Dye

The Karen are experts at dyeing thread using natural ingredients. Each batch of dyed thread is unique. When working with natural dyes it is very difficult to re-create exactly the same shade every time. Thus, when producing a given piece of fabric, the thread of any given color must all come from the same batch to ensure the color matches. It takes an experienced eye and hand to estimate how much thread to dye so as to have just enough to weave the desired product and not be left with too much unused thread in the end. There are many different methods for dyeing the thread, which depend on the type of organic material one is working with. To keep the dye from bleeding the thread should first be boiled for at least half an hour, allowing the oils to break up. The thread should then be taken out and washed in cool water until it is completely white. These days, villagers will use laundry detergent to help speed the process. The thread should be dyed while it is still cool and wet.

Popular items to use for making dye

Name in English	Name in Karen	Part used	Color of dye
Turmeric	Lay yaw	Root	Yellow
Indigo	Naw kaw	Leaf	Navy
Indigo	Sa ya	Leaf	Black
-	Koh	Root	Red
Terminalia	-	Leaf	Khaki with greenish tint
Terminalia	-	Bark	Faded green
Jackfruit	-	Core	Banana leaf green
Oroxylum indicum	-	Bark	Banana leaf green
Pterocarpus, redwood	-	Bark	Red
Wild rambutan	-	Inner seed	Orange
"Cotton" tree	-	Bark	Pink

Some examples of the natural dyeing process 1. Making dye from turmeric: The Karen call it "lay yaw." Most people use only the very mature roots to make into a dye. The dye will be yellow in color. Ingredients: (1) 1/2 kg of turmeric (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1 teaspoon of lime (4) 1-2 liters of water Method: Crush the turmeric into a powder and mix it with the water and lime. Soak the threads in this mixture, massaging them until they are all thoroughly wet. Boil the mixture over a medium-sized flame for about 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and hang the threads out to dry. If a deeper colored is desired, or in order to prevent the dye from bleeding, the mixture should be boiled a second time, adding a little more lime. 2. Making dye from indigo or "naw kaw": In general it is the leaves that are used to make into a dye. The resulting color is dark blue or navy. Ingredients: (1) 200 grams of indigo (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1 teaspoon of lime (4) 1-2 liters of water (5) 1 handful of cooked rice (6) Wood ash Method: Step 1: Take the leaves of a 3 month old indigo tree (you can tell how old the tree is because it will be starting to have flowers) and soak them in water until the leaves begin to decompose, then add lime and wood ash and let the mixture sit for another 2-3 nights. Next, stir the indigo liquid until bubbles begin to form. Stop stirring and wait for the sediment to settle to the bottom of the pot. Pour out the clear water on top and leave the sediment behind, pouring it through a cloth strainer. The remaining clump of fermented indigo leaves will be what will be used to do the dyeing with. Step 2: Take the thread and indigo clump and massage them together, adding water and lime as you go. Boil the resulting mix over a low flame for about 30 minutes, then take the thread out and hang it up to dry in the wind. If the resulting color is still not dark enough, repeat the dyeing process again. Step 3: Massage the threads together with cooked rice over a low flame for about 30 minutes, then take the thread out and hang it in the wind until it is completely dry. The thread is now ready to be used for weaving. 3. Making dye from "sa ya": The resulting color will be pitch black. The dye is made from the leaves of the"sa ya" tree (the leaves will not be collected while the tree is flowering). Ingredients: (1) 1 kg of sa ya (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1 spoon of lime (4) 1-2 handfuls of water (5) 1-2 handfuls of cooked rice (6) Wood ash Method The method for dyeing is the same as that used with indigo. Note: "sa ya" is a plant which produces a pitch black dye. It is distinct from the diospyros, which produces a greyish dye. There are actually two different types of sa ya trees; one produces a pitch black dye, while the other produces a red dye. The two trees can be distinguishing by looking at the leaves. The black dye producing tree will have black colored leaves, while the red dye producing tree will have red leaves. http://akha.hilltribe.org

4. Making dye from "koh": The dye will be red in color. The root will be used in the dyeing process. Ingredients: (1)1/2 kg of koh root (2) 2 skeins of thread (3) 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable or pig oil (4) 1 tablespoon of lime (5) Bamboo ash or 1 liter of filtered banana plant shavings (6) 200 grams of tamarind leaves Method Step 1: Massage the oil, thread and bamboo ash together and pound it until it is evenly mixed. Step 2: Test the concoction with a touch of turmeric to see if the color has changed yet or not. If the color has indeed changed, boil the mixture in 2 liters of water over a low flame for about 30 minutes. Scoop out all remaining water. Step 3: Take the threads out and wash them until all the oil has been removed, then leave them out to dry just long enough for them to still be slightly damp. Step 4: Slice the koh root into thin pieces and then pound it finely (Do not cut the koh root on any cutting board used for food production). Massage the threads into the koh root and add water pressed from the tamarind leaves. Place the mixture over a medium-sized flame for about 10 minutes. Step 5: After the thread has been boiled in the dye mixture, take the threads out to dry. If the resulting color is still too weak, then repeat the dyeing process again until satisfied. Prohibitions Do not dye on the 15th day of the waxing moon Do not dye on a day when someone in the village has died Pregnant women are prohibited from dyeing during the period from conception to delivery.

Balls of thread dyed using various types of natural dyes