Dye Recipes

Indigo Hydrosulfite Dyebath

For 1 lb. Linen or Cotton, or 2 lb. Wool

¾ tsp.     synthetic indigo (if using natural indigo, use double — 1-1/2 tsp. indigo)

1 tsp.       sodium hydrosulfite (reducing agent)

½ tsp.     lye (sodium hydroxide—can use Red Devil lye)

Dye vat: we used a five-gallon plastic bucket, with a lid, from the hardware store.

Mix above ingredients with a small amount of water.  Allow it to sit until the liquid turns yellow.

Fill the dyepot with warm water (around 110°) .  Sprinkle 1 tsp. sodium hydrosulfite into water to reduce oxygen.

Add a small amount of the dye solution (about 1/3 cup) into the dyebath; put a lid on the container and allow to sit for at least 15 min. for the vat to be reduced.

Enter wetted fiber, being careful not to splash the dyebath around (splashing reintroduces air into the dyebath).  Let wool remain in dyebath for about 20 minutes.

Wearing rubber or plastic gloves, squeeze the material under the surface as much as possible and lift out over the grass or a basin, minimizing drips back into the dye vat (again, to avoid oxidizing the dyebath).

Air the material 10 to 30 minutes between re-dipping; or overnight after the final dipping.

To finish the material: Let sit 24 hours; place in cold rinse of apple cider vinegar to neutralize alkalinity, then wash using a gentle soap like Dove or Ivory Liquid, and rinse.

 

Alum-Tartar Mordant for Wool (Liles)

  1. Dissolve 3 oz. potassium alum (5-1/2 level tsp. granular alum) or 2 oz. aluminum sulfate in 4 to 6 gal. warm water. Use nonreactive vessel.
  2. When alum is dissolved, add 1 oz. (10 level tsp.) cream of tartar. Stir until dissolved.
  3. Add well-scoured wet fiber; heat slowly to simmer (190° to 200°). Keep material at this temperature for at leas 1 hour, preferably 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  Turn material occasionally during mordanting.  Allow material to cool in mordant bath, time permitting.
  4. Remove fiber, squeezing out excess moisture. Dry without rinsing if dyeing is not to be done immediately.  Slow drying, in a cotton or linen bag, is best, as material remains damp for several days.  Mordanted material may be stored.
  5. Rinse very thoroughly before dyeing to remove unfixed alum, which will otherwise loosely attach to the fiber and dye, producing a dye job which may not be rub-fast.

Note A:           Very fine wools often require only 2 oz. Alum, and 4 oz. Alum may be required for very deep colors.

Note B:            Aluminum sulfate may be substituted for potassium alum.  Use 2 oz. aluminum sulfate instead of 3 oz. potassium alum.

 

Madder Dye Bath (Liles)

Preparing dyebath:

8 oz. alum to 1 lb. wool

7 grams (1 to 2 tsp.) tannin

4 to 8 grams (1 to 2 tsp.) chalk or 3 to 6 grams (1 to 2 tsp.) calcium acetate

  1. Use 8 oz. wool per 1 lb. of wool. Add at least 3 gal. hot water per lb. of madder; allow to soak 12 to 24 hours.  Pour the liquid into the dyeing vessel.  For maximal extraction of alizarin, grind the wet roots in a blender.  Add 1 to 2 gal. hot water to the madder and heat to 180°.  Put a lid on the vessel and in about an hour (or longer) add the liquid to that already in the dyeing vessel.  Repeat this process once or twice again.  By this time most of the alizarin should be extracted from the roots.  Alizarin is only slightly soluble in cold water and not greatly soluble in hot water.
  2. Unless the water is very hard, thoroughly dissolve 1 to 2 tsp. of tannin and 1 to 2 tsp. of chalk or 1 to 2 tsp. calcium acetate in the dyebath. Stir well.

Preparing yarn:

Scour wool well.; mordant with alum. Allow mordanted material to remain damp 1 to 3 days.  Rinse yarn thoroughly before adding to dyebath.

Dyeing:

  1. Prepare a dyebath of 5 to 15 gallons. Add the wool and work it for several minutes in the room temperature to warm dyebath.  One method is to heat the madder to about 170° in one vessel, then pour this into the actual dyeing vessel, partially filled with cold water.
  2. Slowly heat the dyebath to not more than 190° over a period of about 1-1/2 hours.  If after 1 hour the color of the goods or dyebath seems weak, and the temperature has reached 160° F., additional madder may be added.
  3. Remove wool, cool and air, and rinse. If wool is not red, add clear lime water* to the dyebath.  Approximately 8 oz. is usually about right when using madder or madder-alizarin combination.  This frequently makes the dyebath redder.  Add a small amount of acid if the dyebath color changes to bluish purple.  Too much acid will change the color to orange.
  4. Reenter the goods; work well, and dye for 10 to 15 minutes longer at 170° to 190°.
  5. Remove, squeeze out or drain, and wash in detergent when cool, or brighten by heating wool in a lyesoap afterbath. If this is done, use soft water to avoid soap scum.

Notes:

12 to 16 oz. good quality madder will give lacquer red; 8 oz. will give bright red, 4 oz. orange red, and less than 4 oz., orange.  A few wools never seem to produce better than ‘tomato soup’ red.

Addition of 1 oz. tannin frequently helps exhaust the dyebath.

Chrome-mordanted wool gives garnet red.

*To make the lime water, mix 1 qt. water with 1/2 oz. lime (calcium oxide) and allow to settle.  Use only the clear.  If lime is not on hand, judiciously add small amounts of washing soda (sodium carbonate).

Scottish Bonnet

Needles:  Size 3 or 4 (two sets will make it easier when it increases).

Wool: 2 or 3 skeins pure wool (so wool will felt up when fulled).

Knitting:

Row 1:         Cast on 8 stitches.  Join. (3 stitches each on first 2 needles, 2 on third needle.)

Row 2:         Increase in each round, so you have 16 stitches.

Row 3:         {Knit 1, increase in next stitch.}  Repeat { to }.

Row 4.         Knit.

Row 5:         {Knit 2, increase in next stitch.} Repeat { to }.

Row 6:         Knit.

Row 7:         {Knit 3, increase in next stitch.}  Repeat { to }.

Row 8:         Knit.

Row 9:         {Knit 4, increase in next stitch.}  Repeat { to }.

Continue increasing every other row in the above manner.  This will increase every other row by 8 stitches.

Continue until the top measures 7 to 8 inches from the center.  It should seem very big.

Start decreasing every other row by {knit to the last two stitches in the section, knit the last two together}.  Repeat { to } in each section.  Knit next row.  Decrease row.  Knit row.  Continue in this manner until the ‘underneath’ section of the beret is 6 to 6-1/2 inches from the ‘edge’.

Start ‘hat band’.

{Knit one, purl one.}  Repeat { to },  around until the ‘hat band’ is 2-1/2 to 3 inches wide.  Bind off.  Fold hat band and sew into the had.  Wash in hot water; dry in the dryer on hot setting.  This will felt up the beret and shrink it to size.