| If you look at an oriental weaving (rug, bags, pillow | | | | Hand spun wool varies in the tightness of the spin and |
| covers etc) from the 19thC you will notice that the | | | | thickness of the thread. This has two results, when |
| colours have an attractive depth and richness about | | | | dyed the amount picked up varies along the thread, |
| them. Natural dyes produce a vast range of colours | | | | less in the middle of a tightly twisted section. When |
| that have a remarkable ability to harmonize with each | | | | natural dyes are woven into a rug and the pile trimmed |
| other. Research into the chemistry of these dyes has | | | | there is a variation of tones and shades that add up to |
| shown that in the case of reds from the Madder root | | | | colour block that has depth and richness. |
| these is a cocktail of at least 40 active pigments | | | | Another effect of hand spun wool is that due to the |
| present in varying degrees. | | | | variation in the thickness of the thread it introduces |
| The relative percentages of each depends on many | | | | unevenness into the weave that takes the hard edge |
| factors such as the mineral content of the soil, the age | | | | off lines and borders, which adds a living natural look, |
| of the root, the dying temperature, and the chemistry | | | | rather than the mechanical regularity of machine spun |
| of the mordants (minerals that fix the dye to the wool | | | | wool. |
| i.e. Alum, Ferrous salts.). These affect the tone and | | | | When these two are added together you get a |
| shade of the colour, and the broad spectrum within | | | | weaving that has a living, natural, vibrant quality to it |
| each colour makes it much more likely to resonate | | | | that comes from hand crafted work. |
| with other natural dyes. | | | | |