To dye a tan Yellow with SAFFLOWER
© Tariq Habib Mirza
To dye a tan Yellow with SAFFLOWER
by
Tariq Habib Mirza
1 kg Woollen yarn
0.5 kg FLOWERS
tin chloride
oxalic acid
Soak the flowers in cold water overnight to extract the cold-water-soluble yellow colouring matter.
Strain out the flowers as they also have a pink dye.
Mordanting:
Mordant the yarn with 5% tin chloride and 5% oxalic acid.
Slowly raise the temperature to the boil. Boil the yarn for another half hour.
Remove the yarn and wash it thoroughly.
To Dye:
Heat the yellow solution obtained over-night to luke warm temperature.
Add the damp, mordanted yarn to this dye bath Gradually raise temperature to 80°C (176°F) Continue dyeing for half an hour
Wash, rinse and hang to dry.
You can use the remaining dye-bath to make lighter shades.
Vegetal dyeing is almost an art form perhaps because of the many variables involved - even plants from the same geographical area, gathered at different times can produce varying shades due to seasonal changes. So if uniformity of shade is important do gather enough to meet the full needs of your project.
This is the dye process used to make the yarn for what are called *Oriental Rugs* in Europe and the USA. The commercial weaver who doesn't have to personally make any aesthetic contribution to the carpet can attain, and even exceed, speeds of 8,000 a day but you might like to point out that any creative weaver, who is also taking colour and design decisions along the way, would be hard put to do more than 6000. The geographic distribution of the Ghiordes knot you might like to note that: Though used almost exclusively west of the Caspian this knot is also quite common east of it. It is confined to Turkic peoples though and here carpets woven with it are known as "turkbaff" or "woven by Turks". You’ll find it in Meshed, Shiraz and even as far east as Lahore, however I know of no antique Mughal carpet with this knotting.
See the site article on carpets is unusually useful and informative.
Tariq Habib Mirza
mannam@brain.net.pk
Mannam Carpets
U-171/2 Defence,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Ph: 92 42 5728194
mannam@brain.net.pk
http://www.brain.net.pk/~mannam/
editor's note: I highly recommend you check out this site. The artitsts that roduce these works fled Afganistan due to the troubles there.
The site has many jpgs of the work of these very original artists with the unique art which is a mix of Islam, Indian, and Semetic patterns which reflect their claims to a diverse Pathan background that includes many traditions. They are also having a great sale on handwoven prayer rugs for slightly over $100 American.
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