Onion Skin Dye
Onion skins will dye wool or other animal (protein) fibres.
You will need:
• 100 grams of natural wool (dry weight)
• 30 grams of onion skins (use only the dry, brown, outer skins)
• 8 grams of alum (the mordant)
• 7 grams cream of tartar (the assistant)
• Some liquid detergent (the scouring agent)
• A water supply* (approx 16 cups per step)
If a larger quantity of wool is to be dyed, increase the quantities proportionally. All weights given are relative to the dry weight of the wool.
Safety is important. Wear a dust mask, eye protection, and rubber gloves when dying.
1. Weigh the wool. Skeins of wool are tied loosely in several places to prevent tangling. If your wool is purchased in a ball, you will have to wind it into a skein before dying it.
2. The wool should be scoured. This means getting the wool completely clean. For this the wool is soaked overnight in a liquid detergent solution. Rinse the wool well
and gently squeeze out the excess water. Use lukewarm water and avoid sudden changes in the temperature of the water which cause the wool to felt or mat.
3. Next the skein will be mordanted. Dissolve the alum and cream of tartar in a little hot water and then add this solution to cool water in the mordant pan (you can use your dyepot). Immerse the wetted yarn and then place the pan on the heat source. Slowly raise the temperature to 82°C (180°F) and simmer for 45 minutes. Leave to cool, then remove the wool and rinse well.
See my blog on How to dispose of your mordant
You will need:
• 100 grams of natural wool (dry weight)
• 30 grams of onion skins (use only the dry, brown, outer skins)
• 8 grams of alum (the mordant)
• 7 grams cream of tartar (the assistant)
• Some liquid detergent (the scouring agent)
• A water supply* (approx 16 cups per step)
If a larger quantity of wool is to be dyed, increase the quantities proportionally. All weights given are relative to the dry weight of the wool.
Safety is important. Wear a dust mask, eye protection, and rubber gloves when dying.
1. Weigh the wool. Skeins of wool are tied loosely in several places to prevent tangling. If your wool is purchased in a ball, you will have to wind it into a skein before dying it.
2. The wool should be scoured. This means getting the wool completely clean. For this the wool is soaked overnight in a liquid detergent solution. Rinse the wool well
and gently squeeze out the excess water. Use lukewarm water and avoid sudden changes in the temperature of the water which cause the wool to felt or mat.
3. Next the skein will be mordanted. Dissolve the alum and cream of tartar in a little hot water and then add this solution to cool water in the mordant pan (you can use your dyepot). Immerse the wetted yarn and then place the pan on the heat source. Slowly raise the temperature to 82°C (180°F) and simmer for 45 minutes. Leave to cool, then remove the wool and rinse well.
See my blog on How to dispose of your mordant
4. To prepare the dyebath, place the onion skins in the dyepan and cover them with water. Slowly heat the dyebath to boiling point. Simmer for about 45 minutes by which time all the colour should have been extracted from the onion skins. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and then strain off the liquid from the skins.
Yarn after reaching the correct temperature.
5. The dyeing process is then carried out. The mordanted, thoroughly wetted fabric is placed into the now cool dyebath. Replace the heat under the dyebath, bring the temperature up to boiling point and then immediately reduce the heat to 82°C (180°F) and simmer for 45 minutes or until the wool is the required colour. Remember that wool is
darker when wet than when dry. Remove the wool from the dyebath if no further uptake of dye is required, or allow the fabric to cool with the liquid in the dyebath. Do not cool quickly with cold water.
Yarn being pulled from the dyebath
6. When the skein of wool is cool, rinse it thoroughly in several changes of water until the water is clear, then wash the skein of wool in soapy water, rinse and allow to dry.
I was able to dye a second batch of wool. This is merino lace-weight. I chose not to mordant it as I did not want such a vibrant shade.
Onion skins do not need a mordant to be color-fast, but mordants are used to get different shades. Depending on the mordant used, yellow-skinned onions will yield burnt and bright orange, yellow, brass, and brown colors, while red-skinned onions will yield reddish-orange, pink, salmon, gold, tan-brown, and dark tan dyes. Onion skins will produce a beautiful orange color with alum.
It must be noted that dyeing should be done in a non-reactive (non-aluminum) pot that is used exclusively for dyeing. My pot is an enamel 20L (21qt) pot. It was sold as a canning pot.
*Ordinary tap water is normally suitable for dyeing. If ‘soft’ water is called for then rain water can be used. A plentiful supply of fresh water is always required when dyeing.
Recipe Source: The Craft of Natural Dyeing, Jenny Dean
Recipe Source: The Craft of Natural Dyeing, Jenny Dean