So here's the problem with pine root...

So I've created my dyebath of equal parts pine root and red cedar and it looks great. The color of the water is a bit like cherry coke... a dark reddish brown color. I've put in half the pokeberry 1st try, alum mordanted wool. I decided to do this because the wool from the first pokeberry dyebath is already turning to a reddish brown and I'm hoping to stabilize it... who knows, it might work. (I may try over-dying the other half of that batch with indigo, once I get it. It's backordered two weeks from EarthGuild.com, so perhaps in a month I'll be able to try that!) I didn't use any vinegar or salt, only water. This is totally experimental. I am not working from any concrete sources on this. I also put in a 10-inch string of white wool to see what the color would have been on plain white wool in case I want to do it again... But somehow, I'm not so sure I will 'cause here's the problem with pine root...

1.) I figure you can only dig up and cut off so much of pine root before you're going to damage the tree...

2.) Now, I have a thick layer of boiled-down pine sap around the water-line on the inside of one of my dye pots. I can only hope that I'll be able to get it off with a mild abrasive because it's enamel and I'm afraid to use anything harsh.

The third reason I might not do this again is that the red cedar seems to not be the main source of the reddish color in the dyebath. The reason is that the cedar bark doesn't look really red at any stage in the game, but the inner layer of the pine root is a dark magenta color. So I think the cedar probably gives a more orange-brown color... which might be nice on its own, but it's not the color I was hoping for...

But even if the red cedar bark doesn't give me the color I wanted, that should by no means discourage others from trying it. It peals off the tree naturally, so there's no struggling to get it off and you won't damage the tree in the slightest bit as long as you take just what's already pealing. It free if you or someone you know has red cedar trees or if they grow wild in your area (Free is always a plus if you ask me!). And the dyebath smelled wonderful, like an old cedar chest. Plus, cedar is a natural moth repellent, which is a bonus for people who have problems with moths getting in their wool.

I'll post pictures when it's all done.