FOOTNOTES:
[E] If the Extract is used alone, a mordant is not essential.
CHAPTER VI
RED
KERMES COCHINEAL MADDER
KERMES
Kermes, or Kerms, from which is got the "Scarlet of Grain" of the old dyers, is one of the old insect dyes. It is considered by most dyers to be the first of the red dyes, being more permanent than cochineal and brighter than madder. In the 10th century it was in general use in Europe. The reds of the Gothic tapestries were dyed with it, and are very permanent, much more so than the reds of later tapestries, which were dyed with cochineal. Bancroft says "The Kermes red or scarlet, though less vivid, is more durable than that of cochineal. The fine blood-red seen at this time on old tapestries in different parts of Europe, unfaded, though many of them are two or three hundred years old, were all dyed from Kermes, with the aluminous basis, on woollen yarn."
Kermes consists of the dried bodies of a small scale insect, Coccus ilicis, found principally on the ilex oak, in the South of Europe, and still used there.
William Morris speaks of the "Al-kermes or coccus which produces with an ordinary aluminous mordant a central red, true vermilion, and with a good dose of acid a full scarlet, which is the scarlet of the Middle Ages, and was used till about the year 1656, when a Dutch chemist discovered the secret of getting a scarlet from cochineal by the use of tin, and so produced a cheaper, brighter and uglier scarlet."
Kermes is employed exactly like cochineal. It has a pleasant aromatic smell which it gives to the wool when dyed with it.
COCHINEAL
The dried red bodies of an insect (Coccus Cacti) found in Mexico are named Cochineal.
(1). PURPLE, CRIMSON AND SCARLET
(For 1 lb. wool.) Mordant with Bichromate of Potash (3%). Dye for 1 to 2 hours with 3 oz. to 6 oz. cochineal. With alum mordant (25%) a crimson colour is got. With tin mordant (10%) a scarlet. With iron mordant (6%) a purplish slate or lilac.
(2). SCARLET
Mordant with 6 per cent Stannous Chloride and 4 per cent Cream of Tartar, boiling 1 hour. Dye with 15 to 20 per cent Cochineal, boil for 1 hour.
Enter in both mordant and dye bath, cool, and raise slowly to the boil. To obtain a yellow shade of scarlet, a small quantity of Flavin, Fustic, or other yellow dye may be added to the dye bath.
(3). SCARLET
(1 lb.) Into the same bath, put 1 oz. tin, 1/8 oz. oxalic acid, 4 oz. cochineal. Enter silk and boil for 1 hour. With less oxalic acid, a less scarlet colour will be obtained.
(4). CRIMSON
Mordant with 20 per cent alum or with 15 per cent alum and 5 per cent Tartar. Dye in separate bath, after well washing, with 8 to 15 per cent cochineal. Boil 1 hour. A slight addition of ammonia to the dye bath renders the shade bluer.
(5). ROSE RED
(1 lb.) Mordant with Alum. Dye with 2 oz. Madder, 2-1/2 ozs. Cochineal, 1/4 oz. Oxalic Acid and 1/2 oz. tin.
(6). PURPLE (for 5 lbs.)
Mordant with 3 ozs. Chrome. Wash. Dye for 2 to 3 hours with 13 ozs. Cochineal, which has been boiled for 10 minutes before entering wool. A tablespoonful of vinegar added to the dye bath helps the colour. Wash thoroughly.
MADDER
Madder consists of the ground-up dried roots of a plant Rubia tinctorum, cultivated in France, Holland and other parts of Europe, as well as in India. Madder is one of the best and fastest dyes. It is used also in combination with other dyes to produce compound colours. The gradual raising of the temperature of the dye bath is essential in order to develop the full colouring power of madder; long boiling should be avoided, as it dulls the colour. If the water is deficient in lime, brighter shades are got by adding a little ground chalk to the dye bath, 1 to 2 per cent.
Madder is difficult to dye as it easily rubs off and the following points should be noted.
(1). The baths should be quite clean. Rusty baths must not be used.
(2). Before dyeing, the wool must be thoroughly washed so as to get rid of all superfluous mordant.
(3). A handful of bran to the pound of wool, helps to brighten the colour.
(4). The wool should be entered into a tepid dye bath and raised to boiling in 1 hour and boiled for 10 minutes or less.
(1) RED
Mordant with 1/4 lb. Alum to the pound of wool. Boil for 1 hour, let cool in mordant, wring out and put away in bag for 3 or 4 days. Wash very thoroughly. Then dye with 5 to 8 ozs. madder according to depth of colour required, and a handful of bran for every pound of wool. Enter in cool bath and bring slowly to the boil in an hour or more. Boil for a few minutes.
(2) ROSE RED
Mordant with Alum. Dye with 4 to 4-1/2 ozs. madder to lb. wool and a very small quantity of logwood (1/2 oz. to 1 oz. to 3 or 4 lbs. of wool).
(3) BROWN
(1 lb.) Mordant with 2-1/2 ozs. Copper Sulphate. Dye with 2 ozs. to 4 ozs. Madder according to depth of colour required. For yellow brown add a small quantity of fustic (1/4 oz. to the lb.)
(4) RED BROWN
Mordant wool with 3% Chrome (see p. [9]), wash well and dye with 5 to 8 ozs. madder, bringing slowly to the boil, and boil for 1 hour.
Various shades of brownish red can be got by a mixture of madder, fustic and logwood with a Chrome mordant in varying proportions such as 28 per cent Madder, 12 per cent Fustic, 1 per cent Logwood for a brownish claret. 5 per cent Madder, 4 per cent Fustic, 1/2 per cent Logwood for tan.
BRAZIL WOODS
Various leguminous trees, including lima, sapan and peach wood, dye red with alum and tartar, and a purplish slate colour with bichromate of potash. Some old dyers use Brazil wood to heighten the red of madder.
CAMWOOD, BARWOOD, SANDALWOOD, or SANDERSWOOD, are chiefly used in wool dyeing, with other dye woods (such as Old Fustic, and logwood) for browns. They dye good but fugitive red with bichromate of potash, or alum.