Mushroom Dyes at Taos Wool Festival, NM – 2010

We were gathered at a Taos Wool Festival workshop, eager to explore the possibilities offered by three mushroom species, Dermocybe semi-sanguinea for reds and rose hues, Phaeolus schweinitzii for yellow and green, and Omphalotus olivascens for violet, blue, and green shades on fibers of wool and silk. We also experimented with dyeing other fibers such as mohair, soy silk, banana & silk, and bamboo. The only mordants used were alum and iron; pH changes were accomplished using white vinegar and washing soda, expanding our range of possible color from just these three dried mushrooms

We used dried Phaeolus schweinitzii from Oregon, and dyed skeins of wool premordanted with Alum and Iron.

Alum mordant and Iron mordant on wool dyed with the Phaeolus

Then a few Dermocybe mushrooms were added to some leftover Phaeolus dye, to make an orange on alum mordanted wool!

Dried Omphalotus olivascens from California were simmered to make violet dye on alum mordanted wool, and dark forest green on iron mordanted wool. But then the “afterbaths” with this dye produced some beautiful blues after we adjusted the pH to 9 using washing soda. These became more turquoise in hue on the alum mordanted wool and a deep teal blue on iron, with each subsequent afterbath.

This Mushroom Dye Webpage was updated May 14, 2011)

All rights reserved, Dorothy M. Beebee, 2011