Hello everyone, how has your holidays been so far?

At the moment I’m in my house in the countryside to celebrate the end of this year.

 

I brought some untreated natural wool with me to dye it with seasonal vegetable findings.

These days in Tuscany you can find beautiful red cabbages, perfect for a dye bath.

 

I put the wool in the bath all night long for the fiber to get ready to receive the color.

 

I decided to etch the yarn with alum. It’s a first for me, I usually use white vinegar but this time I felt like trying.

I melted the alum in hot water and then added it to the wool. I let the mixture simmer for an hour.

 

In the meantime…

I prepared the dye bath: I cut the cabbage into pieces, put them in hot water and let them be for about an hour at 80 degrees.

 

While waiting, a bit of knitting…

This pink wool take its color from a beetroots bath I prepared this summer!

 

The color of the water became this intense violet: gorgeous, isn’t it?

 

I drained and rinsed the wool to remove the alum and then immersed it in the color.

Right now it’s cooling in the pot.

Tomorrow I will take the wool in the garden to make it dry in the wind. I can’t wait to see the result!

For the time being, I will put in a good use the remaining water and alum: the hydrangeas will love it since it’s an excellent fertilizer !!!