Can I use your dyes to make soap/candles/etc?
We carry only one dye that is soluble in oil or fat, which gives a bright orange, Annatto (Bixa). The rest of our dyes are water-soluble. If you can find Alkanet, an herb, it will give violet shading into pinks, depending on pH.
All the regular dyes just need to be boiled in water to make the extract, but I don't know what happens when fat is added. It may separate, or it may work fine. No one has tried it yet and reported back.
Can you mordant (cold method) or dye in galavanized tubs?
I wouldn't recommend it for bright colours, though it might work - I've never
tried it. The biggest problem is heating, as galvanized vessels are usually
so thin, the heat source might burn a hole in the bottom quite quickly. If
you're not heating it, it's better to just use plastic, as the zinc in the
galvanizing would dull colours.
What is soda ash and where can I get it?
Soda ash is sodium carbonate or washing soda. Some art supply stores sell it.
We also sell it: washing
soda/soda ash. It is not the same as baking soda. Don't use Arm and Hammer
washing soda from the grocery store, as it is not pure and contains bleach
and perfumes.
My colour's not coming out deep enough. I'm going for a bright deep
red (think Santa Claus) with madder, cochineal, red sandalwood and Logwood.
First suggestion would be to heat the bath. Second would be to mordant and dye
in separate baths. Cochineal works OK as one bath, but the others will "lake
up" (mordant and dye combine - but not on the fibre!). Third is check your
amounts. For bright red on wool I'd expect to use 100% madder plus 30-50% cochineal;
or 100 to 200% Brazilwood (I don't know for red sandalwood, but expect the same).
The Logwood would be counter productive to a bright tone, but would help a rich
deep tone.
Are your dyes organic?
All the natural dyes are
organic. They are either grown on small farms in countries where pesticides
and herbicides are only buyable by the rich (and natural dye producers
are never rich), or they are wildcrafted, which is de facto organic - even
better, really.
Are any of your dyes not suitable for vegetarians?
Cochineal is an
insect. All the other dyes are plant or mineral based. Over a third of
our colours have cochineal
as a component, but I can do every colour using other dyes. Cochineal
is used in rose, pinks, plums, etc. I can do something similar without
it. It is not usually used in hemp colours at all.
Is there a natural dye for black?
Yes, Logwood and iron,
with perhaps a few additions like tannin, catechu or fustic create black.
Aurora Silk’s Symphonic Black is double-dyed with more than equal of
its weight in Logwood from the Logwood
Project. With 12 steps and more than a week to dye, this colour is exemplary
of a Master Dyer’s art.
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