Plants•Color•Place

Helen Krayenhoff is a natural dyer and plant lover with many years experience with both. She co-owns Kassenhoff Growers, an organic plant nursery in Oakland. Using local plants to dye fiber has deepened her appreciation for growing them. She finds bringing natural color to local fiber opens a window into a new way of seeing the world. One that is healing and regenerative.

Dried Coreopsis Flowers

Dried Coreopsis flowers (C. tinctoria) Use these dried flowers to create a dye bath for any mordanted natural fiber. 10gm / .4oz dried flowers will dye 2 oz. of fiber an intense shade. For lighter colors, either use more fiber or less flowers in your dye bath. Use modifiers to create more colors: orange with washing soda (alkali), brown with iron. I grew, harvested and dried these flowers in my garden in Oakland, California. Organically grown CCOF.

Dried Mexican Marigold Flowers

Dried Mexican Marigold Flowers (Tagetes erecta) These dried flowers can be used to create a dye bath for any mordanted natural fiber. 20gm / .7oz dried flowers will dye 2 oz. of fiber an intense shade. Use modifiers to create more colors: orange with washing soda (alkali), greenish with iron. I grew, harvested and dried these flowers in my garden in Oakland, California. It is a mix of yellow and orange colored flowers. Organically grown CCOF