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The Root of the Madder
Kristina Gundersen/Meave Douglass, OL
Caid Arts & Science Pentathlon, 3/14/2015
Fiber Arts, 4.8.0 Dyeing
The Root of the Madder
The Search for Madder Red: a
study of the dye and its
properties.
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Table of Contents:
Background Information:
Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 3
Madder’s Dye Chemistry ……………….…………………………………………………………………….…….. Page 3
Evidence for Madder Usage in the SCA Period …………..…………………………….…………..….... Page 3-5
SCA Period Recipes …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 5-6
Final Entry Procedure:
Fiber Choice & Preparation ………………………………………..…………………………………………….. Page 6
Mordants & Modifiers ……………..……………………..…………………………………………………….…. Page 7-8
Madder Preparation ………………………………………………………………………………………………..… Page 8
Dye Procedure …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 9
Conclusion:
Overall Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………... Page 9
Next Steps ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... Page 9
Final Results & Procedure Pictures ………………………………………….………………………………….Page 10-11
Background Research/Experiments:
Madder Sun-Tea Experiment Procedure ………………………………………………………………………Page 12-14
Madder Sun-tea Experiment #1 ……………………….…………….…………………………….……………. Page 14-15
Madder Sun-tea Experiment #2 ……………………………….………………………………………………… Page 16-17
Madder Sun-tea Experiment Conclusions ………………………………………………………………….. Page 17-18
Great Western War Experiment ………………………………………………………………………………... Page 19-22
Great Western War Experiment Conclusions ………………………………………………………..…… Page 23
Appendices ……….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 24-29
Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…. Page 30-35
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Background Information:
Overview
or much of the SCA period, three dyes;
weld, woad, and madder held a place of
particular importance. Madder is a
complex dye that can yield a wide variety of
colors. Oranges and browns are readily
achieved, but historically reds are also
referenced. (Greenfield 28, Munro 53,
Edmonds 51-66) In preparing for a class I was
to teach on Viking Age dyes, a number of other
dyers and I got together to experiment with
the dyes I would be using. One of those dyes
was madder. We ended up getting a very
bright yellow orange, and my curiosity was
piqued. How does one get red?
This entry is the end result of 18 months of
studying the dye in an attempt to achieve a
good red. I designed an easily replicated
experiment to test three factors, ground vs.
broken roots, the addition of calcium
carbonate, and time. This experiment was
conducted on 3 occasions –twice by me,
and once by Erin Alderson (Aldgytha of
Ashwood, OL, OP), another dyer. Further
research focused on mordants and root
preparation was conducted during a class I
taught at Great Western War. This research
was then applied to some experiments with
SCA period recipes.
The entry itself consists of a series of
madder dyed wool skeins using a variety of
mordants to demonstrate some of the
colors the dye can produce. Also included
are samples of some of the other colors
achieved while researching the dye.
Madder’s Dye Chemistry
adder is a “herbaceous plant,
light green in colour, with a
perennial root system of long
branching roots in which are concentrated
the numerous red colorants.” (Cardon 108)
The “colorants” or dye chemicals contained
in those roots are the reason behind its
complexity. The primary dye chemicals are
alizarin, purpurin, and pseudo-purpurin.
(Hofenk-De-Graaf 76) Alizarin is a mordant
dye, and as such needs a fixing agent, or
mordant. The mordants are usually metal
compounds, particularly those whose
cations form coordination complexes. A
range of colors can be achieved by using a
variety of mordants. Color can also be
adjusted through the use of pH and
temperature. (Greenfield 28) Soil
composition can also have an impact on the
colors the roots produce, as well as, the
mineral composition in the water used in
the dyeing process. (Cardon 108)
Evidence for Madder Usage in the SCA Period
vidence in the form of both written
primary sources and archeological
evidence for madder being used
throughout the SCA-period and throughout
Europe and Asia is plentiful. Table 1 is a
small sampling of some of that evidence.
Extant examples of madder dye exist on
silk, wool, linen and cotton textiles. The
archeological evidence also extends to
madder dyestuff found in a dye context and
madder stained pottery sherds. (Rogerson
& Dallas 167, Brunello 14) The written
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evidence takes the form of sumptuary laws,
trade regulations and restrictions, dye
recipes, and estate documents such as wills.
(Edmonds Medieval 51-66) Combined
these sources point to a history of not only
home based madder dyeing, but the
development of a thriving trade in madder
dyed textiles at various points of time in
several locations. Examples of this trade
include Roman Pompeii, Anglo Saxon and
Medieval England, Medieval Flanders, and
Renaissance Venice and Florence.
(Edmonds 23-61, Mola 108-109)
Madder was used on its own to obtain reds,
oranges and browns, in combination with
woad to create purples, in combination
with yellows such as weld to create brighter
oranges, as an aid in woad fermentation
vats, and in combination with brazilwood to
create scarlet. (Edmonds 43, Edelstein &
Borghetty 122, Hurry 32)
Table 1: Evidence of Madder Use in the SCA Period Evidence Location/Culture Approximate Date
Quiver Egypt 2000 BC
Tutankhamun’s Belt Egypt 1350 BC
Crescent Shaped Cloak Etruscan (Italy) 725-700 BC
Wool Textiles Hallstatt, Austria 800-400 BC
Unspecified Bog Textile Skaerso, Denmark 210 BC -90 AD
Madder Dyestuff (In a Dyehouse Context) Pompeii (Italy) 79 AD
Pliny the Elder Rome (Italy) 1st Century
Silk Textiles Palmyra/Roman 110-250 AD
Thorsberg Tunic Germany 3rd Century
Stockholm Papyrus, Recipes Greece 300 AD
Unspecified Patterned Textile Coptic (Egyptian) 4th Century
Högom Find Sweden 500 AD
Wool Band Evebø, Norway 5th Century Wool Band Snartemo, Norway 6th Century
Wool Textile Coptic (Egypt) 6th-7th Century
Tablet and Soumak Weaves Anglo-Saxon (England) 6th-7th Century
Child’s Wool Dress Akhmim, Egypt 7th-10th Century
De Capitulare Villis (Charlemagne’s garden orders)
France Early 800’s
Överhogdal Hanging Sweden 800-1100
Oseberg Tapestry Norway 840 AD
Wool Cords, Wool Tabby and Twill, Wool Sock, Silk, Dye Plant
York, England 9th-10th Century
Madder dyed striped textiles London, England 9th-10th Century
Madder Stained Potsherd Thetford, England 9th
-11th
Century
Silk Scarf Dublin, Ireland 10th Century
Mammen Textiles Denmark 10th Century
Pile Woven Trim Hedeby, Denmark 10th Century Silk Dress Gnezdovo, Russia 10th Century
Unspecified Patterned Textile Coptic (Egypt) 10th-11th Century
Wool Tabby & Twill, Silk York, England 10th-11th Century
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Table 1: Evidence of Madder Use in the SCA Period- Continued Evidence Location/Culture Approximate Date
Wool Twill Waterford, Ireland 11th-12th Centuries
Madder Plant Material (in a Dye Context) Beverly, England 12th
-14th
Century
Madder Plant Material (in a Dye Context) Bristol, England 14th
Century
Chinese Twill Damask London, England 14th Century
Wool Textile London, England 1330-40 Chaucer, The Former Age England 1380’s
Wool Textile London, England 14th & 15th Century
Wool Textiles Turku, Finland 14th
& 15th
Century
Reymerswaal Regulations Netherlands 1480
Unicorn Tapestries Netherlands 1495–1505
T Bouck va Wondre, Recipe Dutch 1513
The Plictho, Recipes Italy 1548
Child’s Tunic Udval, Norway 2nd half of the 14th Century
Rafael and Tobias, Wool Tapestry Brussels, Belgium 1550
Elizabeth I’s Proclamation Prohibiting the Use of Logwood
England 1567
Silk Brocade Topkapi, Turkey 16th Century
Wool Textiles Groningen, Netherlands 16th Century
SCA Period Recipes
The two recipes I chose were from two later period dye manuals –one a 1588 English
translation of a Dutch manuscript, and one a contemporary scholarly English translation of an
Italian dye manual. When dyeing my final project I used the background knowledge gained
from my previous dye experiments to help interpret and redact the period recipes.
Recipe 1, from: Mascall, Leonard. A Profitable Booke Declaring Dyuers Approoued Remedies to Take out Spottes and Staines in Silkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes with Diuers Colours How to Die Veluets and Sylkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes. Taken Out of Dutche, and Englished by L.M.. Imprinted at London: By Thomas Purfoote ..., 1588. Print.
“Ye shall put too four pound of woollen yarne, tenne ounces of Allom, and seeth it with branne water so
much as ye shall thinke good, then take your yarne out, and put that water out of that Kettle, and put
therein againe three parts of fresh branne water, and one part of faire cleere water, and warme it a little
on the fire, then put therein two pound of grening weede, and let it so warme a while, then put therin
your wooll, and stirre it wel with a sticke the space of three houres, but let it not seeth in any wise, so
done, then take out your wooll againe, and put it againe into your Kettle, and put thereto halfe a
glassefull of unsleakt lime, with as much of common ashes, and thereto put your wooll againe, and stirre
it with a staffe sixe or seuen Paternoster whiles, than take foorth your wooll, and ye shall haue a faire
colour. But if yee will haue it yet a more sanguine colour, then must you put into your Kettle halfe a little
glasse full of more lime, and a little glasse full of common ashes, and thereto put your wooll againe, and
stirre it well still foure or fiue Paternoster whiles, then take foorth your wooll and wash it, and so ye shall
haue a verie faire colour.” (Mascall Folio 18)
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Recipe 2, from : Edelstein, Sidney M., and Hector C. Borghetty. The Plictho of Gioanventura
Rosetti: Instructions in the Art of the Dyers Which Teaches the Dyeing of Woolen Cloths,
Linens, Cottons, and Silk by the Great Art As Well As by the Common. Cambridge: MIT, 1969.
Print.
“ 77. To make a fine scarlet. Make ready your bath to mordant and when it is tepid take six pails of this
water and put it into a tub. Put in six twin handfuls of bran, or better six fistfuls with both your hands
and then put the said water into the cauldron. Put inside the said cloth. Soak it well to advantage, and
as you have it well soaked, take it out and set it on the crossbar of the soaker to drip. Then weigh 25
pounds of alum and 4 of tartar. Put in the cauldron and skim it well and then put in the cloth and make it
boil one hour and a half. Then take it out and let it cool and when you are about to madder have the
said cloth washed and set up the cauldron for maddering. Pestle 35 pounds of fine lumps of madder and
put them into a tub and take four twin fistfuls of bran, and pour over them two pails of strong water and
two of hot water, and then mix each thing together. Then put into the cauldron six pails of strong water,
and as the cauldron is about to boil skim it off very well. When it is well mixed, make ready your cloth on
the crossbar and see that there is a good fire below and then put in your cloth and have it get six
passings, or better, fast swishings. See that the cauldron boils well and to good advantage. Give up to
ten passings or swishing more slowly and then take it out and make it cool and then have it well washed.
Make ready the cauldron with a new bath and do so that it is about to boil and give, in the bath, four
passings or swishing. Take it out and let it cool a little and then wash it well and you will have made fine
your cloth of half scarlet.” (Edelstein & Borghetty 117)
Final Entry Procedure:
Fiber Choice and Preparation
thought it important that the final
product be able to demonstrate not only
a range of color, but also consistency
over a larger amount of fiber. In order to
maintain some consistency with the earlier
experiments while doing so, fisherman’s
wool was used to create 5 skeins for each
mordant. Silk yarn purchased from Dharma
Trading Company was also used for 3 of the
mordants. (I did not have enough silk to
mordant a skein with iron.) Each skein
weighed 1 ounce.
The fiber was skeined and weighed dry,
then soaked for about an hour in tepid
water. The skeins were then placed in a
large stock pot of tepid water to which a
teaspoon of baking soda was added. This
was then heated to simmer and left there
for about an hour. I chose to use a small
amount of baking soda to remove any finish
instead of the soda ash used during the
background research because of the felting
I experienced with that wool. The skeins
were then washed with Orvus fiberwash
and thoroughly rinsed.
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Alum Mordant
ach set of skeins was mordanted
differently. Five wool skeins and one
silk skein were mordanted with alum.
alum was an important commodity during
most of the middle ages, and its use as a
dye mordant is well documented
throughout the SCA period. (Cardon 23,
Brunello 44) I used the suggested ratio of
8% alum to weight of fiber, or about 3
teaspoons of alum, from Jenny Dean’s book
Wild Color. (Dean 38) Modern alum is much
purer than that in period and far smaller
quantities are required. The alum powder
was dissolved in a cup with hot water and
then added to the mordanting pot. This
allowed for a more even absorption of the
alum. Several sources suggested that
prolonged exposure to the alum water
would allow the color to set better, so these
skeins were allowed to sit in the cooling
alum bath for 5 days. (Liles 105, McKenna
3) Both period recipes mention bran water
being used in conjunction with alum, in
order to approximate this, the skeins were
soaked in bran water when they were
wetted out before dyeing.
Pomegranate Mordant
ive wool skeins and one silk skein
were mordanted using pomegranate.
Pomegranate is mentioned as a
source of a tannin mordant as early as 300
AD in the Stockholm Papyrus (Caley 992,
997). That recipe called for allowing the
pomegranate to ferment, so the mordant
bath was prepared about two weeks before
use. The pomegranates rinds were added
to a pot of water and simmered for several
hours. At one point they began to puff up
over the pot and there were some rather
dramatic sparks! The pot was then
removed from the heat and allowed to sit
for about two weeks. For mordanting, this
solution was strained, diluted slightly with
water and the fiber added while heating.
Copper Mordant
ive wool skeins and one silk skein
were mordanted using copper.
Copper mordants are mentioned in
several period sources as “mordant drugs”.
It is commonly referred to as blue vitriol or
blue copperas. (Cardon 47, Edelstein &
Borghetty 163) I attempted to make my
own copper mordant, however the copper
failed to react –most likely because of a
coating around the wire. Instead I
substituted copper sulfate crystals
purchased from a dye supplier. I used the
2%, or just under a teaspoon, ratio
suggested in Wild Color (Dean 38). The
copper sulfate crystals were dissolved in
warm water before being added to the
mordant pot. The skeins were added to the
pot and allowed to simmer for about an
hour until they turned green.
Iron Mordant
ive wool skeins were mordanted with
iron. Iron, like alum is well
documented as a dye mordant
throughout the SCA period. (Cardon 39,
Edwards Medieval 69) The iron used was
homemade iron liquor. The liquor was
created by placing an iron railway spike in a
jar filled with 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water.
This solution was then allowed to sit for
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several weeks. This method is mentioned in
the Stockholm Payparus (Caley 997, Cardon
42). The liquor was used by straining the
liquid into the mordant pot. It was diluted
with water and the skeins are added. The
bath was slowly heated to below a simmer,
and the skeins were allowed to sit until they
were a light rust color.
Bran Water Modifier
oth recipes call for the use of bran
water. I followed Mascall’s recipe-
adding a “hatful” of bran to my pot
of water, letting it boil for about a day,
stirring occasionally. This was then
removed from the heat and left to ferment
for about four days. (Mascall Folio 22) The
water is actually slightly acidic, but it acts as
a softener and adds a bit a blue to the red.
This water was used to wet out the skeins
before dyeing, and as part of the dye water
as described in the dye procedure section.
Potash and Unslaked Lime Modifiers
otash and unslaked lime are both
alkaline modifiers. I used a recipe
from Mascall to create own potash
(wood ash) water and purchased unslaked
lime from a dye supplier. (Mascall Folios 4,
18) To create the potash, I gathered ashes
from a friend’s firepit. These were then
sifted using a flour sifter. Historically, larger
dye workshops would have had hoppers,
while home based production would have
just boiled the whole kit and caboodle.
(Dean Heritage 12, 35) I took the white ash
powder I was left with and placed it in a pot
of water. This was then left to ferment until
the water became slippery. The water was
then strained to remove the remaining ash,
and heated. The unslaked lime was added
as described in the dye procedure section,
and the alum mordanted skeins were
dipped in this water after being dyed in the
madder bath.
Madder Preparation
n period, roots were harvested from
plants at least 3 years old and then dried
by heating them over coals. The dried
roots were then beaten with a flail, thus
removing dirt and excess bark. This process
also served to break the madder root into
smaller pieces which were then sent
through a sieve to be further sorted. These
roots were then ground into a fine powder.
(Cardon 110-111)
Great care was taken during the madder
preparation stage of dyeing. All of the
madder was purchased from the same dye
supplier as had been used during the earlier
experiments. Because we have no control
over where the madder is grown, or how it
is prepared before it is sent, I added a
suggested step from a modern dyer. After
carefully breaking the dried pieces into tiny
bits, the madder was soaked overnight to
remove any tannins left in the bark. This
water was strained off. The madder was
then ground in the blender, and strained.
The strained water was added to the dye-
pot and the pulp was placed in nylon knee-
highs and also added to the dye-pot. The
blending was to substitute for the grinding,
and the knee-highs assured there was no
plant material stuck to the fiber.
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Dye Procedure
ecause the period dye instructions
were written for a much larger
scale, I used them as a general
procedural guide. Each set of skeins was
dyed as set. I prepared two identical dye-
baths so that the skeins would be able to
move freely through the dye bath, and set
aside madder pulp to refresh the dye bath
periodically. The skeins were dyed at a 50%
weight of fiber to dye ration, or 10 ounces
of madder. Each pot also contained a ratio
of ¼ bran water to ¾ distilled (or
“rainwater”) in an effort to approximate the
bran water in the period recipes. Each set
of skeins were added to the dye pot after
soaking in warm bran water in an effort to
aid dye absorption and avoid shocking the
fiber. The dyebath was slowly raised to
120°F and kept between 120°F and 170°F.
They were then allowed to sit in a dye-bath
for about four hours before being removed
and rinsed. The recipe from Mascall calls
for a modifier bath in a potash solution and
in unslaked lime. Because these are
designed to brighten reds, I only used the
modifiers on the alum mordanted skeins.
Again, modern dye chemicals are much
more potent, so I used a couple of pinches
of unslaked lime along with the potash
water.
Conclusion:
I was extraordinarily pleased with both the
depth and range of color achieved. Grinding
the madder root- especially after soaking to
remove the tannins combined with a low
temperature range, the bran water and the
alkaline modifiers really did achieve a fairly
nice red. The range of color demonstrated
from one dye-bath simply by using a variety of
mordants really demonstrates how varied the
palette available in period was. I am also
pleased that shifting the scouring agent from
soda ash to baking soda seems to have solved
any felting issues I had experienced.
Next Steps:
I would like to experiment on a larger scale
and with some of the recipes that call for using
a calcium carbonate solution as a modifier.
I’m also curious to see how dyeing yardage,
versus in the wool, versus spun fiber changes
the results.
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11
Madder Root Preparation
Bran
Water Making
Potash/
Wood Ash
Lye
Pomegranate
Mordant Iron Liquor
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Background Research/Experiments:
Madder Sun-Tea Experiments:
Madder Sun Tea Experiment Directions Objective: The goal of this experiment is to determine
if calcium carbonate can assist the development of a truer red when dying with madder root
if using crushed/ground root or larger pieces of madder root effects the color result
how time effects the development of madder red
Materials:
4 Gallon Sized Sun Tea Containers
4 Gallons Distilled Water
pH Strips
4 oz Madder Root
4 Nylon Knee Socks
4 oz Fisherman’s Wool (chosen for consistency between experiments)
Grinder
1/2 tsp. Calcium Carbonate
Thermometer
Scale
1 tbsp Soda Ash
Procedure: Fiber Prep
1. Divide the fisherman’s wool into 1 ounce sections. Each of these should be divided into 4 ¼ ounce skeins.
2. Soak fiber for 30 minutes and then gently wash with fiber wash. 3. Add 1 tbsp soda ash to a pot of water. 4. Add the fiber and soak overnight. In the morning, simmer fiber in new, clean water
to rinse. 5. Bring a pot of water to a simmer and add 2 tsp. of alum. 6. Add all of the wool skeins, and simmer for 1 hour. 7. Take the pot off of the burner, and let sit for 24 hours, then strain, but do not rinse.
Procedure: Jar and Dye Prep
1. Fill each sun tea container with 1 gallon of distilled water. 2. Label the containers 1-4. 3. Measure and record the pH of the water. 4. Add 1/4 teaspoon of calcium carbonate into the containers labeled 1 &2. Measure
and record the pH of containers 1 & 2. 5. Use the grinder to finely grind 2 oz of madder root. 6. Fill each knee sock with 1 oz of madder, and knot the top. 2 socks should contain
ground madder, and 2 socks should contain broken pieces of root. Make sure to tare your scale so the knee sock is not included in the weight.
7. Place the socks containing the madder root in the sun tea containers. Container 1 should get ground root, Container 2 root pieces, Container 3 ground root, and Container 4 should get root pieces.
8. Add 4, ¼ oz skeins of wool to each container. 9. Measure and record the temperature of each container. 10. Seal the containers and place where they will get full sun for at least part of the day.
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Madder Sun Tea Experiment Directions: Continued
Procedure: Measuring Results
1. Let the fiber soak for 1 week. Remove 1 of the skeins, rinse and let it dry. Leave the other skeins in place.
2. Measure and record the pH and temperature. 3. After week 2, remove another skein and follow the same procedure. Make sure to
record temp and pH. 4. After week 3, remove a 3rd skein, rinse and let dry. Measure and record
temperature and pH. 5. After week 4, remove the last skein. Measure and record temperature and pH.
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Madder Sun-tea Experiment #1
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Madder Sun-tea Experiment #2
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Madder Sun-tea Experiment Conclusions:
nitial Conclusions; Temperature and
Root Prep: The first run of this
experiment was conducted in February,
and especially when looking at the results
that Ms. Alderson achieved and the results
from my second run of the experiment, the
cooler weather appears to have had a
significant impact. Ms. Alderson lives inland
and conducted her experiment one month
later than my first run. The temperatures in
her jars were consistently of 90°F and she
obtained much deeper reds. Madder
releases alizarin best with heat, and when
dyeing with heat, the desired temperature
range is generally between 120°F-170°F.
My skeins produced a much broader color
spectrum during this first run. The skeins in
the jars where the madder had been
ground were much, much deeper red. The
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skeins in the jars where the madder had
been broken were shades of light orange
and brown. Because Ms. Alderson’s skeins
also exhibited slight differences in the
depth of red tones (the ground madder
producing slightly deeper tones), I drew the
tentative conclusion that the additional
surface area that grinding the madder
creates gives better reds overall.
The second run of the experiment had the
benefit of much warmer weather and the
resultant colors demonstrate that! The
temperatures of the jars were consistently
in the 80°F-100°F range with no dips to the
60’s or 70’s. Much deeper colors were
yielded throughout the experiment.
Root preparation also continued to appear
to have an impact, with the ground madder
producing deeper reds. The results after
one week still demonstrated a significant
difference between using ground madder
and using broken madder, and while the
differences lessened over each week, it
would appear the extra effort preparing the
root is completely worth the effort.
nitial Conclusions; pH and Calcium
Carbonate: During the first round of this
experiment there were some interesting
patterns with the pH. In my jars, the pH
equalized after a week, and then became
slightly more acidic in all but one jar. The
jar that produced the brown jar became
slightly more basic. Ms. Alderson used a
different form of calcium carbonate in her
jars, and her pH levels were consistently
more alkaline than mine. My calcium
carbonate was purchased from a dye
supplier, and she used crushed oyster shell
she had on hand. The oyster shell is most
likely closer to what they would have used
in period, so I find her results especially
interesting!
The second round the added calcium
carbonate appeared to have very little
impact on pH or the color result. The pH,
in fact, was oddly consistent throughout the
experiment. (I almost have to wonder if I
needed new pH strips.) Some of the later
period recipes call for a post-dye modifier
using a calcium carbonate super-saturated
solution. Definitely something I’d like to try
and see if that method has more of an
impact.
adder Sun-tea Experiment final
thoughts: I think my biggest
take-aways from this
experiment are:
1. Patience is absolutely key when dyeing with madder.
2. Ground madder gives better reds. 3. Reds release better when the roots
are slowly heated to temperatures in the low 100°F range.
4. Leaving the fiber in the dye-bath for extended periods of time is a great way to get deeper color.
I did have some issues with the yarn felting to itself preventing the even distribution of the dye, but based on other experiences and conversations (see the Great Western War experiment), I believe that the use of soda ash to remove the commercial finish may have been the cause.
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Great Western War Experiment
Fiber Prep; Fiber used: 100% Wool from JoAnn’s
1. Skeins were washed using Orvus fiber wash.
2. Skeins were then treated in a heated Soda Ash bath (1/4 cup soda ash to 3 gallons of water) for 30 minutes and left to soak overnight to remove any commercial finish. *Note the observations about this in the conclusion section. I do not recommend this step.
Alum Mordant Copper Mordant
1. Heated water (about 1 ½ gallons) and dissolved 2 teaspoons alum.
1. Heated water (about 1 ½ gallons) and dissolved ½ teaspoons copper.
2. Added wet fiber and heated to a simmer. Left simmering for 30 minutes.
2. Added 8 teaspoons clear vinegar and stirred well.
3. Let skeins soak for 5 days 3. Added wet fiber and heated slowly to a simmer. Let simmer for 1 hour.
4. Rinsed skeins well.
Madder Prep
Soaked, Strained and Ground Broken
1. Chopped and broke madder roots into small pieces.
1. Chopped and broke madder roots into small pieces.
2. Covered roots with water and left to soak for 24 hours.
2. Placed broken pieces into knee high stockings.
3. Strained water off of roots and discarded it.
4. Added strained roots and water to the blender small sections at a time, and ground roots.
5. Water was strained from ground madder, but retained.
6. Strained ground madder was placed into knee high stockings.
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Pre-War Madder Prep
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Dyeing the Fiber
1. Add madder water strained from the blender to the dye pot and add more water until the pot is at a good level. (Usually about 1 ½ gallons total for a small pot.)
1. Add about 1 ½ gallons of water to the dye pot.
2. Add knee high stockings with ground madder to dye pot.
2. Add knee high stockings with broken madder to dye pot.
3. Slowly heat water being careful to keep the temperature between 120 – 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Slowly heat water being careful to keep the temperature between 120 – 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Keep the pot warm, and add yarn skeins. Allow to sit until desired color is achieved.
4. Keep the pot warm, and add yarn skeins. Allow to sit until desired color is achieved.
5. Allow the yarn to rest, and then rinse. 5. Allow the yarn to rest, and then rinse.
Modifying the Color To achieve a broader spectrum of color, modifiers such as iron, calcium carbonate and slaked
lime can be used.
Calcium Carbonate Slaked Lime Iron
For calcium carbonate, dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons calcium carbonate into warm water and add it to the dyebath.
For slaked lime, dissolve about ¾ of a teaspoon slaked lime in warm water and after the yarn has taken up color, add it to the dyebath. It should deepen the color.
For iron, add ¼ teaspoon iron to an iron specific pot. Make sure not to breathe the dust and to wear gloves. Iron is poisonous. Heat slowly and then dip the pre-dyed skeins. Make sure to rinse the yarn well as iron can eat away at fibers.
22
23
GWW Experiment Overall Conclusions
he range of colors achieved during
the GWW dye session varied greatly.
It became immediately apparent that
the method of madder prep had a profound
impact on the color given. The soaked and
ground madder took up the dye quickly and
became a very deep color. The color was
also one of the reddest shades I’ve
managed to achieve in a heated dyepot.
The madder that was broken and heated
that day produced lighter oranges. It is
becoming apparent that long term cold
dyeing and pre-soaked madder will give
some of the best reds.
Temperatures were carefully monitored
and kept between 120-170° F. It may be
interesting to see what colors can be
achieved at a lower temperature. Several
sources gave 120° as the temperature at
which the dye chemical alizarin, which
produces red, is released. I’m curious to
see if that means at lower temperatures
yellower oranges can be achieved or if
there is just little to no color released.
Several sources also mentioned hardness
and pH as factors that affect the color. We
did try slaked lime and calcium carbonate,
and both did indeed deepen the color
achieved. Iron was also used as a modifier,
and its results were especially satisfactory.
The light orangey-tan was darkened to a
purple-brown. Because of the limited
number of skeins available during this dye
session, not all of the combinations of
madder preparation, mordant, and modifier
were tested. Definitely something that
needs to be tried in the future!
The two mordants used resulted in distinct
color families among the skeins dyed. The
copper mordant resulted in various shades
of brown –everything from a light orangey-
tan to a deep purpley-raisin. (The color on
the purple skeins does not show true in the
scanned samples.) The alum mordanted
skeins stayed in the orange-red family with
colors ranging from a salmon to a deep
almost-red.
GWW Experiment Next Steps
ne learned lesson that needs to be
highlighted is whether soda ash is
really useful as a finish remover.
The skeins had developed an odd hand
(they felt weird) and were actually felting to
one another. This made it difficult for the
dye to be absorbed evenly. The soda ash
used to remove the commercial finish is the
most likely culprit. In the future, I will be
eliminating that step from the fiber
preparation process or substituting a
smaller amount of baking soda.
Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the
variety of shades we achieved and feel like
valuable information was gained. The dye
session left me excited to experiment more!
T
O
24
Appendices:
1. Excerpt from p. 47 Natural Dyes: Sources, Tradition, Technology and Science by
Dominique Cardon explaining the use of copper mordants.
Copper mordants Chalcopyrite, a double sulphide of copper and iron (CuFeS2) is, as mentioned above,
listed in the Stockholm Papyrus as one of the 'mordant drugs'. It is one of the two
most commonly found copper ores in the world. Another source of copper mordant, copper sulphate, has also been mentioned above as being a common by-product of the
ancient methods of producing ferrous sulphate from pyrites. Thus it is not surprising to find that the use of copper mordants seems to have begun at the same period as that
of iron mordants, both in the Mediterranean world in antiquity and in India, where Roy has found that copper sulphate (tuttha) appears in texts dealing with mordanting
and dyeing alongside iron sulphate in the classical period (AD 300-700).72 Like iron mordants, copper mordants modify and darken the colours of natural dyes.
They affect yellow dyes in particular, making them more olive or bronze green in tone. When the cloth-printing industry developed in Europe, they were commonly
combined with iron acetate in the mordant mixtures used for purples. They were mainly used in the form of copper sulphate and copper acetate.
Copper sulphate, blue vitriol or blue copperas (CuS04·SH20) is used in the form of crystals that are, as these names suggest, a very beautiful blue. One of the procedures
for producing it, from copper pyrites, is very similar to that described above for iron sulphate, the end product being a mixture of the two sulphates. The purification
procedure consists of allowing conversion of the ferrous - iron(II) - sulphate into ferric - iron(III) - sulphate, concentrating it by evaporation and then boiling
the solution with a little copper oxide, which precipitates the iron oxide. Copper acetate, emerald green in colour, is obtained by dissolving verdigris in vinegar, then
concentrating the solution by evaporation and crystallizing it. Verdigris is mentioned
in the Stockholm Papyrus as a suitable mordant to obtain greens with various yellow dye-plants. A similar recipe, for a pale green from asparg (Delphinium
semibarbatum Bien. ex Boiss., see Ch. 5), mordanted with alum and verdigris in a bath to which lemon juice is added, appears in a dye recipe book of a Persian dyer
who emigrated to India in the Middle Ages to practise his art there.73
2. A recipe from p. 992 of Earle Caley’s translation of "The Stockholm Papyrus." in the
Journal of Chemical Education where pomegranate is used as a mordant.
93. Mordantingfor Sardian Purple.
For a mina of wool put in 4 mines o j dross ofiron (and) I choenilc of sour pomegranate;
but if not this (latter) then (use) I chus of Vinegar (and) 8 cha of water (heated) over the fire
until half of the water has disappeared. Then take the fire away from under it, put the cleaned wool in end leave it there until the water becomes cold. Then take it out, rinse it and it will be mordanted.
25 | P a g e
3. A recipe from p. 997 of Earle Caley’s translation of "The Stockholm Papyrus." in the
Journal of Chemical Education where iron is used as a mordant.
134. Another (Rm'pe).
Let iron rust soak in vinegar for as many days as is necessary. Then mordant the wool in this liquor, which should be cold. Then boil krimnos and put the mordanted wool in.
4. Excerpt from p. 997 of Jenny Dean’s book, A Heritage of Colour: Natural Dyes Past and
Present where iron, copper, and potash (wood ash) are discussed as mordants.
26 | P a g e
5. Excerpt from p. 49 of John Edmonds’ book, Medieval Textile Dyeing where iron,
copper, and potash (wood ash) are discussed as mordants.
6. A recipe including the creation of potash from folio 4 of Leonard Mascall’s 1588 A
Profitable Booke Declaring Dyuers Approoued Remedies to Take out Spottes and
Staines in Silkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes with Diuers Colours How to Die
Veluets and Sylkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes. Taken Out of Dutche, and
Englished by L.M.
27 | P a g e
7. A recipe for dyeing wool red with madder that includes the use the of potash and
unslaked lime from folios 18 and 19 of Leonard Mascall’s 1588 A Profitable Booke
Declaring Dyuers Approoued Remedies to Take out Spottes and Staines in Silkes,
Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes with Diuers Colours How to Die Veluets and
Sylkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes. Taken Out of Dutche, and Englished by
L.M.
28 | P a g e
8. A recipe for making branne water from folios 22 and 23 of Leonard Mascall’s 1588 A
Profitable Booke Declaring Dyuers Approoued Remedies to Take out Spottes and
Staines in Silkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes with Diuers Colours How to Die
Veluets and Sylkes, Veluets, Linnen and Woollen Clothes. Taken Out of Dutche, and
Englished by L.M.
9. A recipe for branne water (strong water) from, Sidney M. Edelstein and Hector C.
Borghetty’s translation of 1548 dye manual, The Plictho of Gioanventura Rosetti:
Instructions in the Art of the Dyers Which Teaches the Dyeing of Woolen Cloths, Linens,
Cottons, and Silk by the Great Art As Well As by the Common page 109.
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10. A recipe for potash lye water from, Sidney M. Edelstein and Hector C. Borghetty’s
translation of 1548 dye manual, The Plictho of Gioanventura Rosetti: Instructions in
the Art of the Dyers Which Teaches the Dyeing of Woolen Cloths, Linens, Cottons, and
Silk by the Great Art As Well As by the Common page 113.
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