Fresh leaf Japanese indigo dyeing requires picking the fresh leaves of the plants first thing in the morning, before the sun warms them up or the blue will not be nearly as strong. The homespun yarn has already been carefully cleaned and pre-wetted so no time is lost before dyeing. The fresh leaves are blended, strained, and squeezed to extract as much dye as possible directly onto the yarn. The emerald green liquid has to be worked into the fibers by hand before oxygenation happens or it won’t bind properly and will wash right out. As the yarn is introduced to the air it magically transforms from green to blue. This entire process is repeated many times over, layering the blue dye onto the fiber. Due to the time-based nature of this particular dye process, the blue of this yarn marks the work of an entire summer’s day from predawn to sunset. The results are unique.

Due to the amazing nature of natural dye, colors can vary greatly depending on the light source. Colors may shift or fade over time, which is one of the many unique qualities of this age old artform. At H+F, we believe that an object has its own life and the signs of its journey are something we fully embrace as added beauty.