Mushroom Dye Kit: Pisolithus arhizus

Explore the magical forest alchemy of mushroom dyeing in the comfort of your own home! The materials provided will help you dye rich cool and warm browns, and a soft pink through using Pisolithus arhizus (AKA Pisolithus tinctorius, common names: dyer’s puffball, dead man’s foot, dog sh*t fungus).

This dye kit includes: 

• 15 g Pisolithus arhizus “sludge” (whole mushrooms that have gone through anaerobic decomposition so that they’re hydrophilic and easy to work with), foraged from Northern California
• Three 100% silk handkerchiefs (11″ x 11″)
• Two 10g mini-skeins of 100% merino superwash wool, worsted weight
• Washing soda, a pH modifier that is safe to use with the protein fibers provided, and raises the pH (making the bath more basic). Pisolithus contains pH-reactive pigments, which is one way we can achieve a variety of colors.
• Two handouts from Human Becoming:
  • One about general mushroom dyeing principles
  • One sharing about how to use this specific mushroom dye kit

This dye kit DOES NOT INCLUDE but one can also use:

• OPTIONAL: A splash of white vinegar (5% acidity is what I use, quality doesn’t matter). I just don’t want to ship liquids, and this ingredient is cheap and widely available, so I’m leaving it up to you!
• OPTIONAL: A pH meter or pH test strips (both are quite reasonably priced)