Dyeing with Walnut Hulls — Ancient Brown Dye

Collect fresh green or blackened walnut hulls — approximately 500 g for every 100 g of fibre to dye

Break or crush the hulls into smaller pieces to expose more surface area — wear gloves, juglone stains skin brown

Place the crushed hulls in a large pot and cover with cold water — use enough to fully submerge the fibre later

Let the hulls soak in cold water for 12-24 hours — the water will turn dark brown as juglone leaches out

Heat the dye bath slowly to a gentle simmer (80-90°C) and hold for 1 hour to extract maximum colour

Strain the dye bath through cloth to remove all hull fragments — the liquid should be very dark brown

Return the strained dye liquid to the pot and reheat to 70°C

Thoroughly wet the wool skein in warm water — this ensures even dye penetration with no dry spots

Lower the wetted fibre gently into the walnut dye bath, pressing it below the surface

Heat to 80°C and hold for 1 hour, turning the fibre gently every 15 minutes

Lift the fibre to check — it will dry lighter than it looks wet, so aim darker than your target shade

For a deeper chocolate brown, leave the fibre in the cooling dye bath overnight

Remove the dyed fibre and rinse in progressively cooler water until the water runs clear

Squeeze out excess water between your palms — do not wring or twist the dyed wool

Hang the dyed skein in shade to dry completely — the finished walnut brown is one of the most permanent natural dyes known