Weeds Water and Wool A Day to Dye For Kathy Wildman Grafton WV

Fibers Animal – protein - sheep, alpaca, camel, angora rabbit, cashmere goat, silk worms etc Vegetable – cellulose - cotton, hemp, ramie, flax, abaca, paper, kapoc, papyrus etc Mineral – polyester, nylon, asbestos, fiberglass, angelhair etc

Natural Dyes Animal - cochineal, lac, mollusc Vegetable – dyes can be extracted from all plant parts in various plants in all taxonomic categories from mushrooms to flowering plants Mineral – ochre cave paintings, clays, ores, picric acid, Saxon Blue Synthetic Dyes - coal tars – WH Perkin – 1856 mauvine – searching for synthetic quinnine

Plant Pigments Carotenoids – fat soluble - yellow and orange colors and some red colors Flavonoids - red through blue colors Lycopene – tomatoes, Xanthophyll – red chilies Anthocyanines - Water soluble – red, purple, blue may change color red in acid blue in base – pH indicator - hydrangeas

Fall Color - Fruit Ripening Chlorophyll breaks down, leaving the carotenoids. Chloroplasts (green plastids) gradually transform into chromoplasts (colored plastids)‏ Fruit/Leaf changes from green to yellow or red.

Substantive or Direct Dyes Become chemically fixed to the fiber without the aid of any other chemicals or additives, such as indigo or certain lichens.

Adjective Dyes or Mordant Dyes Require some sort of substance, (usually a metal salt) to prevent the color from washing or light- bleaching out. Metal ions from the salt form strong bonds with the fiber and also with the dye, thereby holding the dye to the fiber.

No mordant = no knot Alum mordant = 1 knot Copper mordant = 2 knots Iron mordant = 3 knots Tin mordant = 4 knots

Mineral Mordants – protein fibers Alum with cream or tartar Iron salts Copper Tin Chrome Dye container can affect color.

Plant Mordants – cellulose fibers Some plants have a natural ability to extract such minerals from the earth, such as club moss. Tannins – oak galls washing soda creates an alkaline dyebath

Chemistry Indigo = oxidation reduction reaction

 Mordant effects  Litmus test reagents  Astrobrite goldenrod paper  Hydrangea is affected by soil ammendments and can turn from pink to blue depending on Aluminum uptake governed by the soi pH

Beet Juice Indicator

Geography Logwood, cochineal and indigo inspired geographic exploration and supported colonial empires. Dyes were “worth their weight in gold” – silk road trading routes. Colonial empires created wealth with extractive commodities.

Anthropology Dyes have been used in ritual and decoration from prehistory Costumes, body painting, and tatoos

 Everyday fabrics, clothing, furniture, decorative elements for the home and even the house – yurts and tee-pees

History Dyes have both "gone to" and inspired wars while tie-dye clothed a peace movement. Military uniforms identify friend from foe. War paints and tatoos inspire ferocity, fidelity and commitment.

Dyes were commoditized and guilds restricted introductions = Woad wars. Fibers too inspired wars with wool financing England's 100 year War with France Cotton economics drove the American Civil War.

Social Studies Local plants – yellow greens and brown Reds, blues and purples - rarer, expensive or imported Sumptuary Laws – restricted use of royal colors Color based class system Colonialism – sources of dyes

Math In addition to the math used to lay out a garden, there is lots of measuring and weighing involved in dyes

English – Language Arts Eliza Lucas Pinckney – introduced indigo crop in SC 1740 – strong and successful woman – Pres George Washington asked and accedpted to be a pallbearer eplay.htm eplay.htm

Current Events Face Painting, hair dyes and tatoos Environmental issues – dye discharges land use issues. Pesticides vs organic cotton Pumice mining for stone washed jeans Weed laws for non native invasive plants Natural food coloring – hyperactivity concerns – red dye 2 – vegan, religious and ick issues The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy - Pietra Rivoli - history, economics and politics

Preparing a Dye Bath Use 4 parts fresh plant matter to 1 part wool by weight. Break down plant parts to expose maximum surface area (chop as finely as practical) and simmer for one hour (roots or other hard parts may need to sit overnight). Strain out plant debris thru cloth and add enough water to accomodate wool without crowding.

The mordants create binding sites on the wool fibers to which molecules of dye chemicals lock on permanently. In a diluted dye bath these molecules can still be matched to the sites. If a second batch of wool is dyed there will be fewer dye molecules available for binding (since most were removed in the first wool skeins) and the color will be paler. Leftover dye water might be used with pulp to make colored paper

Safety Precautions Many woods can cause contact dermatitis if handled without gloves. Wear a dust mask and safety goggles with all concentrated dyes. Keep powdered dyewoods and concentrates away from children and pets. Dye Utensils marked and separate from food containers and cooking areas Dispose fluids in black lines or away from water

Kitchen Dyes RED: beet root, cherries, or red cabbage YELLOW: onion skins GREEN: spinach BROWN: iodine, coffee, or tea BLUE: dissolve a teaspoon of flour in about half a cup of water and add a drop or two of iodine PURPLE: blackberries

Fiber Projects Yarn can used for friendship bracelets with weaving techniques common in Japan and South America. Make God's eyes for a Southwest study. A simple cardboard loom can make a small bag, coin purse or pillow.

Felting Projects  Buy a fleece on the hoof and have it delivered and sheared on site. Scour fleece to remove lanolin and foreign matter.  Invite a spinner to demonstrate and bring equipment.  Try carding and drop spindles.  Use fleece to make a felted potholder or ball  Purchase carded wool to dye for felting.

Dye Sources AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html dex&cPath=1_4 dex&cPath=1_4 us/dept_13.html us/dept_13.html mannings.com/mannings_catalog.cgi?dct=on&first_record_on_ page=0&total_matching_rows=11&tab=catalog&tt=106&cma=d ct&session_id=11de854850&records_per_page=10 mannings.com/mannings_catalog.cgi?dct=on&first_record_on_ page=0&total_matching_rows=11&tab=catalog&tt=106&cma=d ct&session_id=11de854850&records_per_page= tegory=2 tegory=2