Hapilopilus rutilans

FI: Okrakääpä
SW: lysticka

Alum Mordant

100 gram wool yarn tied in skeins
Rinse the clean washed yarn in cool water
Add the yarn into the cool mordant bath and bring it to 80-90 C degrees
Simmer for 1 hour
Remove and let cool

Mushroom Dye Bath

50 grams dried mushrooms
5 litres water
Bring to boil and simmer for 2-3 hours
Let dyebath cool
Strain the liquid and store the cooked mushrooms. They can be used again in an afterbath

Add mordanted yarn to strained dyebath liquid
Return to heat and simmer for 1 hour at 80-90 degrees Celsius
Remove the yarn from the dyebath

Add 50 ML ammonia to the dyebath
When using ammonia take precautions and wear protective gloves
Also avoid getting too close to the dyebath and breathing in the fumes
Test with litmus paper or a digital pH tester
The dyebath should be about 7 pH
Stir well
Add the yarn back into the dyebath
It should change colour to a violet or reddish shade
Let simmer for about another hour
In our sample dyebath we had problems keeping the pH level at around 7. So we had to remove the yarn a few times and add more ammonia
Remove from heat source and let cool
Rinse in water that is of similar temperature as dyebath to avoid shocking the yarn and causing felting to occur.

Hapalopilus rutilans
Virtual Field Guide UK - shows the bracket fungus and the colour change reaction when testing with alkali.

Hapalopilus
A Swedish website that shows the Hapalopilus mushroom

Coloria
A Finnish natural dye website that lists many of the dyes used in Finland