Dyeing with Gymnopilus sp.

Workshop leader: Andreya Marks, USA

Skeins of Wool yarn were already pre-mordanted with Potassium alum. The samples were divided into three groups, for three experiments: 

1.) Gymnopilus junonius 

The mordanted skeins were added to a dye bath of Gymnopilus junonius, at a 1:1 ratio, mushrooms to weight of goods, simmered with the mushrooms in the dyepot which produced beautiful gold and yellows. 

2) Gymnopilus junonius and alum mordanted wool was simmered in an iron dye pot and produced a gentle green. 

Gymnopilus junionus simmering in the dye pot

3) Gymnopilus sp. 
Some of the alum pre-mordanted yarns were put into an iron pot , and washing soda was added to the dye bath which changed the pH of the dye bath from pH6 to pH9. The original gold yarns changed to a light olive green with the change in pH and the iron pot. 

We came up with 3 colours.

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