((hibiscus wool dye))

Gathering plant material for dyeing: Blossoms should be in full bloom, berries ripe and nuts mature. Remember, never gather more than 2/3 of a stand of anything in the wild when gathering plant stuff for dying.

To make the dye solution: Chop plant material into small pieces and place in a pot. Double the amount of water to plant material. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour.

Strain.

Now you can add your fabric to be dyed (in our case, wool). For a stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.

Voila!

((from: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/crafts/crafts-basics/naturaldyes.html))

This was a super fun project that Talon loved.  We talked about sheep shearing and watched a video on youtube.  He had all kinds of questions... I assured him that the sheep remained alive and well after a seasonal shearing.  Then we walked around Sueno Verde and gathered hibiscus flowers from the numerous beautiful plants.  Check out the website above to see what's in your yard and kitchen that you can make a natural dye from!