Handweaver’s Pattern Directory, The

First of all, don't let the "Ontario" part of the title put you off. Dyeguy (John) is a horticulturist, and says that gardeners and lovers of nature from Zones 2 through 9 will recognize, or may already be growing the vast majority of the plants listed in this book. Some are garden plants, some are natives, some are most often found as weeds in handy places such as ditches and roadsides, just waiting for the dye pot!

The Burr House Spinners and Weavers Guild of Richmond Hill, Ontario put this book together back in 1986 as part of a project that included a live exhibition. We as natural dyes are ever grateful that the Guild has republished this book. It is literally an A to Z of detailed results that dozens of natural dyers across Ontario accumulated testing out plants that, in some cases, nobody had ever written about before. It's another top-notch resource book every nature dyer should own. No colour photos, but plenty of detailed and lovely plant line drawings. Seriously, you will want to cut some of them out and frame them.

Editor: Nancy J. McGuffin. Published by Burr House Spinners and Weavers Guild. Softcover, spiral bound, 309 pages.