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Ramie Top – Onion
$7.25 – $29.62
100% Ramie.
A funny but pleasing tone, almost exactly that purply-red shade of red onion skins.
PRODUCT of ITALY
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Excellent rusty red-orange-brown tone.
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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
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.