add 3% -5% iron to the dye bath to turn it green.

Remove after about 10min, rinse & dry.

ROSEHIP SHELLS ORGANIC CUT ~ Dye Colour Yellow and Orange

Harvested in Chile, wild Collection

Wool, Silks, Cotton and Linen can be dyed with Rosehip. It gives a light yellow orange, depending on quantities used. 

*Also suitable for soap making and consumption
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Basic Recipe for orange/yellow:

Basic Recipe for orange/yellow:

100gr wool or silk mordanted in 10% Alum and for 1 hour. 
200g Rosehip

1.Soak 100gr Rosehip over night. 
2.Pour mixture through a cloth, tie off the Rosehip (dye bag) and keep in the dye bath. 

3.To dye: Simmer wool for one hour. Leave in dye bath to cool (will deepen the colour)

Rinse and dry

BIRCH LEAVES DYE ~ Dye Colour yellow and green

A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae.

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Basic Recipe:

Yarn 125 gr.
Alum (mordant) 15 gr.
Dry birch leaves 250 gr.

Soak the leaves for a day before using.

Boil the soaked leaves for one hour and drain. Add the alum to this solution and simmer the yarn for half to one hour.

*If the yarn is dried without rinsing and then placed in a weak birch ash lye, the colour becomes a reddish yellow.

**You can change the colour to green by adding 5% Iron.

ORGANIC ANNATTO SEEDS ~ Dye Colour Yellow and Orange

Harvested in the Wild of Côte D'Ivoire 

Wool, Silks, Cotton and Linen can be dyed successfully with Annatto Seeds. It gives a radiant yellow orange. If you combine the dye bath with Cochenial you get brilliant reds and rose-red colours.

*The dye is not very light fast and might have to be redyed after a few years. However, combined with Cochenial, it will hold out longer. 

**Use Cream of tartar and Cochenial for orange red colours. Pre dye silks with madder root, then add to an Annatto bath to make a beautiful copper orange. A yolk yellow can be achieved using tartaric acid and Annatto seeds.

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Basic Recipe for yellow:

*You can use this bath again for a yellow orange and a light yellow orange, with every further dip the dye will be less vibrant.
**It is worthwhile soaking the Wool in a vinegar bath for 10 minutes before dyeing.


100gr wool or silk mordanted in 15% Alum and 10% Cream of Tartar for 1 hour.
100g Annatto Seeds

1.Soak 100gr Annatto seed with 10gr Soda in water over night.
2.Blend in a mixer and simmer for 1 hour. Pour mixture through a cloth, tie off the seeds (dye bag) and keep the dye bath.

3.To dye: Add the silk for 20 minutes at 80 degrees.
Simmer wool for one hour without the dye bag.

Add the silk again for another 15min. Wash and rinse.

KAMALA DYE ~ Dye Colour Yellow and Green

*Collected from the wild of India

The powdery coating of the seeds of the Kamala Tree (Mallotus philippinensis), also known as the Monkey Face Tree, produces bright yellows and oranges and greens.

Also used in Ayuverdic medicine, this Kamala powder is for dyeing purposes only.

***Sunflower yellow (add some washing Soda to dye bath) is the closest I can think of, to describe the colour obtained by Kamala. You can influence the nuances by adding different mordants or over dye with indigo for green.

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Basic recipe:

Mordanted Wool (Alum 10%)
100% Kamala

Add Kamala to dye bath bring to a simmer for one hour
Strain through Cloth
Add wet wool to the dye bath and simmer for one hour with dye bag.

SAGE OFFICINALIS CUT ~ Dye Colour greenish yellow and green.

Country of Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Fine for consumption

Salvia officinalis is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region. The plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.

Sage has been used since ancient times and can be eaten, used in herbal medicine and dyeing.

Sage can be used fresh and dry.

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Basic recipe:

100% Sage
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted 10% Alum)

Line the pot with a cloth. Fill the pot half with water and add the sage.
Bring to about 85-95 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Tie dye in Cloth and leave in bath.
Add wool and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Add 3% -5% iron to the dye bath to turn it a deeper green, if desired.

Remove after about 10min, rinse & dry.

NETTLES ~ Dye Colour yellow and green.

Country of Origin: Serbia
Fine for consumption

Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, stinging nettle or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe it has now spread worldwide.

Nettles have been used since ancient times and can be eaten, are used in herbal medicine and dyeing.

Nettles can be used fresh and dry - similar to Lovage, the best results are achieved with fresh plants, but dried plant material works well as well.

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Basic recipe:

100-200% Nettle (100% if using fresh only)
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted 10% Alum)

Line the pot with a cloth. Fill the pot half with water and add the nettle.
Bring to about 85-95 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Tie dye in Cloth and leave in bath.
Add wool and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Add 3% -5% iron to the dye bath to turn it green.

Remove after about 10min, rinse & dry.

Organic European Solidago ~ Dye Colour: yellow, orange and green

Our Solidago or Goldenrod in the common tongue, is organically grown and harvested in Europe, Poland.

Solidago, commonly called goldenrod, is a genus of about 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas. They are mostly native to North America, including Mexico; a few species are native to South America and Eurasia. Some American species have also been introduced into Europe and other parts of the world. (wikipedia)

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Basic Recipe for yellow:

100% Solidago
wool (Alum mordant 10%)

Soak the leaves for a day or overnight before using.
Boil the soaked leaves for one hour and drain.

Simmer yarn for up to one hour. Rinse and dry.

THYME ~ Dye Colour yellow and green.

Country of Origin: Turkey
Fine for consumption

This Mediterranean Herb is probably best known in Cooking. So you might be surprised, to find it in our Dyeing section.

Like with most dyes, if a plant has a strong perfume, it tends to give a colour. When I tried fresh Thyme, I was astounded by the colour it yielded. A deep green yellow, which turned into a stunning green, when a bit of Iron was added. The dried herb gives satisfying similar results. Expect deep greens!

Not everyone has Thyme growing in the garden, or only a small amount. If you have some fresh thyme available mix them with the dried rubbed herb and the result will be lovely.

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Basic recipe:

100% Thyme
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted 10% Alum)

Line the pot with a cloth. Fill the pot half with water and add the Thyme.
Bring to about 85-95 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Tie dye in Cloth and leave in bath.
Add wool and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Add 3% -5% iron to the dye bath to turn it green.

Remove after about 10min, rinse & dry.

LEMON PEEL FINE CUT ~ Dye Colour Yellow and Orange

Harvested in Spain

Wool, Silks, Cotton and Linen can be dyed with Lemon Peel. It gives a light yellow orange, depending on quantities used. 

*The dye is not very light fast and might have to be redyed after a few years. 


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Basic Recipe for orange/yellow:

100gr wool or silk mordanted in 10% Alum and 4% Soda Ash for 1 hour. 
100g Lemon Peel

1.Soak 100gr Lemon Peel with 4% Soda in water over night. 
2.Pour mixture through a cloth, tie off the Lemon peel (dye bag) and keep in the dye bath. 

3.To dye: Simmer wool for one hour. Leave in dye bath to cool (will deepen the colour)

Rinse and dry