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July 12

Our new summer shawl pattern using our blue gradient yarn. The shawl uses three gradient hanks. The pattern will be available soon.

2 thoughts on “July 12

  1. I’m curious too about how to get more blue from buckthorn berries. I read your spinoff article and will try the lower temp suggestion (maybe even solar dye). Last year I harvested them quite late and added vinegar to one dye bath to change acidity and yarn was bluer, but I couldn’t replicate it. I’ll try again this year both with varying temps and checking acidity. I also wondered about treating it like indigo. Still on a quest!

    1. Hi Dottie, I got blue from the skins of he berries at a lower temp but even that wasn’t totally reliable. The whole thing made me very curious about the dye chemistry
      of buckthorn but I wasn’t able to find anything. I did try treating it like indigo as I moved from experimenting with buckthorn to japanese indigo. I would speculate that
      whatever the blue in the skins isn’t indigo. I will say that whatever it is is fast over time and somewhat light fast. My buckthorn sweater is several (maybe 5) years old
      and doesn’t show any signs of fading and it gets worn regularly during the colder months. Good luck with experimentation! I’d love to hear anything you discover.

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