Kobou (aromatic grass) 100g is a natural plant dye for botanical dyeing.
Kobou is a perennial grass that grows in meadows. It reaches about 20–40cm in height and produces pale brownish-green flower spikes in early summer.
Like lemongrass, it belongs to the grass family. As its Japanese name suggests, the whole plant has a faint fragrance. The scent is gentler than lemongrass, but it softly fills the air while the plant material is simmered to prepare the dye bath.
Kariyasu-iro, one of Japan’s traditional colors, was historically dyed with another plant from the grass family. Kobou can produce a similarly calm and gentle yellow.
We hope you will enjoy both the color and the delicate fragrance unique to kobou.
▼ Kobou prepared as a plant dye
▼ Color sample dyed with kobou
※Please refer to the color sample shown above.
※100g can dye one T-shirt or one large stole. Color depth and tone vary depending on the fiber and dyeing method.
How to Dye with Kobou
At Hitotsuya（ひとつ屋）, we dye with kobou using the same basic method as lemongrass. Please refer to the following video.
Other Plant Dyes
Hitotsuya introduces many other plant dyes for botanical dyeing in addition to kobou.
◆ About Hitotsuya Plant Dyes
The plant dyes offered by Hitotsuya include materials traditionally sold as herbal medicines, as well as plants grown at our Hitotsuya Dye Farm, where we cultivate plants used for dyeing and weaving.
We grow our own plants with as little pesticide and chemical fertilizer as possible. Although we take great care, small insects may occasionally be mixed in. This does not affect their quality as dye materials, and we appreciate your understanding.
We hope these materials will support your safe and natural creative work.
Where to Buy Kobou (Aromatic Grass) 100g
Kobou (aromatic grass) 100g is available at the Hitotsuya workshop and shop and from the following online stores.