Shepherd Textiles Cochineal Extract Natural Dye, 1 oz.

1. Pre-mordant with Alum

For protein fibers (wool, silk, alpaca): Pre-mordant with 12% weight-of-fabric (WOF) alum. Fill dyepot with hot water. Weigh out alum, add, and stir until dissolved. Add pre-soaked fiber, heat to 170F for an hour, then allow to cool to room temperature. Remove fibers and dispose of mordant liquid according to local regulations.

For cellulose fibers (cotton, linen, bamboo): Cellulose fibers like cotton will turn out much lighter than protein fibers, often a pale pink or fuchsia. They can be pre-treated with a tannin like oak gall to help them absorb alum more effectively. Treat according to manufacturer's directions. Afterwards, mordant with alum as described above.

*Always wear gloves and eye protection when working with mordants or mordant liquor.

2. Make the Dye Bath

Adjust the PH to 5 using cream of tartar. Cream of tartar not only shifts the color to red, it also vastly improves dye uptake whenever using cochineal. If you don't have PH strips, just add two teaspoons cream of tartar to approximate a PH of 5.

Weigh out 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) of Cochineal Extract. Put it in a disposable cup and mix with a little hot water to make a thin slurry. Be sure to break up any clumps of powder, otherwise they may cause splotches on your fabric. Pour the slurry into the dyebath and mix well. You are now ready for dyeing.

3. Heat to 180°F

Place your pre-mordanted, pre-soaked fiber into the dyebath. Make sure there is plenty of water for everything to move around freely. Heat to 180°F for 1.5 to 2 hours. Stir gently every 15 minutes to make sure fiber dyes evenly. Be careful not to agitate wool too much, otherwise it may felt. A cheap candy thermometer that clips to the side of the dyepot will make it much easier to keep the temperature steady.

After 1.5 to 2 hours, remove dye pot from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

*Cochineal requires heat of around 170°F or 180°F to bond effectively to fiber; it is not a good candidate for cold-dyeing or dyeing at low temperatures.

4. Rinse and Dry

Carefully remove dyed fiber. You can either hang it up to dry to help the color set, or proceed immediately to rinsing.

Rinse thoroughly with a PH-neutral fabric detergent according to manufacturer's directions. Do not use typical household laundry detergents, which are highly alkaline and will shift the color of the dyed fiber away from red. After rinsing, squeeze gently to make sure water runs clear. Hang up to dry.

CAUTION: Natural dyes like cochineal will bleed if the fiber is not thoroughly rinsed after dyeing.