MATERIALS & DYES

Blue/Green

Natural blue dyes are rare. Historical and oral sources suggest indigo, copper, or “blue clay” were options for making blue and green dyes. Indigo could have been a trade item or boiled from trade cloth in a vat of urine. Yellow yarns could be dyed a second time (“overdyed”) with blue dye to make green. A copper and ammonia solution will give a grey-blue color that turns a minty green when dipped in vinegar. Vinegar and baking soda are often used today to adjust pH. The “blue clay” source of blue has been mysterious...the mineral vivianite has been tested without success. Bryonia lichen, blue stain fungus and Hydnellum fungus are also dyestuffs under investigation. Blueberries and crowberries yield color that fades easily. These yarn samples have been dyed with various substances and methods, including indigo, horsetail, lupine flower, yarrow blossom, goat’s beard flower, cow parsnip, and alder bark. Learn more about Chilkat Dye Research.