Bilbo Sweater Knitting Pattern

Generally speaking, it takes about a week to go from undyed skein to finished skein, though it varies depending on the colorway. The process to dye yarn naturally has several more steps than the process to dye yarn with synthetic or acid dyes. These steps usually include scouring, mordanting, dyeing, and rinsing but can also include multiple dye baths or afterbaths.

It depends. Part of the beauty of natural dyes is that they change and age over time, developing the patina that gives natural materials that lived-in feeling. Some colors fade, others shift, while still others deepen. Every natural dye behaves a little differently, and some have a greater tendency to fade than others. 

Most of my colorways are dyed on yarn that has been mordanted. There are many different ways to mordant fiber in preparation for dyeing, but to speak generally, mordanting is a process whereby the fiber is prepared for dyeing by being treated with something that will help the dye bond to the fiber. This process improves lightfastness and colorfastness, but it does not mean that fading will not happen at all. Even industrial synthetic dyes can fade if exposed to harsh direct sunlight for long enough. If you are concerned about fading, then I recommend keeping your yarn out of direct sunlight.

Yes and no. I do have a library of repeat colorways that I have developed. These colorways are as close to repeatable as I can get them, which is to say that there may be very subtle variations between batches, as is true of all hand-dyed yarn. If you are concerned about color pooling, then I recommend alternating skeins in multi-skein projects.

That said, experimentation and colorplay are two of the reasons I got into natural dyeing in the first place, so I will often offer colorways that are one-offs, accidents, or otherwise unrepeatable. Anything labeled OOAK is something I do not anticipate being able to recreate, so when it's gone, it's gone.

This has been an area of ongoing improvement for me as a dyer, and I am constantly refining recipes and processes to eliminate as much bleeding as possible.

It is rare for my yarns to bleed, and I have never heard of or experienced bleeding ruining a project, but I cannot guarantee that no bleeding will happen. When washing, factors such as the temperature and pH of the water, the type of soap or detergent used, and any chemicals that may be present in the water can all impact a yarn’s tendency to bleed.

Given all these factors, even commercially-dyed yarns sometimes bleed. For this reason, I recommend that you hand-wash projects made with my yarn in cold water with a gentle pH neutral soap and use a color catcher sheet if you are concerned about bleeding.

Crocking is a process whereby small particles of pigment are transferred from the dyed fiber to other surfaces due to friction and sometimes heat. If you’ve ever had a pair of jeans that bled onto other clothing, then you’ve experienced crocking. Crocking is most common with indigo-dyed fabric, but it can happen with other dyes as well. 

I like to think of crocking as getting cozy with the natural dyes that give us color.

In my experience, crocking is a normal, though not inevitable, aspect of working with naturally-dyed yarns. It can also very from person-to-person, as differences in skin pH can affect color transfer while working with the yarns. Color transfer from crocking typically washes away easily.

Most of my dyes are currently sourced from Shepherd Textiles, a weaving and fiber arts studio based in Washington state. All dyes are 100% natural and free from any synthetic colorants or industrial chemicals. Many of the dyes I use are GOTS certified organic.

Occasionally, I will dye special one-of-a-kind colorways using natural dye materials I have foraged, grown, or collected myself. In time, I hope to have my own dye garden and produce more of my own dyes.