How to Dye Wool with Mushrooms

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Scour and mordant the yarn

Scour your yarn by soaking it in a pot of rainwater with a small amount of soap for about an hour — this removes any oils and impurities from the fibre. Rinse thoroughly and set the yarn aside. Next, pre-mordant the yarn using alum powder, following the package instructions for your quantity of yarn. Mordanting helps the yarn accept and hold the natural dye evenly once it hits the mushroom dyebaths.

Step 2 — Forage and prepare the mushrooms

Gather or purchase your three mushroom varieties — puffball, yellowy orange, and large shelf fungus. Wearing gloves, chop each variety into small pieces and add them to separate pots filled with rainwater, keeping each mushroom type in its own pot so the colours don't mix. Remember not to consume any part of these mushrooms, since their safety for eating is not guaranteed; they are being used here for dyeing purposes only.

Step 3 — Simmer the mushroom dyebaths

Simmer each pot of chopped mushrooms in rainwater for at least two hours to extract the natural pigments. Once simmering is complete, strain each mixture and reserve the coloured liquid, discarding the solid mushroom material. You should now have three separate dyebaths, one for each mushroom variety.

Step 4 — Dye the yarn

Add your pre-mordanted yarn to each of the mushroom dyebaths, making sure it is fully submerged in the liquid. Simmer each pot on low heat for approximately three hours, stirring occasionally to encourage even colour uptake across the yarn.

Step 5 — Rinse and dry

Remove the yarn from each dyebath and rinse thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. Hang the dyed yarn to dry completely before using it in your next knitting or crocheting project — each mushroom variety will have produced its own distinct natural shade.

Frequently asked questions

What materials and equipment are needed to dye wool with mushrooms?
You'll need wool yarn (a washed white or similarly light base works well), puffball mushrooms, yellowy orange mushrooms, and large shelf fungus, alum powder as a mordant, rainwater, and pots for simmering and dyeing.

What is alum mordanting and why is it needed?
Alum mordanting is a process that prepares yarn to accept dye by treating it with an aluminum salt, alum powder, before dyeing. Pre-mordanting the yarn helps the natural mushroom dye bond to the fibre and produce more even, lasting colour.

Do the three mushroom varieties produce different dye colours?
Yes, dyeing with puffball, yellowy orange, and large shelf fungus mushrooms separately will produce different resulting colours on the yarn, since each mushroom variety releases its own natural pigments during simmering.

Is it safe to handle the mushrooms used in this dye project?
Handle the mushrooms and alum powder carefully and wear gloves throughout the process. Avoid consuming any part of the mushrooms used, as their safety for eating is not guaranteed — this project uses them for dyeing purposes only.

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