Jet Black Hollyhock
Alcea Rosea
 
Jet Black Hollyhock flowers on tall stalks are so dramatic in the garden! It can produce very strong color in bundle dyes, and in the dye bath I've achieved the most beautiful color by leaving the fibers in the cooled dye bath overnight. It's a fun flower to use in a solar bath as the color changes substantially over several days. It is unique in that the flowers get slimy when wet and dye bath has a syrupy consistancy. 
 
Fun fact: 
My Jet Black Hollyhock-dyed Navajo Churro wool yarn won Grand Champion in the dyed yarn category at the 2023 Mountain and Valley Wool Festival in Santa Fe!
 
Add the flowers to the dye pot, cover with water and simmer (don't boil!) for about one hour to extract the color. Strain off the liquid and return to the dye pot and add the fibers to the dye bath, slowly bringing the temperature up to about 170º F. Hold at temperature for up to an hour until you are happy with the color. Jet Black Hollyhock reacts well with modifiers to achieve a range of colors including shades of bluish-purple, teal, and slate grey. Each bag is 28g of dried flower. Use one part dried flowers to two parts fiber. Color fastness: good; hand wash