| What are mordants? They are usually heavy metal | | | | cream of tartar. |
| ions which allow the natural dyes to remain permanent. | | | | Chrome: ½ ounce of dichromate of potash. |
| Mordants remain in the fiber, permanently holding the | | | | Alum: 4 ounces of alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) |
| dye; each mordant creates different colors in each | | | | plus 1 ounce of cream of tartar. |
| dye bath. Be aware that some metals, such as | | | | Note: If you are using iron, boil the wool in the dye for a |
| chromium and tin are extremely toxic. Others, such as | | | | half of an hour, then remove it, stir in the ferrous |
| copper and iron can be dangerous if misused. Alum, | | | | sulfate and cream of tartar, replace the wool, and boil |
| being the most popular mordant, is less toxic but can | | | | another half hour. The other mordants are done in |
| be an irritant and poisonous if ingested. Also, it is | | | | advance of dying. |
| important to note, excessive quantities of mordants | | | | Here are some varied examples and results you can |
| are damaging to the fibers. Given this information, do | | | | achieve with four different natural dye baths and four |
| be careful when setting out to begin the task of | | | | different mordants. |
| mordants. | | | | Figs: Create tones of yellow. Use the fresh younger |
| When naturally dying your wool for weaving or knitting, | | | | leaves. Tin will give you the brightest color, chrome will |
| it is important to note that using different mordants will | | | | create the dullest. |
| affect the intended dye color. The resulting colors are | | | | Rooibos: Creates tones of yellows and browns. Using |
| different, but will inevitably blend nicely together since | | | | the freshly cut living bark is best because dried bark |
| they all use the same natural dye color. While some | | | | gives duller tones. Iron gives a deep rich brown and the |
| dyes are more successful with one mordant or | | | | other mordants create a rich brownish yellows. |
| another, they can inevitably accentuate the colors in | | | | Logwood: Creates tones of yellow, brown and black. |
| combinations. | | | | Alum gives a duller yellow, but it blends really well with |
| For every wool bath you prepare, you would usually | | | | other colors, such as iron creates a black, tin creates a |
| test the color on the similarly numbered skeins of wool, | | | | nice grey and chrome creates a deep rich brown. |
| each mordanted in a different solution. It's best to divide | | | | Hibiscus: Creates tones of browns, grays and yellows. |
| your dye in four separate pots, and four equal portions | | | | Use only the flowers, dried or fresh. If the stalk or stem |
| in order to properly distinguish the color outcome. In the | | | | is used an olive green color is the result. Tin creates |
| dye preparation, use one pound of vegetable matter | | | | brown, iron creates many shades of lavender to dark |
| to dye one pound of wool. This is a common rule for | | | | purple, then to gray. Chrome and alum create tones of |
| all to follow. | | | | yellow with similar effects. |
| The following four mordants used for this exercise are | | | | Walnut: Creates tones of warm browns. Use the dried |
| to be used to mix with each pound of wool. | | | | husks for best results. Tin, iron and chrome used |
| Tin: ½ ounce stannous chloride plus 2 ounces of | | | | together will create dark, medium and light browns. |
| cream of tartar. | | | | Adding logwood chips creates a beautiful rich dark |
| Iron: ½ ounce of ferrous sulfate plus 1 ounce of | | | | brown. |