For the love of pokeberries
Pokeberries at their peak ripeness.
Pokeberries, an invasive plant on Long Island and throughout the United States, produce incredible shades of colors ranging from a lighter bubblegum pink to deeper berry shades and even bright magenta and fuschia! The process of dyeing with pokeberries is unique from other natural dyes and the range of color that can be achieved varies pending the ripeness of the berries at time of collection.
My pokeberry-stained hands while collecting - that magenta is worth it!
Berries of any type are known to be a stain more than a natural dye - the beautiful colors berries leave on our clothes can often be washed away, making berries a fugitive dye. In the case of pokeberries, we have Carol Leigh of Hillcreek Fiber Studio to thank for experimenting again and again to find a way to fix the incredible magenta color of the pokeberries to the fiber that is washfast. For her master’s program University research project, Carol tested pokeberries from three different soils, used three different water sources and pre-mordanted the fiber in various mineral salts to try to determine various effects on the color. She found that three factors seem to greatly affect the color and color retention: the concentration of dyestuff to fiber, the degree of acidity of the dye bath, and the length of time fibers remain in each step of the process.
Yarn in the pokeberry dye bath - this pink is amazing!
I have followed Carol’s recipe of using vinegar in both the preparation of the fiber for the dye bath and adding more vinegar to the actual dye bath for the pokeberry-dyed yarns available in my Valentine’s 2025 collection. The variable in my dyeing resulted from several factors: quantity of pokeberries in proportion to fiber, initial or exhaust dye bath, and ripeness of berries at time of collection. I found that the riper the berries were, the darker the shade of magenta I was able to produce. Still, in order to achieve the deepest shades I recommend using a high quantity of pokeberries to fiber ratio - the more berries the better! Of course, the full pink gradient from the lightest bubblegum pinks to the deepest fuchsias are beautiful and work quite well together. I have a wide range of pokeberry-dyed pinks available in my shop for today’s Valentine’s update and I’d love to know which you love most!
Pokeberry pink gradient on my Cuddle DK base - shop Valentine’s update
The yarn has been washed in pH-neutral laundry detergent and will not lose any color from washing. Please be mindful to keep your pokeberry-dyed yarn out of the direct sunlight. While washfast, the pokeberry dye is more sensitive than other natural colors to UV rays. I strongly suggest storing your yarn and finished item in a dark place when not in active use to ensure longevity of color. If cared for and stored properly, you should be able to enjoy the pokeberry pinks for many, many years.
