How to Dye Yarn Naturally with Dandelions and Black-Eyed Susans

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Scour the yarn

Soak your wool yarn in warm water with a bit of unscented soap for about 20 minutes, gently agitating it to loosen any natural oils or dirt on the fiber. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear, then lay the yarn flat to dry. This scouring step ensures the flower dyes will absorb evenly in the steps ahead.

Step 2 — Make the dandelion dye bath

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add fresh dandelions, making sure they're fully submerged, and boil for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, let it cool slightly, then strain out the plant matter so you're left with a clear dandelion dye bath.

Step 3 — Dye the yarn dandelion yellow

Rinse your scoured yarn in cold water to remove any leftover soap residue, then add it to the strained dandelion dye bath. Stir gently to fully submerge the yarn, cover the pot, and let it sit for 1 hour. Rinse the yarn in cold water until it runs clear, squeeze out the excess, and hang to dry. Repeat the soak if you'd like a deeper yellow.

Step 4 — Make the black-eyed Susan dye bath and dye the yarn green

In a second large pot, bring water to a boil and add fresh black-eyed Susans, fully submerged, boiling for 30 minutes. Cool slightly and strain out the plant matter. Rinse a fresh skein of scoured yarn in cold water, then add it to the strained black-eyed Susan bath. Stir to submerge, cover, and let sit for 1 hour before rinsing until the water runs clear, squeezing out excess water, and hanging to dry. Repeat if you want a more saturated green.

Step 5 — Enhance colour intensity with a wood ash solution

If you'd like a deeper, richer tone on either colour, mix about 1 cup of wood ash with 1 gallon of water to create a high-alkaline solution. Test it on a small scrap of yarn first to make sure it gives you the shift you want. Tie sections of both dyed skeins with cotton string and add the wood ash solution to each dye bath, making sure the yarn is fully submerged, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in cold water until it runs clear, squeeze out excess water, and hang to dry.

Step 6 — Finish and dry the yarn

Once your yellow and green skeins are completely dry, they're ready to use in your next project — weave in ends, bind off, or block as needed. You'll be left with two naturally dyed, one-of-a-kind colours straight from common backyard flowers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I adjust the colour intensity when dyeing yarn with dandelions and black-eyed Susans?
Yes. After dyeing your yarn in the dandelion or black-eyed Susan bath, you can deepen the colour with a high-alkaline wood ash solution — mix about 1 cup of wood ash with 1 gallon of water, then soak the yarn in it for about 15 minutes before a final rinse.

What precaution should I take before using a wood ash solution on my yarn?
Test the wood ash solution on a small scrap of yarn first. Because it's highly alkaline, it can shift colours further than expected — testing first lets you confirm the result before committing your full skein to the solution.

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