Dyeing with Chlorophyllin Extract

Buy chlorophyllin extract

What is chlorophyllin?
What colours does chlorophyllin extract produce?
How do I use chlorophyllin extract?
How much wool does chlorophyllin extract dye?
What is chlorophyllin extract?

1) What is Chlorophyllin?
Chlorophyllin is a copper compound made with chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plants and essential in photosynthesis. It is usually extracted from alfalfa or stinging nettles but may come from other plants.

2) What colours does Chlorophyllin extract produce?
Chlorophyllin extract produces a delightful range of soft greens, from forest greens to sea greens that are quite different from the greens produced by over dyeing indigo with a yellow dye such as weld or fustic. Chlorophyllin does not change colour with iron.

3) How do I use Chlorophyllin extract?
Wash and mordant the wool (follow Scouring the wool and Mordanting with alum for details).

Make a paste with 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of chlorophyllin extract and a small amount of warm water. Fill a saucepan with water and add the chlorophyllin extract paste.

Add the pre-wetted mordanted fibre. Bring the dye bath to a gentle simmer and then keep at that temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring gently from time to time. Leave overnight to cool.

4) How much wool does Chlorophyllin extract dye?
Chlorophyllin extract is very strong and you only need 5 grams to dye two 100 gram hanks of Blue-faced Leicester superwash wool to a dark and medium green respectively, depending on water quality and other factors. We suggest you experiment as dye colours will vary with the type of fibre, the mordant and the quality of water.

It is best to start with only 2 grams of chlorophyllin extract per 100g of mordanted wool. If you want a darker shade, then you need to mordant the wool again and make a second dye bath with another 2 grams of extract. Dyeing twice is recommended instead of using a more concentrated bath.

5) What is Chlorophyllin extract?
Our Chlorophyllin extract is shipped as a dark green crystalline powder that is very stable and of good colour fastness.