indigo

INDIGO

We grow both Indigo and Japanese Indigo. The true indigo is not mature enough to produce dye material yet. We have bought in some Natural Indigo Dye to use but the process of achieving rich dark blue yarn is fairly complex. We have achieved some lovely pale blues from the Japanese Indigo we grow here, this is how.

JAPANESE INDIGO

1. Chop freshly picked leaves with a food processor.

2. Place leaves in a plastic container with a tablespoon of vinegar and 2 litres of water and leave for an hour.

3. Squeeze the leaves hard to release the dye into the liquid.

4. Strain the liquid to remove the leaf pulp and squeeze again to release as much colour as possible.

5. Put your pre-soaked and mordanted fibre or yarn into the resulting dye bath and leave for an hour.

6. Remove the dyed yarn and leave to dry for a couple of days.

7. Wash gently.