Learning to read the change in natural color is an exercise in variation. Many of us come to natural color with a mindset that has been trained by the uniformity of synthetic dyes, and so we may initially interpret any change in tone, depth or texture as a mistake or a failure. But learning to read and understand the change in natural color is actually one of the greatest rewards of the practice. When we approach the dye pot with the mindset that any change in the color is information, we begin to develop a sense of mastery over the work. It’s not that we learn to control the color precisely, but we do learn to understand why it may be different.
In this sense, mastery is not about getting the same results every time, but it is about being able to read why and how the results are different, and using that information to inform our choices moving forward. Because natural color is so inherently variable, it rewards a mindset of attentiveness and patience. Rather than trying to achieve a very specific result, we begin to cultivate a sense of curiosity about what is actually happening in the dye pot.
Why is this color a little more yellow than the last? Why is this batch of fiber taking up the dye unevenly? Learning to ask and answer these questions develops a deeper level of mastery than simply trying to repeat the same actions over and over again. And mastery, in this sense, is not about dominating or controlling the materials, but about being in a dynamic relationship with them.
Rather than dictating exactly what the color will be like, we begin to learn how to listen to and respond to the color as it evolves.