Shepherd Textiles Cochineal Natural Dye, 1 oz.

All-Natural Cochineal

Cochineal is the most brilliant and color-fast of the natural red dyes. Shepherd Textiles Natural Cochineal Dye is a top-grade Peruvian cochineal chosen for its high carminic acid content (24% by weight, vs. 17% in standard grades of cochineal). It produces vivid reds, purples, and pinks on all natural fibers, including wool, cotton, alpaca, and silk.

Farm Direct

We source our cochineal direct from a farm in the high desert outside of Arequipa. The cochineal are grown and harvested from prickly-pear cactuses without the use of any pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Because of the regular alternation between hot days and cold nights, cochineal grown in the high desert naturally produce more carminic acid.

Intense Reds, Pinks, and Purples

Cochineal produces a stunning range of colors, ranging from soft magentas and pinks to intense crimson and scarlet. Different mordants and modifiers will shift the color of the dyebath. Alum mordant will yield a deep reddish purple. Adding cream of tartar to the dyebath will shift it toward cherry red. True crimson, the brightest and most vivid red achievable with natural dyes, can be produced with a tin mordant and cream of tartar.

One Ounce Dyes a Pound

A little goes a long way! Just 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) is enough to achieve deep, intense colors. Every ounce of Shepherd Textiles Cochineal will dye a pound of fabric to deep red or purple. For softer colors, an ounce will dye two or three pounds of fiber to pink or magenta.

Grind into Powder

Grind the whole cochineal into powder. The easiest way is to use a mortar and pestle that is only for dyestuffs, and not for food. Another is to put it in a heavy-duty zip plastic bag and gently crush it with a rolling pin. It doesn't have to be ground all the way to dust; when it is about as fine as beach sand, it is ready for dyeing.

For the remaining steps, wear gloves, old clothes, and only use utensils designated for dyeing. Once the cochineal gets wet, anything it touches that is not made of metal or glass may end up permanently dyed red.

Simmer to Make a Dyebath

Put the ground cochineal in your dye pot and pour a few liters of boiling water over it*. Add cream of tartar now, if using. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours at about 180F. If the water starts to boil over, turn down the heat. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to cool to room temperature. Let sit overnight if time permits. Strain cooled solution through a coffee filter and discard ground cochineal. Don't leave any grains of cochineal in the dyebath, or they will stick in your fabric.

*You can also put the ground cochineal into tea bags: this is our preferred method. Tie them off, and simmer as above. This will save you the step of having to filter the dye bath. Remove tea bags when adding fiber.

Add Fiber and Gently Heat

Add your pre-soaked, pre-mordanted fabric to the dyebath*. Both fabric and dyebath should be room temperature. Slowly raise the temperature to about 180F. Cover and simmer 60 to 90 minutes, keeping an eye on the temperature. Stir occasionally to make sure the fiber is dyeing evenly. Be careful not to agitate wool too much, otherwise it may felt.

*Mordants will make your color more light-fast, and will make it possible to achieve a greater variety of shades. However, if you prefer to go 100% natural, they are not necessary. The skein above is merino wool dyed without any mordants or modifiers.

Steep Overnight, Rinse, and Dry

After the fiber has simmered for 1.5 to 2 hours, remove the dye pot from heat. Keep covered, and leave the fibers in the dye pot to steep overnight. The next day, remove the fiber. Gently squeeze out liquid. Rinse in lukewarm water a few times, squeezing water out until it runs clear: a few drops of PH-neutral dish soap may help. Hang up to dry.