red, a long and difficult process with madder and not very practical for the small dyer. It had its origin in India where it is still used; red Indian cotton is one of the f

ken in dyeing yellow as it is not very fast to light. Greens may be got by dyeing in the indigo vat and then with a yellow re

LIN

several hours to extract its natural impurities. For dark colours water alone may be used, but for lig

RD

lution, steep for several hours or overnight. Then well wash. Aluminium acetate solution as for silk (page 56) may be used. After drying, the cotton may

olution of the mordant. A further use is in dyeing black, when the cotton, after being prepared with tanni

dant for cotton but brightens the colo

After boiling in a solution of the dye stuff, boil a short time in

small quantities to the dye bath fo

ff more rapidly, and holds it. Tannic acid is the best tannin for mordanting as it is the purest and is free from any other colouring matter; it is, therefore, used for pale and br

nt of tannic acid of the weight of the cotton, and a sufficient quantity of water. For dark shades, 5 to 10 per cent should be used. The bath is used either hot or cold. It

bstances containing tannin:-1 lb. tannic acid equals 4 lbs. su

rom variou

tton use 12 oz

" 10 lb

" " 1

bs. yellow (or

catechu with 3 o

k the cotton 24

S FOR

INDI

t should then have the consistency of thick cream, with much froth. During the boiling, slake another 3 oz. quicklime, boil in a pint of water for 15 minutes, let settle, pour off the clear liquor in which dissolve 4 to 5 oz. green copperas. Add the i

ed. It should then be well washed, passing through water slightly acidulated with Sulphuric acid (a teaspoonful to 1 gallon). When this vat appears exhausted an

E COPPE

ware jar with about 5 gallons cold water and add the Indigo, copperas and slaked lime in that order. Stir well, cover and let stand till next day or un

)

soda. (7) as No. 6. (8) Steep 10 hours in water at 100°F., dry. The cotton should now be clear white. (9) Steep 4 hours in solution of 1-1/2 oz. tannic acid or 4 oz. Galls, at 100°F., wring out, dry. (10) Steep 24 hours in solution made by dissolving 10 oz. alum in hot water, and slowly adding 2-1/2 oz. carbonate of soda crystals, wring out and dry. The cotton is now grey coloured. (11) Dye with 2 lbs. madder. Bring slowly to the boil, boil for 1 hour, a white scum on the surf

)

in cold solution of 1/4 lb. alum and 1/2 oz. chalk, dry, add 2 oz. more alum to solution and steep as before, wash and dry. Dry with

YE

ld solution. Pass through weak bath of chloride of lime, wash, dry. Dye with 2-1/2 lbs. weld and 1/2 oz. copper sulphate, boil for 1 ho

YE

k 2 hours in bath of 1/4 lb. alum and 1/2 oz. chalk, dry, pass through weak bath of chloride of lime

OR

a bath containing a teaspoonful of Turkey Red Oil, boil for 10 minutes. Take off boil, enter

BR

cotton. Repeat above until the required depth of colour is reached, finish in cutch bath to obtain deepest shade, which may be darkened by adding 1 drachm or so copper sulphate. A greyish drab may be got by adding

BL

1-1/4 oz. Wring out, work in cold solution of copperas, 1-1/4 oz., for 1/2 hour, return to soda bath for 1/4 hour. Wash, dye in bath of logwood 12 oz., madder 2-1/2 oz.

5 per cent of logwood after mord

-LIME IN

s in this form, an affinity for vegetable and animal fibre. These fibres will take it up from the solution and retain it. If they are then exposed to the air, the oxygen acts upon the indigo in the f

By "vat," therefore, we understand not only the vessel used for dyeing indigo, but the solution of alkali salts of indigo white in wate

od for dyeing silk. It has many advantages over the hydrosulphite vat, as it is not nearly so muc

there is a sediment which must not touch the stuff during the dyeing. This is avoided by

indigo ready ground, and if possible mixed to a paste with water. A 20% paste, i.e. 20% of indigo and 80% of water, is a usual quantity. If indigo powder must be used it must be mixed to a paste very carefully, as it will, if properly ground, fly about like dust. The easiest method of mixing is to pour the

led container, and kept sealed till wanted. If it is crumbling and cracking it has bee

to the dye vat as required. The vessel for the stock vat should have a well-fitting lid. A stoneware jar wit

paste (or 2-1/2 oz

oz. of

oz. zi

. quic

nts of

water over it. When it begins to hiss and break, add more water little by little. When all the lumps have cracked up stir till a thick even cream is made. Add this to the other ingredients in the stock vat. Stir well. The stock vat should have a temperature of 120-140°F.

be added and the vat stirred. Stirring must always be done gently and smoothly, every effort being made not to take air into the vat. At the same time it must be stirred up from the bottom so that the sediment is mixed with the liquor above it. The best tool for this purpose is a broom stick, to one end of which a piece of wood is nailed, like a garden rake. When all is ready, carry the stock solution to the dye vat, and, to avoid splashing through the air, hold it in the water of the vat while gently pouring out half its contents. Stir up the vat and cover it until it shows a clear yellow colour under the surface of the scum. This may not

of grease, size, or any other impurity is present. Every effort must be made to prevent unreduced indigo from attaching itself to the cotton. Never begi

dyeing begins. When the sediment has settled, the froth should be careful

he hanks should not be less than 8 inches below the surface of the liquor and about 1 ft. above the bottom of the vat. The hanks should be turned after each dip, as, if the same end goes to the bottom each time it will be darker. A pulley over the vat to draw out the rod or net is convenient. The dyeings can

ker when wet than when dry, a bit should

ess is that, though it may become lighter with continual use, it also becomes a clearer and more lovely blue. This is especially so on cotton and linen