From the time I sat at my grandmother’s side learning to crochet, I have loved fiber art. I have a spinning wheel, two looms, and a big imagination! And on my vision board this year are heaps of hand dyed yarn with plant dyes.

I currently upcycle most of my yarn to keep it out of landfills. I obtained several skeins of a beautiful wool/silk blend and began experimenting with different fruits and vegetables to make dyes. I really love how the purple cabbage turned out. The beets and avocado pits were not as pink as I wanted. The red chile could have sat longer. But turmeric…wow! It is a showstopper in no time.

Using the microwave to dye yarn makes pretty yarn real quick. You don’t need a mordant to use turmeric. It will be a little brighter if you do, but it turns out super pretty without.

In a microwave proof mixing bowl, add about 1/3 cup of powdered turmeric and fill 3/4 full of water. Microwave for 2 minutes. Run around and push the laundry through or water the garden. Microwave for 2 minutes. A few minutes later, do it one more time. Stir. At this point, you could strain it, but I like the variegated look it gets with the turmeric sitting on the yarn.

Add one or two skeins of white yarn (natural only! Acrylic and fake materials will melt or catch fire! They are plastic.) to the bowl of water. Make sure it is covered with water. Spoon the turmeric over the yarn. Microwave for 2 minutes. Let sit 3 minutes (or more). Repeat 2 more times. Let cool a little before pulling it out and rinsing it in hot water (that you can handle, not boiling). Rinse well. Twist gently, you don’t want to felt it! Wrap up in towel for awhile then drape over shower rod.

Wallah! Easy turmeric dyed yarn. I also dyed a wash cloth and part of the kitchen on accident! Good thing I like yellow!