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New fast woad dyeing instruction

Brad — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:38:27 GMT

This is the fastest way I've seen published. I haven't tried it. If someone does, let me know how it works.

Dyeing with woad the fast way
*Drop the leaves into fast boiling water with a pinch of cream of tartar. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

* Remove the leaves and cool the liquid as quickly as possible.

*Add ammonia until the Liquid is yellowish in colour.

*Bring the liquid to 60 degrees Centigrade while adding ammonia until yellow again.

*Add sodium dithionite to deoxidise the liquid.

*Stir gently without splashing until a bronze scum appears.

*Put in the hot wet wool then remove it and shake in the air.

*Dip it again if not blue enough.

posted in WOAD - 0 replies

Anyone currently (successfully) growing woad in southern california

jamiej — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:22:29 GMT

For a plant that has been described as a scary, super invasive, monster weed my Woad seems to require intensive care-taking just to survive. Has anyone managed to grow it successfully in a hot, dry environment such as Southern California?

I've had similar experience with Weld and instead use local Fennel (transplanted to my backyard) as my standard source of yellow. Unfortunately I haven't found a local blue.

Thanks,

jamie

posted in WOAD - 3 replies

Woad vat?

Brad — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:50:11 GMT

Hey all, I need to dye some wool yarn with woad. But, looking at the instructions, I felt a bit daunted. Anybody in the LA area got a vat going? Want to get one going? We could set one up here at the LA EcoVillage and keep it going indefinitely.
Looking for a woad dye buddy.......

posted in WOAD - 2 replies

I'm growing it

Brad — Tue, 24 May 2005 05:58:33 GMT

I just got 3 plants in the mail and will put them in the ground soon. I'm SoCal. Does anyone have experience growing this? I've got a fledgling fiber and dye garden started, this is one of the first plants. Tried growing madder from seed, didn't work too well.
I'd like to dye some yarn, then other yarn with weld and other with a black dye for raw materials for a series of tartan scarves.

posted in WOAD - 6 replies