Natural Dyeing with Dandelions

Note before reading: This blog was written in 2018, when I was studying for my MA (hence the Harvard referencing!). Where needed, I have edited these posts to correct any factual inaccuracies. This post was last edited Dec 2025.

Dyeing with dandelions is covered in more depth in my 2023 book Dyeing Yarn Naturally, available to buy in my shop or in all good booksellers.

On my drive to Sion Hill I drive past thousands of dandelions on Lansdown Road. One day, I pulled over and picked a good clump to see if they could dye wool the same sunny yellow that the flowers produce.

Using the same extraction method as for dried plants- I soaked the flowers and stalks for a few hours in cold water before heating for an hour and leaving to cool. Then I strained the liquid and added the alum mordanted yarn (at a ratio of one part yarn and three parts dye stuff) and heated for an hour, leaving to cool overnight.

The resulting yarn colour was a buttery yellow - not as vivid as I was hoping, but not a bad colour considering the materials were free and in abundance!