Mushroom Dyeing
Alissa Allen
There’s a rainbow underfoot! You just have to know how to find it, and Alissa is the one to show you. You’ll learn to incorporate mushroom and lichen dyeing into your repertoire. You’ll learn every step of the process, from looking for and finding dye fungi, to preservation of dyes, and recipes for maximum color.
You’ll also find out about ethical harvest principles, fiber selection and prep, and experimentation, plus resources to take a deeper dive into this fascinating dye discipline.
This workshop focuses on protein fibers exclusively, including: wool, alpaca, mohair, silk and other animal fibers. You’ll be asked to select and prepare your own protein fibers to dye prior to the workshop. Fiber can be in the form of roving, yarn, fabric or hankies.
At the end of this workshop you’ll be able to continue your mushroom and lichen dye journey with confidence!
SKILL LEVEL: All levels.
EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES: Students should bring a minimum of eight one-oz bundles of unmordanted, washed and labeled protein fiber for our vibrant first dye baths (wool, silk, alpaca, mohair, etc). Fiber can be in the form of yarn, carded fiber, or fabric. Unlimited bundles of additional protein fiber should also be prepared in the same way for exhausting the dye baths on Sunday. Students will take home an ounce each of vibrant violet, forest green, butter yellow, bright yellow, deep gold, olive green, foxy brown, and magenta dyed fiber from our full-strength dyes. Additional hues will be made available through mixing and marbling the second and third baths.
PRE-WORKSHOP PREP: none
MATERIALS FEE: $45
Photo by Elissa Callen
Alissa is an amateur mycologist and the founder of Mycopigments LLC. Widely in demand as a dye instructor, she specializes in presenting regional mushroom and lichen dye palettes to communities all over North America. For the past three years, she has expanded her reach to include traditional foraging and textile artisan villages in Oaxaca, Mexico. In 2022, She was honored to host the International Fungi and Fiber Symposium in Port Townsend, WA. She publishes regularly on her website mycopigments.com, has mentored countless dye enthusiasts, from beginners to professionals, and is regarded as a master of her craft. In addition to teaching workshops, Alissa created and moderates Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United, a vibrant international fungi dye community with over 35,000 members.