How to Dye Wool With Geraniums

Hand-dyed garments are a beautiful addition to any wardrobe. Making your own hand-dyed wool to create garments is easy, and a common natural material used to dye fabric is geranium flowers. Geraniums come in a variety of colors, though the best geraniums to dye wool are those that are naturally brightly colored.

Things You'll Need

• Geranium petals
• Wool fabric or yarn
• Mortar and pestle
• Stainless steel or enamel pots
• Aluminum sulfate
• Cream of tartar
• Wood or stainless steel stirring spoon
• Cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

Making Geranium Dye

1. Gather fresh geranium flower petals to begin making your dye. Petals should be removed from the stigma, or center part, of the flower. Rinse petals in cold water to remove any dirt and debris.

2. Place geranium petals into a pestle and lightly bruise with a mortar to release the flower's natural oils and pigments.

3. Put the geranium petals in a large stainless steel or enamel pot and add water. A good water-to-petal ratio is one part petals to two parts water, so if you have one cup of petals you should add two cups of water.

4. Bring the water and petals to a rolling boil and reduce stove heat to simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for about one hour, or longer if you prefer a dark intense dye.

5. Strain the water through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to remove flower petals, and pour the water back into your stainless steel or enamel pot.

Preparing Wool

1. Place six to eight cups of water into a stainless steel or enamel pot. Add approximately 2 tsp. aluminum sulfate and 1 tsp. cream of tartar for each yard of fabric you will be dyeing. Bring the pot to a simmer on the stove.

2. Add the wool to the pot and remove from heat. Let the wool sit in the solution until it has completely cooled.

3. Remove the fabric from the water and gently wring out any excess liquid. Rinse with lukewarm water and gently wring out the fabric again.

Dyeing Wool

1. Bring the geranium dye liquid to a simmer on the stove until it is warm, but not too hot. Set the temperature on the stove so that the heat will remain consistent throughout the dyeing process.

2. Place the wool fabric into the geranium dye and gently stir the wool using a wooden or stainless steel spoon so that the wool is completely saturated.

3. Allow the wool to soak in the geranium dye for at least one hour, stirring frequently to ensure that the wool fabric dyes evenly.

4. Remove the pot from heat and allow the wool fabric to remain in the liquid as it cools to help the fabric better absorb the geranium's natural pigments.

5. Wash the wool with a mild cleanser before use.

Tips & Warnings

• Aluminum sulfate can be found in most craft stores that sell fabric-dyeing products.

• Save geranium dye water after use. It can be reused to dye fabrics a lighter shade.

• Do not use geranium petals that have been treated with pesticides or insecticides, as these chemicals can be released during processing as vapors that can irritate the respiratory system.

• Do not use aluminum or copper pots when dyeing fabric, as these can interfere with the pigmentation process.

References

• Dyes & Paints: A Hands-On Guide to Coloring Fabric; Elin Noble; 2003
• The Craft of Natural Dyeing: Glowing Colours from the Plant World; Jenny Dean; 1994
• Life Sciences at Brandeis