We Want to Use These Natural Dyes on Everything We Own
If you fell in love with the rose-colored jumpsuits and vivid indigo sarongs when we last featured Upstate, we have good news. This week, Upstate founder Kalen Kaminski is launching a line of natural dyes, which we're immediately buying in every color so we can recreate her beautiful designs at home. But before you buy, listen up: Kaminski is giving a few kits to Healthyish readers for free! Read on for more details and how to enter to win.
The six-step kits, which retail from $48 to $52, each include the dye formula, a silk hankie, protective gloves, string, and a manual on shibori—the Japanese dyeing technique that produces those better-than-tie-dye patterns on fabric. The tin it all comes with can be used to dye the hankie, then reused again and again.
Kaminski, who teaches shibori and natural dye workshops around the country, has been getting inquiries about home dyeing for years. "I have received emails on the regular from people asking how they can work on this process at home and not be intimidated by it," she said. "It seemed like the next step to make an easy to use kit so anyone can do it in six steps."
The kits come in three colors, inspired by scraps of produce and spices: indigo, turmeric (made from turmeric and chamomile), and rose (made from hibiscus flowers and sandalwood). Kaminski sources these plant-based ingredients from sustainable manufacturers in the U.S., and concocts the dyes in her Brooklyn studio. Each kit can dye up to 5 yards of fabric—though if you use a stock pot, a little bit goes a long way. "You can dye anything from five minutes to three hours to achieve varying shades of color," Kaminski says.
So, now that you’re jazzed about becoming your own textile designer, here's how to enter to get a kit for free: Sign up for the Healthyish newsletter (It's fun and not spammy, we promise!), and introduce your friends, your parents, and your co-workers to Healthyish too. Make sure to sign up before Sunday, when we'll pick three winners to get a kit of their choice. And if you're not a winner, you can still buy a kit at Upstate.
