Looking for information on the effect of hard water on red onion skin dye. I just had to have the landlord descale my bathtub faucet. X.x I get the feeling this explains why I could never get red or maroon from red onion skins in spite of finding dye books that said that was the result. I think it's either a water quality issue or an issue with cultivars of onion (one of the dye books was from the 70s.)
My suggestion would be try the dye using distilled water. That could help determine if your tap water is changing the color. I'm curious about a red dye - the closest I've come is orange. Did your resources list the specific type of onion? Did they modify the dye? Good luck!
@@MyraMadeColor they did not modify the dye. in the book I'm thinking of they listed the effects of different modifiers. It's called "Nature's Colors" by Ida Grae. I had an interesting result the other day. A dull almost bronze yellow from yellow onion skins using a homemade copper mordant made from leaving vinegar and water in a copper tea kettle to corrode. The result was a clear solution with pale blue sediment at the bottom. Pouring this into a 2 pound yogurt container with a handful of onion skins and half the container's volume of water heated in a regular tea kettle. The color is similar but not the same. However, there's a very small amount of copper in our drinking water. So how could that create a dramatic result like I saw.
Hi Rebecca, When you save your dye pot colors into jars; where do you store your dyes and for how long can you keep them? I have some Avocado dye I made months ago and one of the bottles is molding. Can I still use this dye if it has mold? Thanks
I keep my jars in the shade. As for how long -that depends on a lot of factors. If mold develops and you really want to keep the dye, skim off the mold, reheat, and test the dye on a small sample to see if it still holds color. Otherwise, I tend to toss them when they mold or the smell is too pungent.
Hi Rebecca, you use Alum Sulfate to pre-mordant 100% raw fleece. Which Alum Sulfate do I use? I know there are different types, for garden, etc. Can you tell me which one you use? Thanks for all you do. Sincerely, Cyndi
If you find it in the grocery store, it simply says "Alum." I've used this and it works fine. If you order online, you can use Alum Sulfate or Alum Potassium Sulfate. Aluminum acetate is typically used with plant fibers.
I tried this and I wasn't able to get a green on my pre-alum-mordanted 100% wool, it came out sort of raw sienna/gold. Would the addition of some iron nails to the dye bath help it go green do you think? Did you add anything else? Or could it be that my temperature was too high during extraction? (I had it boiling before adding the wool) Thanks!
It also depends a lot on the amount of skins and their color. I haven't made an iron bath from nails, but it's worth a try! I suggest soaking the nails in hot water first to extract some iron, then add the skein to that bath, instead of adding the nails into the dye bath directly. I've noticed that too much iron turns the color brown instead of green, so perhaps dip it a few times and watch the color carefully. Good luck!
Steel wool + vinegar= ferrous sulfate, aka rust. It's iron mordant. Look around the garage and you'll find a rusty something. A little goes a long way.
Nope! The onion dye smells but the finished yarn does not. You can also use a gentle, scented wool wash with the final rinse. I use it with my naturally knitted projects often.
If the dye is stored in a tightly sealed container, such as a large jar, it will last a long time. I once used an onion dye over 6 months old. Flower dye over a year old. But toss if you see mold growing.
I’m hoping to try using onions to dye some muslin fabric to use for ceiling drapes. However I’m Also needing to make them fire resistant. Please could you let me know if this is possible to achieve at the same time as dying the fabric?
Natural dyes slowly fade but you can slow the process by how you treat your fiber. When it comes to washing - I would wash infrequently, use cool water with a gentle soap. If you're dyeing something that needs to be washed frequently in a washing machine, it will likely wash out faster. I have another where I talk more about color fastness with natural dyes: ruclips.net/video/IzPYxLGx0Ms/видео.html
Perfect excuse to make french onion soup!
What a cool channel! Can’t wait to try this
Thank you for a very enjoyable how to video for this novice dyer!
Thank you- I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Bro this is dope.
Thank you for this tutorial, it certainly was helpful!
You're very welcome!
Loved your video but disappointed there wasn't a reveal of which wool was mordanted unmordanted etc with finished skeins.
Looking for information on the effect of hard water on red onion skin dye. I just had to have the landlord descale my bathtub faucet. X.x I get the feeling this explains why I could never get red or maroon from red onion skins in spite of finding dye books that said that was the result. I think it's either a water quality issue or an issue with cultivars of onion (one of the dye books was from the 70s.)
My suggestion would be try the dye using distilled water. That could help determine if your tap water is changing the color. I'm curious about a red dye - the closest I've come is orange. Did your resources list the specific type of onion? Did they modify the dye? Good luck!
@@MyraMadeColor they did not modify the dye. in the book I'm thinking of they listed the effects of different modifiers. It's called "Nature's Colors" by Ida Grae.
I had an interesting result the other day. A dull almost bronze yellow from yellow onion skins using a homemade copper mordant made from leaving vinegar and water in a copper tea kettle to corrode. The result was a clear solution with pale blue sediment at the bottom. Pouring this into a 2 pound yogurt container with a handful of onion skins and half the container's volume of water heated in a regular tea kettle. The color is similar but not the same. However, there's a very small amount of copper in our drinking water. So how could that create a dramatic result like I saw.
Hi Rebecca, When you save your dye pot colors into jars; where do you store your dyes and for how long can you keep them? I have some Avocado dye I made months ago and one of the bottles is molding. Can I still use this dye if it has mold? Thanks
I keep my jars in the shade. As for how long -that depends on a lot of factors. If mold develops and you really want to keep the dye, skim off the mold, reheat, and test the dye on a small sample to see if it still holds color. Otherwise, I tend to toss them when they mold or the smell is too pungent.
Hi Rebecca, you use Alum Sulfate to pre-mordant 100% raw fleece. Which Alum Sulfate do I use? I know there are different types, for garden, etc. Can you tell me which one you use? Thanks for all you do. Sincerely, Cyndi
If you find it in the grocery store, it simply says "Alum." I've used this and it works fine. If you order online, you can use Alum Sulfate or Alum Potassium Sulfate. Aluminum acetate is typically used with plant fibers.
Beautiful...thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome!
Hello and thank you for this lovely video! Do you think this method works in acrylic yarn as well? Thank you ❤
It will not dye acrylic yarn. Natural dyes work best on animal fibers or plant fibers, such as wool and cotton. Thank you for watching!
I tried this and I wasn't able to get a green on my pre-alum-mordanted 100% wool, it came out sort of raw sienna/gold. Would the addition of some iron nails to the dye bath help it go green do you think? Did you add anything else? Or could it be that my temperature was too high during extraction? (I had it boiling before adding the wool) Thanks!
It also depends a lot on the amount of skins and their color. I haven't made an iron bath from nails, but it's worth a try! I suggest soaking the nails in hot water first to extract some iron, then add the skein to that bath, instead of adding the nails into the dye bath directly. I've noticed that too much iron turns the color brown instead of green, so perhaps dip it a few times and watch the color carefully. Good luck!
@@MyraMadeColor Yea okay thank you! I'll keep playing!
Steel wool + vinegar= ferrous sulfate, aka rust. It's iron mordant. Look around the garage and you'll find a rusty something. A little goes a long way.
Can you please tell me about from where you get your wool yarn from?
Wool2Dye4, Knitpicks, or Dharma Trading Company
@@MyraMadeColor Thank you.
I really want to try this but one thing I’m very hesitant about; does it not smell of onions once rinsed and dried?
Nope! The onion dye smells but the finished yarn does not. You can also use a gentle, scented wool wash with the final rinse. I use it with my naturally knitted projects often.
@@MyraMadeColor thank you!
Thank you :)
Thanks Myra! I am now hooked on dyeing as well! Just a question, can one speckle with natural dye?
Thank you! Great question. I’ve had some success with speckles but not a tried and true method yet.
Also how long can one store the leftover dye for?
If the dye is stored in a tightly sealed container, such as a large jar, it will last a long time. I once used an onion dye over 6 months old. Flower dye over a year old. But toss if you see mold growing.
I’m hoping to try using onions to dye some muslin fabric to use for ceiling drapes. However I’m Also needing to make them fire resistant. Please could you let me know if this is possible to achieve at the same time as dying the fabric?
How interesting! I've never made my fiber fiber resistant so I'm unfamiliar with the process.
That’s ok, it was a long shot. thank you for replying though 😊
Will these dyes wash out completely with normal washing? Or will they just fade?
Natural dyes slowly fade but you can slow the process by how you treat your fiber. When it comes to washing - I would wash infrequently, use cool water with a gentle soap. If you're dyeing something that needs to be washed frequently in a washing machine, it will likely wash out faster. I have another where I talk more about color fastness with natural dyes: ruclips.net/video/IzPYxLGx0Ms/видео.html
Turn on the stove exhaust. Trim the onions under the exhaust. No tears.
Great idea- thanks for sharing!
Where did you store the leftover dye, on the counter, pantry or refrigerator? Love your videos❣️
Great question! I store them in large jars with a tight fitting lid. The goal is to keep the mold out. I store mine outside on my covered porch.
@@MyraMadeColor Wonderful, thank you for letting me know 😊
nice
nice
nice
@@anonymouschameleon8949 nice
nice
Is it a permanent colour?
In my experience the color has held up great with light exposure.
Wish you'd have shown the finished product off
The final product is shown on the cover/thumbnail and the last shot of the video.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
It did not work. I tried by adding vinegar also.
Sorry to hear that.
I tried with red onions and it worked, maybe you need to follow other video
Just gather the skins at the grocery store.
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