Rita Buchanan - A Weavers Garden: Growing Plants for Natural Dyes and Fibers

Many companies sell cotton, flax, and other natural plant fibers in ready-to-spin form or as yarn, and wool yarns that are excellent for dyeing with natural dyes. Other suppliers offer alum and other chemicals used in dyeing, related supplies and tools, and dried dye plants or dye extracts. For current information, check the advertisements in SpinOff, published quarterly by Interweave Press, 201 East 4th St., Loveland, CO 80537, or other fiber-craft magazines.

Acid. A sour-tasting substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions when dissolved in water; has a pH lower than 7.

Alkali. Any of a group of basic substances, often present in soil and water; has a pH higher than 7.

Alum. A white powdery substance used as a mordant in dyeing; usually aluminum potassium sulfate (AlK(SO4)212H2O).

Annual. A plant that lives through only one growing season.

Base. A bitter-tasting substance that increases the concentration of hydroxyl ions when dissolved in water and makes a caustic, slippery solution; has a pH higher than 7.

Bast fibers. Fibers obtained from the stems of plants such as flax, hemp, and ramie; stem fibers.

Biennial. A plant that completes its life cycle in two growing seasons, usually flowering and bearing fruit the second year.

Bracts. Leaf-like plant parts, usually small, that are located beneath a single flower or a flower cluster.

Brake. A tool for breaking the woody core of plant stems in order to free and clean the stem fibers.

Brushing. Raising a fuzzy nap on a fabric.

Bucking. Cleaning linen with lye obtained from wood ashes.

Calyx. The outer parts of a flower, consisting of the leaf-like sepals (usually green).

Cards, carders. Brush-like tools with short stiff wires set close together on a wooden frame, used to prepare wool, cotton and other short fibers for spinning.

Cellulose. An inert carbohydrate (C6H12O5)n which is the main constituent of plant fibers.

Cold frame. A low structure with a glass or plastic top, used to protect plants from the weather.

Compost. A mixture of decayed organic substances, such as plant clippings and manure, used to improve soil texture and fertility.

Cordage. A general term for twines and ropes.

Crown. The part of a plant where the root and stem meet.

Deciduous. Falling off at the end of a growing season; not evergreen.

Degum. To remove the yellowish coating of silk-glue from the surface of raw silk fibers.

Detergent. A chemical product that has cleansing power.

Dicot or dicotyledon. A member of the group of flowering plants that characteristically has two cotyledons or food storage organs in the seed; a net-like pattern of leaf veins; and xylem and phloem tissue arranged concentrically in the stem, forming the rings of woody plants (cf. monocot).

Disk flowers. The tiny flowers packed into the center of the flower head of plants in the daisy family (cf. ray flowers ).

Distaff. A stick or frame for holding fibers prepared for spinning.

Dormancy. A period of rest and suspended growth of seeds, buds or plants; usually during cold or dry weather.

Dyebath. The water and dye mixture in which fibers are placed for dyeing.

Epidermis. The outer layer or skin of a plant.

Essential oils. Highly volatile oils that are concentrated by distilling fragrant plant parts.

Extract. A solution made by soaking or boiling plant parts in water.

Family. A major subdivision in the classification of plants or animals, usually consisting of several genera.

Fast. A dye that resists fading in air, light, or soapy water.

Fixative. An ingredient added to mixtures of dried herbs to assist in retaining the scent.

Fugitive. A dye that fades quickly in air, light, or water.

Fulling. Washing woven goods (usually woolen) to shrink and thicken the fabric.

Genus. A subdivision in the classification of organisms; the first word of a two-part Latin name.

Germination. The sprouting of seeds.

Ginning. Separating cotton fibers from the embedded seeds.

Hackling. Combing bundles of stem fibers to clean and straighten them.

Hank. A bundle of combed fibers or a skein of yarn.

Hard fibers. Fibers obtained from the leaves of plants such as sisal or abac; leaf fibers.

Herbaceous. Having a stem that remains soft, not woody.