How to Dye Yarn with Birch Bark and Plum Branches

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Prepare the birch bark dye bath

Place your shredded birch bark in a large pot filled with water and simmer on low heat for several hours, aiming for a gentle pink hue in the water. Focus on the inner woody layers of the bark rather than the outer papery layers, since the outer bark doesn't tend to release much colour.

Step 2 — Enhance the birch bark colour with tea

Add red rose orange pekoe tea bags to the simmering birch bark dye bath and continue simmering for an additional hour and a half. Once that time is up, turn off the heat and let the pot cool down completely — your dye bath should now be noticeably richer in colour and ready for use.

Step 3 — Prepare the plum branch dye bath

While the birch bark bath develops, harvest plum flowers and branches from a nearby source. Follow the same simmering process you used for the birch bark to extract colour from the plum material, aiming for pink, red, or purple shades depending on exactly which flowers and branches you've gathered.

Step 4 — Scour and mordant the yarn

Soak your sport weight wool in a scouring bath of clean water and soap to cleanse it thoroughly, then rinse it well. Prepare a hot alum mordant solution and soak the rinsed yarn in it for about half an hour — this step creates the bond between the wool fibers and the dye that will follow, so it's worth not rushing it.

Step 5 — Dye the yarn

Strain the plant matter out of both dye baths, then heat about one and a half jars' worth of each dye liquid in separate pots on the stove. Tie your bleached white sport weight wool several times around the skein to keep it from tangling while still allowing some movement, including four figure-eight ties spaced around the skein. Immerse the mordanted yarn in each dye bath for your desired length of time, checking periodically until you're happy with the depth of colour.

Step 6 — Finish and dry

Strain the matter out of both dye baths one more time after dyeing, then rinse the dyed yarn thoroughly and let it dry fully. You'll end up with two distinct shades from this project: a warm brown from the birch bark mixture with subtle purple undertones, and a brownish-gold tone from the plum branch mix. The exact colours you get can vary depending on the quality of your harvested materials and how long you simmered each bath.

Frequently asked questions

What materials are needed for this yarn dyeing project?
You'll need alum powder, harvested and shredded birch bark, red rose orange pekoe tea bags, plum flowers and branches, sport weight wool from Briggs & Little in bleached white, a pot and stove, water, a strainer, jars, and yarn.

How do I prepare the birch bark dye bath?
Place shredded birch bark in a large pot filled with water and simmer on low heat for several hours to achieve a gentle pink hue. Focus on the inner woody layers of the bark, since the outer papery layers don't tend to yield much colour.

How can I enhance the colour of the birch bark dye bath?
Add red rose orange pekoe tea bags to the birch bark dye bath and simmer for an additional hour and a half before turning off the heat and letting it cool. This deepens the dye bath into a richer colour before you dye your yarn.

What is the mordanting process for this project?
Soak the yarn in a scouring bath of clean water and soap to cleanse it, then rinse thoroughly. Prepare a hot alum mordant solution and soak the rinsed yarn in it for about half an hour, which creates a bond between the fibers and the dye.

How do I dye yarn using the birch bark and plum branch mixtures?
Strain the matter out of both dye baths, then heat about one and a half jars' worth of each dye liquid in separate pots. Tie the mordanted skein with several ties, including four figure-eight ties around it to prevent tangling, then immerse it in each dye bath for your desired duration. Strain out the matter again, rinse the dyed yarn, and let it dry to reveal a warm brown with purple undertones from the birch bark, and a brownish-gold tone from the plum branches.

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