Colorful Cosmos!
Cosmos sulphureus KOZ mose sul FUR ee us
Parts used: flowers
Colors: yellow-orange to red-orange
Sunny annual
Cosmos sulphureus bears yellow to orange-red flowers all summer long. It benefits from having blossoms picked before they go to seed. Diablo, Bright Lights, and Sunny Red are good varieties to use. They will re-seed, or you can easily collect seed to plant next year.
Collect the blossoms and dry or freeze until you have enough for a dye-bath. They yield a strong dye, so one part cosmos to two parts fiber probably would be sufficient. For brick red, add a teaspoon of ammonia or baking soda to the dyepot.
References:
A Weaver's Garden, Rita Buchanan, Interweave Press, 1987, pp. 79-80
A Dyer's Garden, Rita Buchanan, Interweave Press, 1995, pp. 54-55
Flowers were simmered for about an hour. Plants were strained out. ½ tablespoon alum and a pinch of tin, each dissolved in boiling water, were added to the dye liquor. Note: would use much less alum now: 1 ½ teaspoons.
Fibers were added and the pot was simmered for another hour. Wool was bright, intense orange. Kid mohair was golden yellow. Soy silk was bright yellow-orange and turned slightly darker with an ammonia rinse.
There appeared to be lots of color left in the pot. Kid mohair pre-mordanted with alum was added and the liquor was put in a large clear plastic jar outside. After one week the mohair was golden yellow. An ammonia rinse produced bright red-orange on the mohair.