Mushroom Dye Kit: Lobster Mushroom

Explore the magical forest alchemy of mushroom dyeing in the comfort of your own home! The materials provided will help you dye vibrant colors ranging from raspberry pink to creamsicle orange, all using dried lobster mushroom skins (colonized by the parasitic fungus Hypomyces lactiflorum, the fungus that provides the pigment).

This dye kit includes: 

• 30 g dried lobster mushroom skins, foraged from Northern California
• Three 100% silk handkerchiefs (11″ x 11″)
• Two 10 g mini-skeins of 100% merino wool, worsted weight
• Washing soda, a pH modifier that is safe to use with the protein fibers provided, and raises the pH/makes the bath more basic. Lobster pigment is pH-reactive, 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 requires:

• About a cup 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!