WELD
(Dyer's Rocket)
reseda luteola
Description
Weld is a personal favourite of ours to dye with. The big leafy plants with their near invisible yellow flowers look so unassuming. Yet they burst to life - and colour - in the dye pot. We also like having weld in the garden because the spiers are a haven for bees in late summer.
Experiments
We have experimented with dying with weld on wool where it produces an almost electric yellow as seen in the punch needle sunflower below. We have overdyed turquoise wool with weld to produce bright green. We have overdyed woad-dyed wool with weld to produce Lincoln Green as on the photo below. Some years we need to add chalk to the dye bath in order to truly bring out the pure yellow; other years it simply magically appears. Soaking the weld for a few days before simmering makes a stronger colour. The tips of the spiers of weld make an exquisite eco-print.
Click here for general dyeing information.
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