Hi,

Here's an addition to the plant dying article (stained in onions) from a few weeks ago.

The other day I gathered a bunch of acorns, maybe 50 or so, the other day. They've all gone brown, and I didn't bother to remove the caps. I covered them in water, and boiled them for an hour. The water turns dark stained. I then removed the acorns and added some white yarn, two shades of grey yarn, and some white mohair yarn as well. Simmered that in the dye bath for 30 or 40 minutes, and ended up with a nice deep brown, darker in the grey wools of course. The tannins in the acorns should result in a colour fast result, so no need to use a mordant (or so I've read). Anyway, if you're in an area with lots of oaks, and you're one to play around with dying your own, this is an easy one that results in a good colour.

- Jeff