Dye Project: Lace Lichen (Fermentation)

For this project, I'm dyeing with lichen. Lichens are comprised of both fungi and algae living together as symbiotic biological entities. Lichens can produce brilliant dyes—in shades of yellow, orange, ochre, russet, brown, copper, bronze, olive, true green, pink, mauve, violet, red, rose, magenta, purple, and blues—depending on the fiber and dye method used. Three dye methods include fermenting in ammonia, boiling in water, and photo-oxidizing.

I'm using Lace Lichen, also known as Fishnet Lichen (Ramalina menziesii), the official state lichen of California. I plan to use the lichen and ammonia dye bath that I have been fermenting over the last four months and a protein-based silk scarf. I'm not sure what to expect—the dye may produce shades of olive-yellow to pale tan to buff tones, or shades of purple or pink.

Lace Lichen growing on a tree in Mendocino, California

Key Supplies

I'm using my usual dye equipment, including a convection burner, a non-reactive stainless steel dye pot, candy thermometer, strainer, cheese cloth, various plastic pails and containers for soaking and rinsing, a digital kitchen scale, stir stick, a mild pH-neutral soap (such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent), rubber gloves, and a face mask. Additional supplies and equipment:

• Lichen: Lace Lichen, also known as Fishnet Lichen (Ramalina menziesii). I collected the lichen on our trip to Mendocino in the spring.

Lichen downfall after a big wind in Mendocino

• Glass jars with secure lids: for fermenting. I used two 4-cup jars. The lid for one of my jars was not very secure, so I lost a little of the dye liquid over time as I agitated the jar. The loss wasn't enough to transfer it to a new jar, but I'll make sure the lids are more secure in the next project.

• Ammonia: combine equal parts of clear ammonia and water (1:1 ratio) to create the fermentation bath.

• pH test strips: to test how alkaline or acidic the dye bath is.

• Fabric: 100% protein fibers like wool or silk (as with dyeing with mushrooms, protein fibers respond better to lichen than cellulose fibers). I'm using a silk scarf from Dharma Trading, which has been scoured and mordanted with alum. For details, see Dye Project: Preparing Protein Fabric (Scour &  Mordant). The scarf weighs 1 ounce or 28 grams. Note that you do not need to mordant fabric or fiber when dyeing with lichen, since lichens produce light and colorfast dyes.

• pH Modifiers: I hadn't planned to use any additional modifiers for this project, other than the scarf that is pre-mordanted with alum. I wanted to try the basics first. But I did end up adding a modifier to make the dye bath more acidic, and change the color outcome. See below!

Collecting the Lichen

Lichen is very slow-growing, so it should be collected responsibly. It is typically considered ethical to gather lichen that has been dislodged from its habitat, unless other restrictions apply. Only collect lichen that has fallen naturally from trees or rocks to protect the ecosystem, and only collect what you need.

I collected the lichen while on our trip to Mendocino, California in March. A big wind caused lichen downfall from the trees, so I was able to collect quite a bit from various locations. See Field Notes for March 2026, the March 9 entry.

Lace Lichen gathered from multiple sites in Mendocino

Fermenting the Dye

Fermentation extracts the color pigment from the lichen over a 3-16 week period. Ammonia fermentation is best for lichen that produces purples or pinks. According to Zoe McDonnel from Wildcraft Dyeing, you can test whether your lichen produces purples or pinks by dropping a few drops of bleach on it; if it turns purple or pink, fermentation is the best technique to use. I tested the Lace Lichen with a few drops of bleach but got no reaction. I'm going to use the fermentation method anyway, but am not sure what color will be produced. Possibly shades of olive-yellow to pale tan or buff tones with protein fibers like wool and silk.

Before you start, clean off any dirt or twigs from the lichen to ensure that they don't influence the dye color. Then, prepare the dye vat. Place the dried, crumbled lichen in a jar, filling it roughly half-full. I filled two 4-cup jars half-full with the clean lichen. Cover the lichen with a 50/50 mixture of water and household ammonia.

Lace Lichen fermenting in ammonia and water

Seal the jar and store in a warm place for 3–16 weeks. I started the fermenting process in mid-April (see Field Notes for April 2026, the April 22 entry) and used the kitchen window sill. Aerate by shaking the jar daily and opening weekly to introduce oxygen, which is essential for color development. The dye liquor turned a red-brown color within a couple of weeks and stayed that way for four months. Research indicated that it should turn to a deep magenta at some point, but that wasn't my experience. I ended the fermentation process in mid-August, after four months. The pH registered 11 (strongly alkaline).

Agitate the jar once daily, and aerate once weekly

I can see tinges of red, but the overall color is brown

Strain out the lichen solids from the fermented dye. I strained the lichen out of one of the jars, and obtained two cups (1/2 quart). The dye is definitely a brown color.

Straining the lace lichen dye liquor

Dyeing the Fabric (Alkaline)

 Dyeing fabric with lichen is very similar to dyeing with plants or mushrooms. Bring the dye bath to a simmer, pre-soak the silk or wool fabric or fiber in warm water, add the fabric to the dye pot, and simmer. One caveat is to make sure the temperature is very similar when going from one pot to another. For example, plunging cold silk into a hot dye bath causes shock shrinkage, uneven color, and weakened fibers. Better to add the cold silk to a cooled dye bath, or warm silk to a warm dye bath.

As with mushrooms, delayed rinsing improves color and light fastness. Casselman recommends that with lichen-dyed fibers, it is essential to cool the yarn before rinsing. Lichen-dyed fibers are more color and light fast if they are not rinsed for at least 24 hours; this stabilizes the dye and prevents after-dye runoff. She describes her technique for delaying rinsing in Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book (Dye Bath, page 27):

... first leave the fiber in the ammonia or boiled water dye bath to cool for 24 hours. Then, remove the fiber, place it in a colander over a pail and leave it another 24 hours. (What you collect can be reused.) After two days, rinse the fiber (which may be completely dry) in cold water. Even with dark colors, there will be very little dye run off, and your reward is improved fastness.

Strained lace lichen liquor (brown, but with a slight tinge of red

To prepare the dye bath, place the strained dye in a clean non-reactive pot. Casselman's recommendation is to add 1 cup of the dye liquor and 4 quarts of water to the pot, for one ounce of fiber. For more more intense color, use less fiber or more dye liquor. To obtain pastels, use more fiber or less dye liquor. I used just over two cups of dye liquor and 4 quarts of water to the pot (hoping to intensify whatever color I end up with)!

Casselman also recommends adding 1/2 cup (125 ml) salt to the dye bath. I haven't seen the instruction to add salt in any other source, so decided not to try it with this batch. If the idea is to use the salt as a mordant to enhance color and light fastness, my silk was pre-mordanted in alum, so should be fine without the salt.

The dye liquor has a brown-red cast to it

Bring the temperature of the dye bath to 150 to 180 °F. This typically takes about 30-60 minutes. I followed Casselman's recommendation to bring the temperature to a maximum of 180 °F (82 °C), and maintain the temperature for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 160 °F (70 °C) and continue to heat gently for 1 hour, without boiling. While the dye bath is coming to temperature, pre-soak your wool or silk in warm water. This improves how the fabric takes up the dye.

Pre-soak the silk scarf in warm water

Add the fabric to the simmering dye pot and stir to distribute evenly. Add more water to cover the fabric if necessary. This will not dilute the dye; it just ensures better distribution of the dye to the fabric. Let simmer for about an hour, keeping the temperature between 150 to 180 °F. I tried to keep it at 160 °F.

Distribute the fabric in dye and simmer for an hour

Remove the dye pot from the heat, and use the delayed rinsing technique recommended by Casselman in Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book. Leave the fiber in the ammonia dye bath to cool for 24 hours. Then, remove the fiber, place it in a colander over a pail and leave it another 24 hours. (Any dye you collect can be reused.)

Letting the dye set (lace lichen alkaline dye bath)

After two days, rinse the fiber (which may be completely dry) in cold water. I ran the fabric through the washing machine to rinse, using cold water and no detergent. Hang to dry. The resulting color is a rather disappointing buff or beige. Two weeks later, wash with a mild pH-neutral soap, such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent, to wash out unbound dye. Air dry out of direct sunlight. The resulting color is beige or buff.

Dyeing the Fabric (Acidic)

As mentioned above, the dye results using the lace lichen alkaline bath were disappointing (especially after all the months spent fermenting the dye bath)! This inspired me to use the rest of the dye liquor in a separate experiment, by changing the pH from alkaline to to acid [from  pH 11 (strongly alkaline) to pH 4 (moderately acid)].

I basically followed all the steps described above in "Dyeing the Fabric (Alkaline)", but altered the dye bath by adding the second jar of lace lichen dye liquor and 1 3/4 cups of white household vinegar to the dye bath. The pH registered 4 (moderately acid). Per Dorothy BeeBee in "How to Make a Natural Dye Using Lichens", Myra Made Color (June 4, 2022), when the dye bath registers pH 4, the acid releases pigment. It's unclear whether this is a universal principal or just true for Wolf Lichen.

The lace lichen acidic version already looks darker and more interesting

Letting the dye set (lace lichen acid dye bath)

After two days, rinse the fiber (which may be completely dry) in cold water. I ran the fabric through the washing machine to rinse, using cold water and no detergent. Hang to dry. The resulting color is golden brown. Two weeks later, wash with a mild pH-neutral soap, such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent, to wash out unbound dye. Air dry out of direct sunlight. The resulting color is a golden brown (it looks closer to an orange in the photo, possibly because the picture was taken in the late afternoon, during golden hour).

The Results

The final results of dyeing with lace lichen included a buff or beige color for the alkaline bath (which actually has a richer tone in person than in the photo); and an interesting and complex golden brown color for the acidic bath. You can see that the color is not quite as "orange".

Left: lace lichen (fermented, alkaline dye bath)
Right: lace lichen (fermented, acidic dye bath)

I decided to store the unused acidic dye liquor for future dyeing experiments.

Store the dye for future projects

Note that I had been very disappointed to get such bland results with the fermented alkaline dye bath, but it was also exciting to change the pH of the dye bath and obtain different results with the fermented acid dye bath. This is what makes dyeing with plants, mushrooms, and now lichen, so exciting. It is an ongoing experiment and adventure!

Learn More

• Byrd, Margaret. "How to Make Natural Dyes with Lichen". Color Quest, December 9, 2022. Good overview, which includes information about the fermentation and boiling water methods, as well as a photo-oxidization method (color emerges when fiber is removed from the ammonia dye bath, similar to how indigo dye turns from green to blue when fabric is removed from the dye bat and is exposed to oxygen). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaYI7U7ZHEU

• Casselman, Karen Diadick. Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book (Dover Publications, 2001). Second edition of the original, published by Studio Vista Publications, 1996. This slim book is packed with information (see Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book).

• "How to Make a Natural Dye Using Lichens". Myra Made Color (June 4, 2022). Myra uses Wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina) to dye 100% wool with no mordant, using the water boiling dye process. BeeBee made an interesting comment that when the dye bath registers pH 4, the acid releases pigment. I'm not sure if this is a universal principal or just true for Wolf lichen, but worth exploring. https://youtu.be/RUUeAX4D1uE

• McDonnel, Zoe. "Introduction to Dyeing with Lichens", Wildcraft Dyeing (June 28, 2021). Describes what you need to know to get started natural dyeing with lichens. McDonnel discusses two types of dyeing (boiled water method and ammonia method). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8KfXIIUB_M

• Ramalina menziesii. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramalina_menziesii

Dye Project: Dyer's Polypore

For this mushroom dyeing project, I'm using Dyer's Polypore (Phaeolus schweinitzii), which produces shades of yellow, gold, brown, orange, and olive green, depending on the material dyed and the mordant used. The best color is achieved using protein fibers like wool and silk.

Phaeolus schweinitzii is a polypore fungi (also called a bracket or shelf fungi). It may appear on tree trunks, or it may appear to be terrestrial when growing on underground roots or at the base of the host tree. The fruiting bodies are tannish with darker brown centers, and orange to pale margins on young specimens. As the fruiting bodies age, the pore surface turns from yellow to greenish yellow, the top becomes darker, and the yellow-brown flesh becomes harder and more wood-like. The pores bruise brown. The spores are white, elliptical, and smooth. The fungi is native to North America and Eurasia, and grows on conifers such as Douglas-fir, spruce, fir, hemlock, pine, and larch. The species is inedible, bitter, and mildly toxic.

Mature Dyer's Polypore at Tilden Park in January

Note: if you live in North America, Phaeolus hispidoides is the most up-to-date name. Recent phylogenetic studies have determined that the classic Phaeolus schweinitzii is restricted to Europe and Asia, and North American populations are now split into distinct regional species like Phaeolus hispidoides (common name, New World Dyer's Polypore). Since this change is fairly new, I plan to use P. schweinitzii and Dyer's Polypore in this post. 

Key Supplies

I'm using my usual dye equipment, including a convection burner, a non-reactive stainless steel dye pot, candy thermometer, strainer, cheese cloth, various plastic pails and containers for soaking and rinsing, a digital kitchen scale, stir stick, a mild pH-neutral soap (such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent), rubber gloves, and a face mask. Additional supplies and equipment:

• Mushroom: Phaeolus schweinitzii - dried or fresh. I purchased one ounce (28 grams) of dried mushrooms from a supplier on Etsy (TheConstantForager). The recommended ratio of dye to fabric is 8% of Weight of Fabric (WOF). For example, 28 grams of silk (one ounce) would require 2.24 grams of Dyer's Polypore mushrooms (about .08 ounces).

Dried Dyer's Polypore mushroom

• pH test strips: to test how acidic or alkaline the dye bath is.

• Fabric: 100% protein fibers like wool or silk. I'm using two silk scarves and a silk/wool blend scarf from Dharma Trading, both of which have been scoured and mordanted with alum. For details, see Dye Project: Preparing Protein Fabric (Scour &  Mordant). 

• The silk scarves each weigh 1 ounce or 28 grams (total of 2 ounces or 56 grams). Note that one of the scarves was mordanted in April 2022, so it will be an interesting test of how long mordant lasts!

• The silk/wool blend scarf weighs .7 ounces or 20 grams.

• The recommended ratio of dye to fabric is 8% of Weight of Fabric (WOF); in this case, 8% of 28 grams is 2.24 grams x 2 and 8% of 20 grams is 1.6 grams. I should be able to dye all three items with the 1 ounce / 28 grams of dried mushrooms.

• pH Modifiers: You can easily shift the base yellow/gold colors using various mordants or additives as described below. I plan to only use fabric that is pre-mordanted with alum.
• No modifier / Alum: bright yellows and golds.
• Iron (Ferrous Sulfate): shifts colors to olive greens (use at 2% of fiber weight).
• Alkaline shift: adding washing soda can increase the pH and darken the yellow.

Extracting the Dye

Extracting color from mushrooms is similar to extracting color from plants. Chop the mushrooms into pieces, cover with water and soak overnight, bring to a simmer, and then simmer to extract the color. The process is the same whether you're using fresh or dried mushrooms.

Break the fresh or dried mushrooms and stems into pieces

First, break the mushrooms into small pieces (stems and caps). Cover with water in a non-reactive pot, and soak overnight. Color was released into the water almost immediately, and the pH registered 6 (mildly acid).

Soak mushroom pieces overnight (color starts being released almost immediately)

Next, bring the temperature to about 140 to 160 °F. This process takes about 30-60 minutes. Then let simmer at about 140 to 160 °F for about an hour until the color leaches out. The foam on top of the dye has a yellowish tint to it. I let the mushrooms cool and soak overnight in the dye to extract as much dye as possible.

Dyer's Polypore dye bath after simmering for an hour

Straining out the mushrooms from the extracted dye

Strain out the mushroom solids using a sieve with cheese cloth. I obtained about two quarts of extracted dye. The pH still registered 6 at this time (mildly acid).

The extracted Dyer's Polypore dye - look at that color!

Dyeing the Fabric

Dyeing fabric with mushrooms is very similar to dyeing with plants. Bring the dye bath to a simmer, pre-soak the silk or wool fabric or fiber in warm water, add the fabric to the dye pot, and simmer. One caveat is to make sure the temperature difference is very similar when going from one pot to another. For example, plunging cold silk into a hot dye bath causes shock shrinkage, uneven color, and weakened fibers. Better to add the cold silk to a cooled dye bath.

Place the extracted dye in a clean non-reactive pot and insert the thermometer. The pH still registered 6  at this time (mildly acid).

The extracted dye has a orangey-gold-brown cast to it

Bring the temperature of the dye bath to 140 to 160 °F. This typically takes about 30-60 minutes. I brought the temperature to 160 °F. Let simmer. Dyer's Polypore is more forgiving than some mushroom dyes, but the dye bath should not boil. While the dye bath is coming to temperature, pre-soak your wool or silk in warm water. This will improve how the fabric takes up the dye.

Soaking the three silk and silk/wool scarves in warm water

Add the fabric to the simmering dye pot and stir to distribute evenly. Add more water to cover the fabric if necessary. This will not dilute the dye; it just ensures a better of distribution of the dye to the fabric.

Distribute the fabric for an even uptake of the dye

Let the fabric simmer for at least 15 minutes, or longer to get the desired color, keeping the temperature between 140 to 160 °F. I simmered one of the silk scarves and the silk/wool blend scarf for 15 minutes, and the other silk scarf (the one mordanted in 2022) for an hour.

Remove the fabric and let it cool down, so you don't shock the fibers. I'm using a clean food container that once help chicken parts. Once cooled, hang to dry. You could rinse in lukewarm water before hanging to dry, but I'm waiting to give the dye longer to bond with the fabric.

Top: simmered for one hour
Bottom: simmered for 15 minutes

Two weeks later, wash with a mild pH-neutral soap, such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent, to wash out unbound dye. Air dry out of direct sunlight. The resulting color is a strong orangey-gold.

The Results

The final results of dyeing with Dyer's Polypore mushrooms were quite stunning. I love the strong orangey-gold color (and was pleased how well the silk scarf that was mordanted in 2020 performed). While researching the project, many dyers commented on how prolific the dye bath is, enabling the dyer to continue dyeing multiple objects. I dyed three objects, and felt I could keep going. Because of that I decided to keep the dye bath to use in a future dye project.

Left hanger: silk and silk/wool scarves (15 minute simmer)
Right hanger: silk scarf (1 hour simmer)

Store the dye for future projects

Learn More

• Byrd, Margaret. "How to Make Natural Color from Dyer's Polypore". Color Quest, 2023. This video shows how to achieve different colors using Phaeolus schweinitzii and various mordants. https://youtu.be/_4adB4t4DpU

• Beeler, Julie. "The Mushroom Color Atlas: A Guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi". Discover the incredible spectrum of pigments and dyes that can be created from mushrooms. 

You can also use the online version of The Mushroom Color Atlas. Use the Index to filter for a specific fungus and see its batch notes and pigment studies (for example, Phaeolus hispidoides if you are in North America). This is a wonderful resource.

• Beeler, Julie. "Dyeing with Mushrooms". Bloom & Dye, January 31, 2019. This article describes the basic process of dyeing with mushrooms, using Phaeolus schweinitzii as an example. https://www.bloomanddye.com/journal/2019/2/1/dyeing-with-mushrooms

• Crook, Amy. "Dyeing with Phaeolus schweinitzii, Dyer’s Polypore". Fibreshed Vancouver Island, September 29, 2025. https://vancouverislandfibreshed.ca/dyeing-with-phaeolus-schweinitzii-dyers-polypore/

• Dawson, Cheryl. "Dyeing Protein Fibers with Mushrooms". North American Mycological Association. Provides a synthesis of published information about dyeing with mushrooms (revised January 2015).

• "How to Make Dye with Mushrooms: The Dyer's Polypore". Myra Made Color, December 17 2021. This video shows how to dye with Dyer's Polypore. https://youtu.be/T4TjnxFO3yw

• Hughs, Jenifer. Jenifer Hugh's Post, July 12, 2020. Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mycopigments/posts/1618562678293998/

• McDonnel, Zoe. "How to Dye with Dyers Polypore / Phaeolus schweinitzii". Wildcraft Dyeing, 2020. In this video, a wildlife ecologist dyes yarn with Phaeolus schweinitzii. https://youtu.be/oeD4YQYq3tQ

• Phaeolus schweinitzii. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaeolus_schweinitzii

• "Testing 3 Different Mordant Methods with Phaeolus schweinitzii Mushroom Dye". Forest & Spirit, ~2018. https://forestandthespirit.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/dyeing-with-phaeolus-schweinitzii-mushroom/

• Vejar, Kristine. "Holiday Stitch Exchange: Dyeing with Mushrooms". A Verb for Keeping Warm, December 3, 2014. https://www.averbforkeepingwarm.com/blogs/news/16127352-holiday-stitch-exchange-dyeing-with-mushrooms?srsltid=AfmBOop_djXWil1ISwpm9-FNQuWwiQWf2-swMzBLI2PjLiJ4nWV6WIK8

Dye Project: Western Jack o' Lantern

For my next mushroom dyeing project, I'm using Western Jack-o'-Lantern (Omphalotus olivascens), which produces purples, grays, and greens with protein fibers like wool and silk. The pigment is highly pH-sensitive: acidic baths yield purples and grays, while alkaline baths produce mossy to deep forest greens. If possible, I plan to try producing both, although I have a limited quantity of dried mushrooms.

Western Jack-o'-Lantern is an orange to brown-colored, gilled, poisonous mushroom, endemic to the North American west coast. It thrives in coastal oak forest and fruits through fall and winter. It has several look-a-likes including Cantharellus cibarius. The Jack-o'-Lantern mushroom has true, blade-like gills (rather than ridges). Omphalotus species are saprotrophic (meaning they grow directly on wood, typically oak, madrone, and eucalyptus), and are bioluminescent.

Western Jack-o'-Lantern
(Image by Ron Pastorino, Creative Commons) 

Key Supplies

I'm using my usual dye equipment, including a convection burner, non-reactive stainless steel pot, candy thermometer, strainer, cheese cloth, various plastic pails and containers for soaking and rinsing fabric, digital kitchen scale, stir stick, a mild pH-neutral soap (such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent), rubber gloves, and a face mask. Specific supplies and equipment includes:

• Dried or fresh Omphalotus olivascens mushrooms. Use a 1:1 ratio of mushrooms-to-fabric. I purchased one ounce of foraged, dried mushrooms from a supplier on Etsy (The Constant Forager).

Caution: This mushroom is highly toxic if ingested, and can cause skin irritation. Always wear gloves when handling, and use dedicated dye pots and utensils when dyeing.

• Protein-based fiber or fabric, like wool or silk. I'm using two 100% silk scarves from Dharma Trading that have been scoured and mordanted with alum. For details, see Dye Project: Preparing Protein Fabric (Scour &  Mordant). Each scarf weighs one ounce or 28 grams, so I'll be dyeing two ounces of fabric. With a recommended ratio of 1:1 mushrooms-to-fabric, my ratio of 1:2 may yield paler results.

Dried Western Jack-o'-Lantern mushrooms

 

• pH modifiers. Since the pigment is highly pH-sensitive, you can change the color outcome by manipulating the acidity or alkalinity of the dye bath. I'll be using white vinegar (acidic) and washing soda or soda ash (alkaline) as modifiers.

• pH test strips. Test strips are useful for determining how acidic or alkaline the dye bath is.

• Modifiers (optional): Use Iron (Ferrous Sulfate) to shift colors toward darker greens and grays. I may want to add it as a modifier to the dye bath to manipulate it to a darker color.

Extract the Dye

Extracting color from mushrooms is very similar to extracting color from plants. Chop the mushrooms into pieces, cover with water, bring to a simmer, and then simmer to extract the color. The process is the same whether you're using fresh or dried mushrooms.

Break the fresh or dried mushroom into pieces

First, break the mushrooms into small pieces (stems and caps). Since this mushroom is toxic, I wear rubber gloves to protect my hands. Place the mushroom pieces in a non-reactive pot and cover with two gallons of water. Color was released into the water almost immediately, and the pH registered 6 (mildly acid).

Color is released almost immediately

Bring the temperature slowly to around 150-180 °F (the Regional Palettes article cited below recommends 165 °F as the ideal for Western Jack-o'-Lantern, but it is unclear if that applies to extracting dye or to dyeing wool). Simmer for 30 to 60 minutes until the mushrooms have released their color. The dye bath was a deep brown color, but with a tinge of red in certain light.

Western Jack-O-Lantern dye bath after simmering for an hour

Let the dye bath cool. Once cool, you can strain out the the mushroom solids using a sieve lined with cheese cloth. I let the mushrooms soak overnight to extract as much color as possible, and strained the dye bath the next day. Alternatively, if you are dyeing yarn, you can leave the mushrooms in the dye bath for a more mottled, intense hue, but it will take some time to pick the pieces out of the yarn. Surprisingly, the pH registered 5 at this time (moderately acid).

Straining the mushroom pieces out of the dye

When straining the mushroom pieces out of the dye, I was surprised to see that the brown liquid actually has a purple caste to it. I've been reading how complex mushroom colors are, and I can definitely see that. After straining the dye, looks like there is a little over three quarts to be divided into two batches for the two dye projects.

Dye Fabric Purple or Gray (Acidic)

For the first batch, I decided to try for a shade of purple, which is apparently tricky to achieve. You need to remove the fabric from the dye as soon as the purple color appears, after about 5-15 minutes in the dye pot. This is counter intuitive to most dye projects, in which you let the fabric soak in the dye until you achieve a darker or richer color, often overnight. However, in this case if you leave the fabric in the dye bath longer, the color quickly changes from purple to muddy grays or brown. I will try for a shade of purple, but be content with a shade of gray or brown!

The filtered dye has a definite purple cast to it

Place the dye in a clean non-reactive pot, and then add a generous splash of white vinegar to change the acidity of the dye bath to pH 4 - 5 (moderately acid). Test the pH of the dye bath, and add a little more vinegar as needed. My splash of vinegar might have been a little too generous, since the pH registered more like 3 (but still in the moderately acid range).

Pre-soak the fabric in warm water

Bring the temperature of the dye bath to 150-180 °F (I aimed for 165 °F, the temperature recommended in the Regional Palettes article cited below). This took about 30 minutes. While the dye bath is coming to temperature, pre-soak your wool or silk in warm water. This will improve how the fabric takes up the dye.

Distribute the fabric for an even uptake of dye

Add the fabric to the simmering dye pot and stir to distribute evenly. Add more water to cover if necessary. This will not dilute the dye; it just ensures a better of distribution of the dye to the fabric. Check the color frequently. Remove the fabric as soon as it turns purple (usually 5-15 minutes). If left in the bath too long, the color darkens into muddy grays or browns. This was a little tricky since I wasn't sure exactly what color of purple to look for, but I pulled the fabric out after about 10 minutes, and placed it on a plastic tray to let the color set. The color was initially slightly purple, but then changed to a lovely, complex gray.

Let the fabric cool (initially it was this purplish color)

Remove the fabric from the dye pot, and let it cool without rinsing to allow the color to set. Let it dry overnight for 24 hours before you rinse, so you don't change the pH. When cool, you can either rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water (optionally, add a splash of vinegar to the rinse water to maintain the acidity) and hang to dry, out of direct sunlight; or you can forgo rinsing, hang to dry, and rinse later. I chose the latter, to give the dye more time to set.

Two weeks later, I washed the fabric with a mild pH-neutral soap, such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent, to wash out unbound dye, and hung to air dry, out of direct sunlight. The resulting color is a pale gray, with a hint of purple in certain light.

Follow-up note: A month and a half later, I'm now noticing that the gray actually appears as a "seafoam greenish-gray" in some light! I'm assuming it is the light that is bringing out different colors in the dye (or could the dye actually be changing over time)? Mushroom dyes are certainly complex and fascinating!

Dye Fabric "Green" (Alkaline)

For the second batch, I decided to try for a shade of olive green. If I wanted a darker shade of green, I could add iron (Ferrous Sulfate).

Place the dye in the clean non-reactive pot, and make the dye bath alkaline by adding washing soda (soda ash) to reach a pH of 8 to 10. To do this, add 1 teaspoon of soda ash at a time, testing after each addition. I added 1 teaspoon of soda ash to register a pH of 10 (possibly because my dye bath is fairly small). Note that the color goes from purple to brown during this process, which you want for producing green. 

Preparing to dye

Bring the temperature of the dye bath to a low heat (150 - 180 °F). This typically takes about 30-60 minutes. I brought the temperature to 160 °F. While the dye bath is coming to temperature, pre-soak your wool or silk in warm water. This improves how the fabric takes up the dye.

Pre-soaking the protein-based fabric in warm water

Add the fabric to the simmering dye pot and stir to distribute evenly. Add more water to cover if necessary. Simmer gently until you achieve the desired mossy or olive or forest green (about 30 to 45) minutes).

The photo doesn't show it, but the dye bath was a light olive green

The dye result was buttery yellow!

However, the fabric did not actually dye a shade of green—only a lovely shade of buttery yellow! In a last-ditch effort, I added 1/8 teaspoon of iron (Ferrous sulfate) to the dye bath, which turned a darker shade that looked more like a green olive. The pH registered between 10 and 11 (still strongly alkaline). I placed the ends of the silk scarf in the dye bath and simmered for another 45 minutes.

Simmering the scarf ends in dye modified with iron

Initially, the scarf ends looked like they darkened in color

Remove the fabric from the dye pot, and let it cool without rinsing to allow the color to set. Let it dry overnight for 24 hours before you rinse, so you don't change the pH. You can either rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water and hang to dry, out of direct sunlight; or you can forgo rinsing, hang to dry, and rinse later. I chose the latter, to give the dye more time to set. In my case, the ends still look buttery yellow, with no change towards green. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised—when looking at the Mushroom Color Atlas, the base pigment for fabric dyed with Omphalotus olivascens has a yellowish hue.

Two weeks later, I washed the fabric with a mild pH-neutral soap, such as Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent, to wash out unbound dye, and hung to air dry, out of direct sunlight. The resulting color is a very pale yellow, and almost white in certain light.

The Results

The final results of dyeing with dried Western Jack-o'-Lantern mushrooms were quite pale. The alkaline dye bath yielded a very pale yellow shade, that is almost white in some light; there is definitely no green shade, even with the iron added to the dye bath later in the process. The acidic dye bath yielded a lovely and complex shade of gray, with a tinge of purple in certain light; there was a brief shade of purple during the dyeing process, but it quickly turned gray. 

Left-to-right: the alkaline dye bath yielded pale yellow; the acid bath yielded gray

In retrospect,  I probably should have procured more of the dried mushroom, or focused on one color or the other. A 1:1 ratio of mushrooms-to-fabric was recommended, and I used a ratio of 1:2 in order to try both an acidic and an alkaline dye bath. You can't blame a girl for trying!

In the past, I've often kept the dye bath for future project, to experiment with a second dye session.  Since I had such pale results, I decided not to keep the dye bath for future use.

For the alkaline dye bath, I should have either pre-mordanted the silk with iron as well as alum, before dyeing, or included the iron as a mordant additive to the dye bath from the beginning. Still, it was fun to experiment.

Another factor in the dye results may have been temperature. My research indicated that the dye bath for Western Jack-o'-Lantern mushrooms should be between 150-180 °F. I tried to keep the temperature at about 165 °F when extracting and dyeing, but maybe that was too hot. According to the Color Atlas Batch Notes, 140 °F might be a better temperature to use. See: "https://mushroomcoloratlas.com/mushroom/omphalotus_olivascens/" and search the Index for 

Even though I didn't get some of the vibrant shades of purple, gray, or green that I saw other dyers achieving, I had a lot of fun trying new things and experimenting along the way!

Learn More

• Get an (Ompha)lotus that purple! Frolicking in Fiber, February 27, 2019. https://frolickinginfiber.home.blog/2019/02/27/get-an-omphalotus-that-purple/

• Mushroom Color Atlas - use the online Color Atlas for specific batch notes and pigment studies on Omphalotus olivascens. This is a great resource, and is based on The Mushroom Color Atlas: A Guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi, by Julie Beeler.

• Natural Dyeing With Mushrooms: Omphalotus olivascens (Western Jack-o'-Lantern). Myra Made Color: https://youtu.be/fvrM964uxNo

• Omphalotus olivascens. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalotus_olivascens

• Regional Palettes: A Closer Look at Northern California Dye Mushrooms. Mycopigments, January 11, 2014. This article describes several exceptional dye mushrooms found in Northern California, including Omphalotus olivascens, the Western Jack-o'-Lantern. https://www.mycopigments.com/blogs/news/regional-palettes-a-closer-look-at-northern-california-dye-mushrooms

Dye Project: Preparing Protein Fabric (Scour & Mordant)

I like to have a batch of prepared fabric on hand, so that when I come across an interesting dye source I'm ready to dye. The process involves scouring the fabric to remove impurities, mordanting the fabric so the dye bonds with it, and optionally brightening or saddening the fabric to intensify or modify color and improve its fastness. Last year I documented how to prepare a batch of plant-based fiber, such as cotton and linen, to have on hand (see Dye Project: Preparing your Fabric (Scour, Mordant, Brighten or Sadden).

This year I'm documenting how to prepare a batch of protein-based fiber, such as silk and wool, for a series of projects. The process for preparing protein fabrics is similar to the process used for plant-based fibers. The exception is that wool and silk do not respond well to extreme changes in temperature. For best results, keep it slow and steady when bringing the bath to temperature and cooling it.

Silk scarves - scoured and mordanted

I summarized the process of scouring and mordanting silk briefly back in 2022 in Dye Project: Eco-dyeing Spring Flowers and Plants, by saying that "the fabric was scoured with Orvus paste and soda ash, and mordanted with gallnut" and promising a separate video. I hope to finally fulfill my intentions to record the process in this post.

For this project, I'll be preparing an assortment of protein-based fabrics, including six silk scarves (100%), a couple of silk and wool blend scarves (63% and 37% respectively), and a silk velvet and rayon blend scarf (18% and 82% respectively). I obtained all of the scarves from Dharma Trading. I also have a leftover silk scarf that was prepared in 2022. It does not need to be re-scoured or mordanted, but it will be interesting to see if four years has an impact on the color or light fastness of the material.

Scarf: silk (screenshot from Dharma Trading website)

Scarf: silk/wool blend (screenshot from Dharma Trading website)

Scarf: silk-velvet with rayon background - Leaf2 pattern
(screenshot from Dharma Trading website)

Scouring (Orvus Paste)

Purpose: Scour silk fabric to remove impurities that may compromise dye results. According to the website, silk scarves from Dharma do not need to be scoured, but I'm doing it anyway to be sure. These instructions are based on the process recommended by Maiwa Textiles, which is to use Orvus paste to remove any remains of lanolin or other impurities from the silk fabric (this time I'm not using soda ash with the Orvus paste). Orvus paste has a pH of 7.8 (slightly base). I plan to scour the silk and silk-wool and silk-velvet rayon blends together, as demonstrated by Maiwa.

The basic process for this step:

1. Before you start, weigh the dry fabric and record this value as the Weight of Fabric (WOF).
2. Prewash the fabric in the washing machine, using a textile detergent.
3. Scour the fabric in heated water, using Orvus paste (sometimes called "horse shampoo" or "quilt soap"). 
4. Let the fabric cool down, and then rinse.

Orvus paste, a.k.a., "horse shampoo" or "quilt soap"
(screenshot from Amazon website)

For scouring a pound of fabric, use:

• 1 teaspoon Orvus Paste 

For example, I plan to process 7 ounces of silk and silk blend (almost half a pound, or about 200 grams), so I will use 1/2 teaspoon of Orvus paste.

Scouring protein-based fabric with Orvus paste

Scour the silk fabric:

1. Pre-wash the fabric in the washing machine using 1 teaspoon of textile detergent, such as Synthrapol or Professional Textile Detergent. Hang to dry and process later, or use the damp fabric in the next steps.
2. In a large stainless steel pot, add Orvus paste to about three gallons of water and stir to mix. The pH registers at 5 (moderately acid).
3. Add the damp fabric to the pot and distribute it so that the fabric is not crowded. Add more water if needed to cover the fabric.
4. Heat the water to 140 ℉ (60 ℃), stirring periodically to rotate the fabric. Unlike my experience with scouring plant-based fabrics, the silk and silk blend fabrics did not turn brown with impurities.
5. Maintain the temperature for an hour, periodically stirring the fabric gently to rotate it. After an hour, turn off the heat, and let the water cool down.
6. Remove the fabric from the scouring bath. Rinse it in cool water, and squeeze out excess water. Wash the fabric in the washing machine (cool water, no detergent). Optionally add an extra rinse cycle.
7. At this point you can immerse the wet fabric into your mordant, brightener, or dye bath; or you can air-dry the fabric and store it until needed. Label it so you know that it was scoured.

Rinsing the scoured protein-based fabric

Mordanting (Alum Sulfate)

Purpose: Mordant the scoured protein fabric to prepare it to receive and hold dye. Multiple mordants are available, but here I am using alum sulfate. Optionally I could add cream of tartar for the wool, but cream of tartar is not typically used for silk. Since I'm processing them together, I have chosen not to include cream of tartar. Again, these instructions are based on the process recommended by Maiwa Textiles.

Mordanting the protein-based fabric with alum

Mordant the silk fabric:

1. Prepare a large stainless steel mordant pot by filling it with enough warm water (110º F, or 45º C) to cover the fabric when added, usually a 30:1 ratio of water to fabric.
2. To a small non-reactive container, measure alum at 15% WOF (I'm using 2-3 tablespoons, or about 30-40 grams) Optionally, I could add cream of tartar for the wool at 6% WOF (about 3 to 3.5 teaspoons, or about 12-13 grams). Cream of tartar is not necessary for the silk, so I'll omit it this time; but it wouldn't hurt the silk in a mixed batch, so I may try adding it in a future project.
3. Add very hot water to the container, and stir to dissolve the alum (and the optional cream of tartar).
4. Pour the dissolved alum solution into the large stainless steel pot of water, and stir well. The pH registers at 3 (still moderately acid, but moving toward strongly acid).
5. Add the scoured, wet fiber. Over 30-45 minutes bring the temperature up to 160-180 ºF (70-80 º C).
6. Simmer the silk fabric at 160-180 ºF (70-80 ºC) for one hour. Stir the fabric regularly with a stainless steel spoon so the alum is evenly distributed.
7. Let the mordant bath cool for 20 minutes.
8. Remove the fabric from the mordant bath. Rinse well in cool water, or wash the fabric in the washing machine (cool water, no detergent), with an optional extra rinse cycle. You can store the fabric in a damp white cloth for 24-48 hours (keeping it damp during this entire period), and dye it in the next day or two. Or you can air-dry the fabric and store it until needed.
9. Once completely dry, the mordanted fabric may be stored indefinitely. 

Drip drying protein-based fabric

Ready to Dye

At this point, your silk fabric is scoured, mordanted, and ready to dye. Having a stash of prepared fabric is like having a full pantry that is available when you're ready to cook up a storm. I'm planning to use this batch for several dye projects that use mushrooms,

Prepared protein-based fabric labeled and ready to dye!

Mordanting Additives

When you are ready to dye, you can add additional mordants to the dye bath to further manipulate the dye. For example, you can add more alum to brighten the dye bath or ferrous sulfate to sadden, or darken it. You can add vinegar to make the dye path more acidic, or soda ash or ammonia to make it more alkaline. You can add titanium oxalate to push the dye to a more golden or orange color. Experimenting is part of the fun of dyeing! 

Learn More

• Maiwa School of Textiles "Mordants & Tannins", https://maiwa.teachable.com/p/mordants-tannins (free but you must sign up).

• Maiwa Textiles, "How to Mordant Silk or other Protein Fibres", https://naturaldyes.ca/how-to-mordant-protein (also a free, downloadable PDF file is available).