Dye Recipe

COLOR 71
Light Orange-Brown
4 pounds ripe sumac berries (dried)
1 pound yarn

---

Grind sumac berries between Navajo grinding stones. Soak in 3 gallons of lukewarm water for two days or until sufficient fermentation has taken place so that the color of the fruit has passed out into the dyewater. Strain, squeezing the pulp through. Add wet yarn. Let stand in a warm place to ferment. Rub the yarn often to work the dye into it. Rinse well.

Note: The specimen displayed here is a slight variation from the one featured in the dye chart.

Dye Recipe

Sumac withes with leaves, piñon pitch and yellow ocher, a mineral, are used in making black dye.

Sumac is also called squaw bush and skunk bush. It is a shrub which grows three to six feet high, depending upon the amount of moisture. It grows wherever a little water is available, as along arroyos and streams. The withes with leaves are used for making black dye and may be either fresh or dried. Before drying the Navajo twist the twigs into rolls which weigh about one-fourth pound each.

The piñon is found on the foothills of the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona at an elevation of 4,000 to 8,000 feet. It is an evergreen tree which grows ten feet and higher, depending upon the amount of moisture.

The pitch which oozes out of the tree and collects on the bark is used for this dye.

The mineral, yellow ocher, is a type of gypsum with a little iron in it. It may be picked up around coal mines in the arid regions on the Navajo Reservation. It is found in soft yellow chunks.

Bluish-Black/Native Black Dye (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 69)

2 pounds sumac withes with leaves
3 cups piñon pitch
3 cups yellow ocher
1 pound yarn

Roll the sumac in rolls (4 large rolls). In winter use dried leaves only. Boil the sumac with 6 gallons of water from 1 to 3 hours (longer boiling produces a faster color).

Toast the ocher to cocoa brown in a frying pan. Drop in the pitch, a little at a time, stir well as long as it smokes. It should now be shiny like gunpowder and a bluish color. Cool the ocher until just warm before using.

Caution: This is inflammable, so keep away from flames.

Strain the sumac, add the ocher and pitch, stir and boil 15 minutes.
Add wet yarn. Boil 2 to 3 hours. Leave yarn in dyewater overnight.
Rinse two or three times and dry. Shake or rub in a cloth to remove loose Powder.

Note: If any ocher and pitch mixture is left over, warm a little before using it again.

Light Oxford Gray (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 70)

Afterbath native black dyewater from above recipe
1 pound yarn

Add sufficient water to the afterbath black dyewater to make 4 gallons. Bring to a boil. Add wet yarn. Stir well. Boil 2 to 3 hours stirring frequently. For a darker color, allow the yarn to remain in the dyebath overnight. Rinse thoroughly.

---

Dye Recipe

Cream (Native Plant Dyes)

Fill 2 3/4 gallon dye pan 3/4 way with plant
Fill pot with water
1 skein of yarn
¼ tsp. alum

1. Combine bark, water and yarn and simmer one hour.
2. Remove yarn, plant separately and strain dye bath.
3. Bring dye bath to boil. Add alum and boil five minutes and stir.
4. Return yarn to pot and simmer for one hour.
5. Remove yarn, rinse and dry.

---

Dye Recipe

The bark of this tree is the part used for dye and gives the strongest color when gathered in the fall. It is stripped from the wood immediately and may be used either fresh or dried. Gambel’s oak grows commonly in the lower mountains.

Dulled Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 46)

8 pounds Gambel’s oak bark
½ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Pound up the bark and boil in 5 gallons of water for 2 hours. Strain.

Add the raw alum to the dyewater and boil 10 minutes. Add the wet yarn and stir again. Boil for 2 hours. Allow to remain in the dyebath overnight. Rinse.

---

Dye Recipe

Golden Rod (Native Plant Dyes)

Fill 2 3/4 gallon dye pan 3/4 way with onion skins
2 gallon of water
1 skein of yarn
1 tsp. of alum

1. Combine onion skins, water, yarn and set aside overnight.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer one hour.
3. Remove yarn, plant separately and strain dye bath.
4. Add mordant and dissolve for five minutes.
5. Add damp yarn and simmer one hour.
6. Set aside overnight.
7. Rinse and dry.

---

Dye Recipe

The Navajo name means hummingbird food. It grows one to one and one-half feet tall and is found in the lower parts of the mountains. Either the flowers alone or the entire plant may be used for dye purposes. It blooms in June and July and is used while fresh.

Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 49)

4 pounds Indian paintbrush blossoms
Cold water to cover
1 pound yarn

Pour enough cold water over the blossoms to cover. Soak a day or two and mash up the blossoms. Remove hard stems. Add wet yarn to dyebath and allow to ferment in a warm place for 1 week. Work the dye into the yarn often. Rinse.

Greenish Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 50)

2 pounds Indian paintbrush (stems, leaves, and blossoms)
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil Indian paint brush in 5 gallons of water in an enamel or granite vessel for 2 hours. Strain. Add the raw alum to the dyewater. Stir and let boil 10 minutes. Add wet yarn and stir again. Boil 2 hours. Leave in dyebath overnight. Rinse.

---

Dye Recipe

This dainty plant with a purple flower grows in timber on the desert where there is a little moisture. It is a sacred plant to the Navajo, its purple petals being used in some of their ceremonies. For this reason many Navajo will not use it for dye. It has been reported that the purple petals yield a purple dye. The experiments at the school have failed to give a color even approaching it either by fermenting the plant or boiling it. The purple petals or the entire plant may be used for dye.

Greenish Gray (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 29)

2 pounds purple larkspur petals.
1 pound yarn

Pour enough warm water over the petals to cover. Soak a day and then mash them. Add wet yarn and allow to ferment in a warm place for 1 week. Work the dye into the yarn often. Rinse.

Light Greenish Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 30)

2 pounds purple larkspur (flowers, leaves, stems)
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil larkspur in 5 gallons of water in a granite or enamel vessel for 2 hours. Strain. Add the raw alum to the dyewater. Stir and let boil 10 minutes. Add wet yarn. Stir again. Boil 2 hours. Leave in dyebath overnight. Rinse.

---

Dye Recipe

Red-violet (Native Plant Dyes)

2 gallon of ripe berries
Fill pot with water 3/4 way
½ skein of yarn
½ cup of prepared juniper ashes

1. Crush berries in dye pan, add water and damp yarn.
2. Set aside to ferment one month (30 days) in warm area of house.
3. Check on dye bath every morning by stirring yarn and making sure yarn is submerged in dye bath, so as to get an even dye. When dye liquid is low, add ½ to 1 cup of water. This is repeated every 4 or 5 days.
4. After 30 days remove yarn and strain dye bath.
5. Prepare juniper ashes and add to dye bath and stir well.
6. Return yarn to dye bath and bring to a slight boiling temperature and simmer for ten minutes. Stir every 3 minutes.
7. Remove yarn and rinse to dry.

---

Dye Recipe

Bee plant is highly esteemed by the Navajo people because it has saved the tribe at times from starvation. It grows about three feet high and its purple blossoms color sections of the mesas of the reservation through July and August. The entire plant before it blossomed was used for the dye given below.

Pale Greenish Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 7)

Prepare as for “Greenish Yellow” except that the yarn is boiled only ½ hour and removed immediately from the dyebath.

Mustard (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 8)

Prepare as for “Greenish Yellow” except that the yarn is dyed in a tin or aluminum vessel.

---

Dye recipe is not available for this plant.

Dye Recipe

The bark of the root of this tree is red and is the part used for dye. It gives the strongest color when dug in the fall.

The tree which grows four to eight feet in height is found commonly in the mountains and on the foothills at an elevation of 7,000 to 10,000 feet.

Soft, Reddish-Brown (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 35)

2 pounds mountain mahogany root bark
1 pound yarn

Boil mountain mahogany root bark for 2 hours in 5 gallons of water. Strain. Add wet yarn and boil for 2 hours. Stir well. Leave in dyebath overnight. Rinse thoroughly.

Deep Reddish-Brown (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 36)

2 pounds mountain mahogany root bark
Water from 1 cup juniper ashes
1 pound yarn

Boil mountain mahogany root bark in 5 gallons of water for 2 hours. Strain. Add juniper ash water to the dyebath. (The method of preparation is described under “Mordants.”) Stir and boil 15 minutes. Add wet yarn and stir well. Boil 1 hour and leave in the dyebath overnight. Rinse thoroughly.

---

Dye recipe is not available for this plant.

Dye recipe is not available for this plant.

Dye Recipe

Many varieties of lichen have long been used for dyeing in the North American Southwest. The following recipe uses ground lichen.

These tiny plants cling to the ground under sagebrush and trees on certain mesas in the Southwest. The entire plant is boiled for dye. They may be used fresh or dried.

Stone lichen (tsedlaad) may be similarly used. They grow on stones in the foothills of the mountains in the Southwest and are easily scraped off after a rain loosens them.

Light Orange (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 31)

1 pound ground lichens
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil lichens in 4 gallons of water for 1 hour. Strain. Add alum and let boil. Stir well. Add wet yarn and stir again. Boil ½ hour. Rinse.

Reddish-Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 32)

½ pound ground lichens
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil lichens in 4 gallons of water for 1 hour. Strain. Add alum and let boil. Stir well. Add wet yarn and stir again. Boil 1 to 2 hours, depending upon depth of color desired. Less alum and a shorter boiling time produces a lighter color. Leaving it in the dyebath overnight gives a deeper shade. Rinse.

Yellow-Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 33)

Prepare as for “Reddish-Tan” except that the water from 1 cup juniper ashes is used instead of raw alum as a mordant.

Ground lichens may also be used with mountain mahogany root to produce light red-brown. The recipe for this dye is given under “Mahogany.”

---

Dye Recipe

This species of rabbit brush is found out on the flat open mesas but is not very common. It grows about two feet high and blooms during the late summer and early fall. The twigs and blossoms are used for dye.

Bright Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 56)

3 pounds rabbitbrush blossoms and twigs
½ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil the blossoms and twigs in 6 gallons of water for 1 to 2 hours. Strain. Add the alum. Stir well and boil 10 minutes. Add the wet yarn and stir again. Boil 1 to 3 hours, depending upon the depth of color desired. Allowing it to remain in the dyebath overnight will also deepen and brighten the color. Fewer blossoms will make a lighter shade. Boil in an enamel vessel for this bright yellow color. Rinse.

Light Canary Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 57)

Prepare as for “Bright Yellow” except that the yarn is boiled only ½ hour and removed immediately from the dyebath.

Mustard (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 58)

Prepare as for the “Bright Yellow” except that the yarn is dyed in a tin or aluminum vessel.

---

Dye Recipe

This evergreen shrub grows commonly on the mesas. The twigs with their leaves are used for dye and may be gathered at any time.

Light Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 72)

2 pounds Mormon tea (twigs and leaves)
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Pound the stalks to break them up. Cover with 5 gallons of water and boil 2 hours. Strain. Add row alum to the dyewater. Stir and boil 10 minutes. Place the wet yarn in the dyebath and stir again. Boil 2 hours. Allow to remain in the dyebath over-night. Rinse.

---

Dye Recipe

Canyaigre grows on sandy mesas on the reservation. It is a large native dock with leaves which grow about two inches in width, dark green in color and meaty in substance. It has one flower stock arising from the center. The roots of the plant, which are the part used for dye, resemble sweet potatoes, and are very rich in tannic acid. They may be used fresh or after having been split and sundried.

Medium Brown (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 15)

1 pound dried canyaigre roots
1 pound yarn

Boil canyaigre roots in 4 gallons of water for 1 hour. Mash to liberate the dye substances. Strain. Add wet yarn. Stir well. Boil 1 to 2 hours. Leave in dyebath overnight if a deeper color is desired. Rinse.

Yellow-Orange (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 16)

½ pound canyaigre roots
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil the canyaigre roots in 4 gallons of water for 1 hour. Mash to liberate dye substances. Strain. Add alum. Let boil. Stir well. Add wet yarn. Stir again. Boil 1 to 2 hours. Leave in dyebath overnight if a deeper color is desired.

---

Dye recipe not available for this plant.

Dye Recipe

Navajo tea is common in the timber regions on the mountains and around the edges of cultivated land at high elevations if the moisture is sufficient. It grows from one to two feet tall and its orange blossoms appear in July. The leaves, stems, and flowers are used for dye purposes and may be either fresh or dried. The Navajo twist the stems into small uniform-sized rolls before drying.

Orange (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 73)

2 pounds dried Navajo tea
½ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil tea in 5 gallons of water for 1 hour. Strain. Add alum. Let boil. Stir well. Add wet yarn. Stir again. Boil 2 hours and remove immediately from dyebath for this tone of color. Rinse well.

Light Orange (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 74)

Afterbath dyewater from the Navajo tea in the above recipe

¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Bring afterbath dyewater to a boil and add raw alum. Stir well. Add wet yarn. Stir again. Boil 2 hours and leave in the dyebath over night. Rinse thoroughly.

Light Olive Green (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 75)

2 pounds fresh Navajo tea (must be fresh for this color)
1 pound yarn

Boil tea in 4 gallons of water for 1 hour and strain. Add wet yarn. Stir well. Boil 1 hour. Remove immediately from dyebath. Rinse well.

---

Dye Recipe

This shrub grows three and four feet high. It is one of the most characteristic plants between 4,500 and 8,000 feet altitude in northern and northwestern New Mexico. The Navajo consider it a very valuable plant, because it is used for medicine and forage as well as for dye. It is always green and its leaves and twigs may be used the year round.

Slight Greenish Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 63)

3 pounds sagebrush leaves and twigs
½ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil the leaves and twigs in 6 gallons of water for 1 to 2 hours. Strain. Add the alum. Stir well and boil 10 minutes. Add the wet yarn and stir again. Boil 1 to 3 hours, depending upon the depth of color desired. Allowing it to remain in the dyebath overnight will also deepen and brighten the color. Fewer twigs will make a lighter shade. Boil in an enamel vessel for this bright yellow color. Rinse.

Pale Greenish Yellow (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 64)

Prepare as for “Slight Greenish Yellow” except that the yarn is boiled only ½ hour and removed immediately from the dyebath.

Mustard (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 65)

Prepare as for “Slight Greenish Yellow” except that the yarn is dyed in a tin or aluminum vessel.

Gold (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 66)

3 pounds sagebrush
½ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil the twigs and leaves in 5 gallons of water for 2 hours. Strain. Add raw alum to the dyewater. Stir and let boil 10 minutes. Add the wet yarn and stir again. Boil gently about 6 hours. Allow to remain in dyewater overnight. Rinse.

Rich Olive Green (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 67)

2 pounds sagebrush
1 cup raw alum
Afterbath black dyewater (from recipe given under “Sumac, Piñon, and Yellow Ocher.”)
⅓ pound yarn

Dye the yarn yellow first with sage and alum described above for “Slight Greenish Yellow.” Remove from dyebath and add to the boiling afterbath black dyewater. Let boil two hours. Leave in dyebath overnight.

Rinse.

Medium Olive Green (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 68)

4 pounds sagebrush
1 cup row alum
Afterbath black dyewater (from recipe given under “Sumac, Piñon, and Yellow Ocher.”)
1 pound yarn

The method of preparation is the same as for “Rich Olive Green” above.

---

Dye Recipe

Cliff rose is a signal plant to the Navajo. If it blooms late in October, is believed to indicate that there will be deep snow during the winter. Its little white blossoms appear in the early summer. Its evergreen twigs may be used for dye at any season of the year. It grows commonly on the lower parts of the mountains.

Gold (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 59)

2 pounds fresh cliff rose (twigs and leaves)
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil the twigs and leaves in 5 gallons of water for 2 hours. Strain.

Add raw alum to the dyewater. Stir and let boil 10 minutes. Add the wet yarn and stir again. Boil for 2 hours. Allow to remain in the dyebath overnight. Rinse.

---

Dye recipe not available for this plant.

Dye Recipe

This tree has been described under “Mordants.”
The bast and twigs and the berries, if desired, may be used for dye.

Orange-Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 27)

2 pounds juniper bast and twigs
¼ cup raw alum
1 pound yarn

Boil juniper bast and twigs in 4 gallons of water for 1 hour. Strain.

Add alum and let boil. Stir well. Add wet yarn and stir again. Boil 1 to 2 hours, depending upon depth of color desired. Leave in dyewater overnight. Rinse.

Yellow-Tan (Navajo Native Dyes, Color 28)

Prepare in the same manner as for “Orange-tan,” but omit the raw alum and use no mordant.

---