Dyeing with (What I believe to be) Privet

Now I am not sure if these berries are indeed privet, but from all the information that I could get from Google, and from my dye plants of Ontario book. These berries that I have somehow always been able to find during winter, are privet.

Privet, in the Dye Plants of Ontario

During the winter of Grade 5, we got a ton of snow, and as kids do, we built snowmen, and little snow forts. But what always seemed to happen at my school was that that the very next day, the snowmen, and little forts were destroyed and crushed, but what we assumed was the older kids from high school. But now I think that It might have been the teachers so that we didn't get hurt the next day.



Anyway, that night it also froze. And with that there where little snow boulders there, which me and my friends decided to build what was like a cross between a castle and a fort. We then found out that the boulders didn't stick together very well. And right next to where we started to build the fort was this huge(It's still huge even today) bush with little purple berries on it. Now being the child i had been, I watched a lot of documentaries, about basically anything that was shown by either my Dad, or the history channel.  one of my friends  figured out that it would be very easy, to use snow as mortar(Not that we knew the word) to hold it together, Then that didn't work. So I saw the berries, and figured, that if we crushed the berries up with snow using our feet, then that might get it to stick, and it worked!



We then, picked all the berries that were within our reach. Once those ran out, the hunt was to find another berries sources that we would keep building out fort. We found what we called red berries (Later found out that they where Nightshade), Then the snow melted and that put an end to our fun.


So years later when I started to dye, I knew that the berries would make a great dye. I was hoping for purple. Which I got on a random white yarn that I had, and I put it in with the berries, I also used a normal pot, not a dye pot! (Given it was my first attempt at really dyeing) I used vinegar as a mordant. and after an hour of boiling them together, berries, yarn and all. It turned out purple, but then I started to wash it out like I had planned, it completely washed out!

Given all the mistakes I had made while dyeing, the colour washing out of the yarn, in hindsight was very much expected.

Go forward a year, with much more experience. I attempted this plant again, and got a nice icy blue colour. Which I was then made into a blanket.


Then this year during December I tried to dye it again, and I got a beautiful blue colour from Privet on silk roving, cotton embroidery floss, and flax roving. I also got a lovely, dark, sea form green.

Then today, after gathering the berries on Sunday with my Mum, and started the dye bath on Monday. Leaving the berries in overnight. Straining them, Tuesday and moderating the fabric on Tuesday and letting the dye bath stay for two days until today! Where this morning I emptied the dye pot, and put the cloth, fibers outside to dry in the freezing cold. 

All the fibers turned out great! 

I never measure my alum, I just eye-ball it, 

The amount of berries to water, was 10 cups of privet berries to 20 cups water. 

Berries were simmered, at a medium- low heat, for 1 hour.  Left over night.

The berries were then strained, Fibers moderated in alum for one hour. Removed, washed with cold water. 

Then added to the dye bath. Simmer on a medium-low heat, for 45 minutes. Then left for two days. 

Taken out the morning of the third day. Rinsed and put outside to dry, but really it froze. Brought the fibers inside. And let the frozen water drip out, I normally hang it in the shower during the winter so that it drys and can drip without making a mess all over the floor. 

However  on a good day it can be hung outside then moved into the shower, so that there is smaller mess. 







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