Tamerra Martin, Navajo Weaving BFA Student: CA315 Wool Processing II
Since the last blog, I've grown a little more confident in experimenting with other types of plants. In one of the experiments, I used Navajo Tea Flowers and this resulted with a light shade of yellow. After this, I added Chamomile tea, and dried sunflower petals. That combination also turned to a shade of yellow. Then I tried that combination again - this time with alum - and it turned a very bright orange/yellow color. I figured - why stop here?! So I added Annatto Seeds, something I found at the grocery store in the spice section. I didn’t know what to expect from this honestly. After letting that boil, I added another skein and that came out even brighter.
I was still on my quest to seek purple, so I tried a red (or purple) cabbage. I peeled the cabbage one leaf at a time and soaked it overnight. When I
was ready, I boiled the cabbage leaves. The dye bath was more of a blue color; but when the skeins were added, they turned a light blue-turquoise color. I added just a tad of alum to this because I remembered adding too much could make it dull like it did to the rose petals during one of my last dye workshops. So I added just a little bit at a time, until I could notice a purple color. I immediately turned down the heat and added the skein of wool. I Waited for a bit and decided to let it set in a glass jar to see if the color would be better achieved that way. After a couple of days, I took it out and it came out more of an indigo color. It was not the color I was shooting for, but it is still an accomplishment because I’m learning the use of alum and how heat could also play a factor in getting the colors.
I also tried berries; a mix of berries actually. Strawberries, cherries and blueberries simmered for some time. I wasn’t sure if I should add alum to this because the dye bath was already a light color and I didn’t want for it to lose its color; so I decided to let it simmer with the skein without alum. This turned out a very light pink color. There was still color in the berry dye bath so I added this to the flower dye bath; thinking that pink and yellow; I’m sure to get an orange color. When the dye bath started to boil, I added alum and the skein of wool and it turned a brownish-gold color! The last skein in the picture is one that I am very proud of. It is made with what was left of the cabbage dye bath and what was left of the flower dye bath....I let one side of the skein in the cabbage dye bath and the other end in the flower dye bath. I let it set this way overnight. By morning it created this variegated skein.
I also read that tree bark could also provide a natural color. So I picked bark from a pine tree; mainly
because of the reddish-orange colors that are noticeable. I soaked the bark pieces overnight; boiled it for a while. Again, I wasn’t sure how much alum should be added; I only added a little bit, like I did for the cabbage leaves. Let this simmer for sometime and let it sit in the dye bath overnight. The color resembled the wild carrot with alum; similar but has a nice scent to it.
There are more other plant dyes that I am very interested in experimenting with. Thanks to our Professor Sarah Natani and her extensive knowledge in plant dying, I am confident in dying wool and experimenting more in the near future.
Sue V. Begay, Navajo Weaving BFA Student, CA315 Wool Processing II
It was 4 AM when I started dyeing this morning with the Holy People. I had a pot of boiling black walnut and yellow onion skins and the Holy People showered me with early morning rain. "I must have done something right," I thought as I took in that freshly moistened dirt air.
I am at Diné College working on my BFA in Navajo Weaving. This summer I am learning the process of wool dyeing alongside my classmate Tammy Martin from Master Weaver, Sarah Naataanii. This week we were taught how to dye black walnut and yellow onion skins.
The process is a bit more extensive than just throwing some plants in a pot! Here is a quick glimpse into the process of dyeing black walnut and yellow onion skins.
I prepared the black walnut skin with a pre-soaking. Pre-soaking is required because the black walnut is very hard. I had my black walnut soaking for one day and one night. I prepared the labels on the skein and wet the weft. For this project, I used heather gray and blanche white from Brown Sheep Company along side some of my hand spun wool. After my skeins and weft were labelled, I dipped them in the prepared boiling pots of water. The water I used is from the unconfined aquifer water from Narrow Canyon. All the dyeing is done with unconfined aquifer water. I repeated the same process for the yellow skin onions- although I did not have to pre-soak.
For each dye, I made two groups: one set made with alum and another set without alum.
This is the part where your pre-labeling becomes very important. Alum is needed becomes to help set the color. Check out this article for more of the significance of alum and textiles. I did learn that adding alum to the heather grey weft while dyeing with yellow onions skins doesn’t necessarily make that big change, BUT I did see how black walnut dominated heather grey, making a deep chocolate color.
My experience with dyeing with yellow onion skin and black walnut was very exciting. The colors of the weft are gorgeous with both yellow onion skin and black walnut. I learned about the slight various of natural plants as well as the differences using machine spun vs hand spun wool. Ultimately, what my major take away this week is that the beauty and gorgeous colors that comes from Mother Earth are treasures. Watching how the color comes alive.
Here are some other practical take aways I learned this past week:
Lesson Learned: The wool is still very hot even after two baths.
Lesson Learned: Never mix a pre-dyed skein with your skein you wish to color.
Lesson Learned: Be patient and let the colors work.
BIG Lesson Learned: This is what not to do. I put in a white skein and put a sky-blue skein on top of it and the color transferred onto the white skein. I can still use this in my pictorial rug as a corn tassel or streaks in the skyline. One of a kind weft.
I am very honored to be in this class even though we are distance learning. It was absolute great day of hands on activities and I am looking forward to another great lesson. But for now...I saved some of my black walnut and I'll be testing it out with some Navajo churro raw wool.
Tamerra Martin, Navajo Weaving BFA Student: CA315 Wool Processing II
Yá'át'éeh, Greetings! I hope that you and yours are well and healthy during these challenging times. I am very excited to share my very first “What’s On My Fire” update that will fill you in on my progress of learning how to dye wool with Sarah Nataanii. Learning to dye with natural plants that have been utilized by Weavers from past to present is one of my dreams. We will also be learning how to dye wool with commercial dyes as well.
In preparation of dying wool, I found it interesting that it was encouraged to recycle or repurpose
materials. There’s really no need to go and purchase everything new. You just have to look around and see what you could use. A metal basket with bailing wire could be turned into a strainer or empty water/milk jugs could be used to make tags to label your skeins. Our first lesson was to dye with Navajo Tea. My helpers, and myself, harvested Navajo Tea that was growing near home. We looked for the batch that was ready for harvest; the ones that already had blossoms on them. We picked a big batch! Half was used for the dye and the other half was rolled and tied for tea.
Once the tea was ready; we added the unbleached white wool and the heather gray wool...the colors that came from the first dye bath were very subdued. The second dye bath, when the alum mordant was added, the colors was very bright! The first dye lesson was a success!
When seeing the colors that developed from this lesson, I couldn’t help but think about the many other plants on the land that serve a purpose. Whether it was a natural remedy for an ailment, or an essential item for a ceremonial reason or a utilitarian item; these plants served a purpose. I am very honored to be learning these ways and that I can share this with my helpers. We are already looking forward to the next plant dye session.
If you are interested in joining the Navajo Weaving BFA program in the fall, be sure to get in contact with Christine Ami (cmami@dinecollege.edu) or Crystal Littleben (cclittleben@dinecollege.edu). It's a one of a kind program - only offered here at Diné College!