The hastily pre frost harvesting of woad (we never did have a frost, but there you go) was duly processed, again using Sally’s excellent instructions.
On the right, the undyed yarn (Devon Closewool wool), centre: woad, and on the left, pre dyed with onion skins, it started as a zingy yellow, before being dipped in the woad dye bath.
I’m really pleased with the green, as a good green like that is not that easy to obtain from natural dyes, only usually by overdyeing as we have done here. Lincoln green (men in tights etc) is weld followed by woad – not sure what onion followed by woad is called… Devon green maybe…
This was our entire woad harvest, but only about 4 large plants. Next year we plan to make a dedicated woad bed, and why not when the flowers are so pretty, and the woad plants wont have to fight for space with the veggies. I can see we are many years away from getting bored of dyeing with woad. After a bit of faffing about whisking and getting the oxygen out etc, eventually you have a dye bath into which you drop white wool, leave it for a few minutes, pull it out and it looks green, then slowly turns blue as the air gets to it.
It’s magic! That green is absolutely gorgeous too. Is woad difficult to grow?
not really no, i raise little plants from seed the first year, it has been self sowing ever since.
That is amazing!!! Thank you for showing us that, and telling us about woad! WOW!!! I want to grow woad too. Brilliant.
weird how it changes from green to blue so quickly, vid was an excellent idea
That green is gorgeous! And all the colours look good together 🙂
What a brilliant green! Well done!
Love the colours and the video. I had no idea the woad dye worked like that – good to see and learn.