The Fibre Garden : red
Showing 1–18 of 34 results
red
Cochineal, Whole
Whole dried insects.
A scale insect native to Mexico/Central America that feeds exclusively on prickly-pear cactus. Cochineal is a very common source of red food colour with a long historical use. No mordant is required although they will extend the colour range in interesting ways. Use at 3-10% WOF for medium, 10-20% WOF for strong shades. Cochineal is expensive but very generous and can easily give 8 or more successive dips from the same dyebath. Have plenty of fibre ready and waiting!
TO USE: grind finely in a coffee grinder (Cochineal is non-toxic but may stain your next pot of coffee). Soak overnight in cold water with 5% Cream of Tartar to WOF. Simmer 15 minutes, cool and strain -- we find a sieve lined with moist paper towel does the trick. Return to pot, add more water if necessary then enter the fibre and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes.
Light/washfastness: excellent
Corriedale Cherry Red
Not a pinkish cherry, but rather a medium-dark red - the best red in the lineup we think. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
Corriedale Chili Pepper
Vibrant chili-pepper or tomato, leaning either towards scarlet or red, depending on what you combine it with. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
Corriedale Nutmeg
A rich brown-red, just terrific when blended with Toffee. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
Corriedale Raspberry
Darker than any raspberry we know, this is more of a deep wine purple-red. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
Corriedale Strawberry Shortcake
An odd but pleasing tone, sort of a medium wine purple-red. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
Cotton Top – Passion
100% Egyptian Cotton.
A really punchy and rich red with ever-so-slight scarlet leanings. Not cerise like in the photo. Staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches, and reportedly easy to spin.
PRODUCT of ITALY
Fine Merino – Red
100% fine 19-micron Merino wool. Beautiful and clean combed top.
Excellent true bright red, on the blue side rather than scarlet-orange.
PRODUCT of ITALY, from Dyeing House Gallery.
$8.00 – $32.69 $6.00 – $24.52
Fine Merino – Rust
100% fine 19-micron Merino wool. Beautiful and clean combed top.
Excellent rusty red-orange-brown tone.
PRODUCT of ITALY, from Dyeing House Gallery.
$8.00 – $32.69 $6.00 – $24.52
Fine Merino – Soft Fruit
100% fine 19-micron Merino wool. Beautiful and clean combed top.
A rich burgundy-red, brighter and cheerier than Wine Red. Reminds us of crushed blackberries.
PRODUCT of ITALY, from Dyeing House Gallery.
$8.00 – $32.69 $6.00 – $24.52
Fine Merino – Tomato Red
100% fine 19-micron Merino wool. Beautiful and clean combed top.
Wonderful and screaming-bright orange red.
PRODUCT of ITALY, from Dyeing House Gallery.
$8.00 – $32.69 $6.00 – $24.52
Flax Top – Fire
100% Flax (linen) fibre.
Rich and deep red that doesn't lean towards orange.
PRODUCT of ITALY
Hemp Top – Soft Fruit
100% Hemp fibre.
On hemp this colourway comes out a gorgeous deep wine red/burgundy shade.
PRODUCT of ITALY
Lac, Powdered Extract
Powdered extract from resin produced by the Lac bug, a scale insect that is also the source of natural shellac, native to southern Asia.
Best on protein fibres. Lac produces red, crimson and burgundy tones similar to Cochineal but warmer. No mordant is required although they will extend the colour range. Use at 15-20% WOF for medium shades.
TO USE: soak overnight in cold water with 5% Cream of Tartar to WOF. Simmer 15 minutes, cool and strain. Add more water if necessary then enter the fibre and simmer for 45 minutes. The dyebath will yield several more dips in softer shades.
Light/washfastness: excellent.
Madder, Ground
Dried roots of Rubia tinctoria, ground but not into fine dust. We have been once again been able to source true Madder, not Indian Madder.
Use on protein or cellulose fibres. Pre-mordanting recommended. A classic dye, giving dramatic reds, brick-reds to orange and coral. Use at 50-100% WOF (weight of fibre) for medium shades.
TO USE: simmer in water below 185°F for 30 minutes. Cool overnight, then repeat simmer and strain. Add more water and enter pre-mordanted fibre. Hold below 158°F for one hour. Higher temperatures may produce browns rather than oranges or reds, so try to avoid bringing to a high simmer or boil. Ground madder is much easier to work with than the whole dried roots..
Light and washfastness: excellent.
Madder, Whole
Dried roots of Rubia tinctoria, available ground or whole.
Use on protein or cellulose fibres. Pre-mordanting recommended. A classic dye, giving dramatic reds, brick-reds to orange and coral. Use at 50-100% WOF for medium shades.
TO USE: simmer in water below 185°F for 30 minutes. Cool overnight, then repeat simmer and strain. Add more water and enter pre-mordanted fibre. Hold below 158°F for one hour. Higher temperatures produce browns. Whole madder is best chopped up first in an old blender, or soaked overnight then ground as best you can in the blender with the soaking liquid. Rita Buchanan once described the process as attempting to break pencils with your bare hands. Despite this, many dyers claim the best colours come from the dried, whole roots.
Light and washfastness: excellent.
Merino/Silk – Juniper
80% Merino wool (22-micron) / 20% Mulberry silk from Ashford of New Zealand.
Combed top/sliver. We carried this years ago and just re-introduced it. Lovely ribbons of violet and deep purple with a touch of blue, and streaky white silk..
PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
Merino/Silk – Storm
80% Merino wool (22-micron) / 20% Mulberry silk from Ashford of New Zealand.
Combed top/sliver. One of our streakier blends, this features stripes of beet purple-red, rose, charcoeal, black and silvery white.
PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND