If you need a taste of sunshine in the kind of dreich, airy weather we often get in the East of Scotland then Chamomile is the flower for you. The golden dye it yields replicates the colour of the flower, making this one of the simplest of the dye plants to use.
In our 'Balgownie' range we name this Midas and in the 'Shetland' range there are three shades, Canary, Primrose and Banana.
I enjoy all aspects of the plant, from the self seeded babies that pop up in the most unlikely places to the rangy flower stems that weave through the shrubbery. The ferny leaves have a soothing smell and bees love it.
When the flower petals bend back I harvest the stems close to the roots. It is a pleasant job at the end of the day to snip off the flowers and leave them to dry until you are ready to dye.
When ready, I soak the dried flowers in water overnight and then gently simmer for around an hour. I allow the pot to cool then strain the flowers from the liquid which becomes my dyebath. I add the mordanted yarn and heat to just below boiling point. After around 30 minutes at this temperature I turn off the heat and let everything cool.
Finally the dyed yarn is removed and allowed to dry before its final wash.
The actual plant dye recipes we use can be found on our sister web site www.selvage.co.uk
Oh this is beautiful! I want to knit sunshine.