The Crocheted Rug Page 4

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DYE RECIPES FOR THE CROCHETED RUGS
Peach-leaf Yellow: This dye which is a beautiful and permanent straw-colored yellow is obtained from the leaves of the peach tree. These give a stronger color if gathered and used in the fall of the year but are valuable at any season.

After wetting the hanks of muslin which have been reserved for this color, immerse them in the dye bath which has already been pre-pared by soaking two quarts of green peach leaves in warm water with a small lump of the alum. Boil these together with the material for about an hour or until the desired shade of yellow is reached. Do not boil too long for then a brownish tone is apt to come into the dye. Remove and dry, then rinse and dry and wind into balls for crocheting.

Brown with Catechu: This dyestuff which is the extract of several kinds of East Indian tree barks gives good and permanent shades of browns in tones of yellow and red according to the treatment used. It is a valuable color for the craftsman.

Catechu extract comes in the form of a dry paste. Take the two ounce piece of extract and after sewing it in a small cheesecloth bag, soak it in a quart of cold water in a porcelain bowl over night. In the morning add four gallons of boiling water and one-fourth ounce lump of copper sulfate. After the sulfate is dissolved, immerse the hanks of torn thread reserved for the brown and let it come to a boil in the dye kettle. Remove the kettle from the stove and let the hanks steep in it over night or until absolutely cold. Then take them out of the dye and let them dry thoroughly in the open air. Take a lump of bi-chromate of. potash about the size of a hazel nut, and dissolve it in two gallons of warm water. Dip into it each hank of thread dyed in the catechu and after taking each out, let it dry before using it. Then wind it into balls for crocheting.

Iron Buff and Gray with Tannic Acid over Iron Buff: It is impossible to get peach leaves to carry out the scheme with the straw-colored yellow; a very light tone of the iron buff used in the chapter on the needle-woven rug may be substituted for it and used in combination with the catechu brown, or gray may be substituted for the brown. This gray is developed by first dyeing the iron buff and then dipping it in a solution of tea leaves. This gray is perfectly fast to light and alkalis.

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The Craft Of Handmade Rugs - View The Rest Of The Book

Introduction - Some Old Time Rugs - A Word About Dyes - The Braided Rug - The Scalloped Doormat Or Tongue Rug - The Knitted Rug - The Hooked Rug In Cotton And Wool - The Needle-Woven Rug
The Colonial Rag Rug - Some Applications - Newer Methods Of Stencil Making - The Tufted Counterpane
Old Time Lights - The Batik Or Wax Resist Process