Vegetable Dyes Part 4

Some of the most useful dyes and the least known are to be found among the Lichens. They seem to have been used among peasant dyers from remote ages, but apparently none of the great French dyers used them, nor are they mentioned in any of the old books on dyeing. The only Lichen dyes that are known generally among dyers are Orchil and Cudbear, and these are preparations of lichens, not the lichens themselves. They are still used in some quant.i.ty and are prepared rather elaborately. But a great many of the ordinary lichens yield very good and permanent dyes. The _Parmelia saxatilis_ and _Parmelia omphalodes_, are largely used in the Highlands and West Ireland, for dyeing brown of all shades. No mordant is needed, and the colours produced are the fastest known. "Crottle" is the general name for Lichens in Scotland. They are gathered off the rocks in July and August, dried in the sun, and used to dye wool, without any preparation. The crottle is put into the bath with a sufficient quant.i.ty of water, boiled up, allowed to cool, then boiled up with the wool until the shade required is got. This may take from one to three or four hours, as the dye is not rapidly taken up by the wool. Other dyers use it in the following way: A layer of crottle, a layer of wool, and so on until the bath is full; fill with cold water and bring to the boil, and boil till the colour is deep enough. The wool does not seem to be affected by keeping it in the dye a long time. A small quant.i.ty of acetic acid put with the Lichen is said to a.s.sist in exhausting the colour.

The grey Lichen, _Ramalina scopulorum_ dyes a fine shade of yellow brown. It grows very plentifully on old stone walls, especially by the sea, and in damp woods, on trees, and on old rotten wood. Boil the Lichen up in sufficient water one day, and the next put in the wool, and boil up again till the right colour is got. If the wool is left in the dye for a day or more after boiling it absorbs more colour, and it does not hurt the wool but leaves it soft and silky to the touch, though apt to be uneven in colour. Some mordant the wool first with alum, but it does not seem to need it.

The best known of the dye Lichens are _Parmelia saxatilis_ and _Parmelia omphalodes_ which are still largely used in Scotland and Ireland for dyeing wool for tweeds. The well-known Harris tweed smell is partly due to the use of this dye.

Other Lichens also known for their dyeing properties are: _Parmelia caperata_, or Stone Crottle, which contains a yellow dye, _P.

ceratophylla_, or Dark Crottle, and _P. parietina_, the common wall Lichen, which gives a colour similar to that of the Lichen itself, yellowish brown. A deep red colour can be got from the dull grey friable Lichen, common on old stone walls. The bright yellow Lichen, growing on rocks and walls, and old roofs, dyes a fine plum colour, if the wool is mordanted first with b.i.+.c.hromate of Potash.

In Sweden, Scotland and other countries the peasantry use a Lichen, called _Lecanora tartarea_ to furnish a red or crimson dye. It is found abundantly on almost all rocks, and also grows on dry moors. It is collected in May and June, and steeped in stale urine for about three weeks, being kept at a moderate heat all the time. The substance having then a thick and strong texture, like bread, and being of a blueish black colour, is taken out and made into small cakes of about 3/4 lb. in weight, which are wrapped in dock leaves and hung up to dry in peat smoke. When dry it may be preserved fit for use for many years; when wanted for dyeing it is partially dissolved in warm water; 5 lbs. of Korkalett is considered sufficient for about 4 Scotch ells of cloth. The colour produced is a light red. It is used in the dyeing of yarn as well as of cloth.

In Shetland, the _Parmelia saxatilis_ (Scrottyie) is used to dye brown. It is found in abundance on argillaceous rocks. It is considered best if gathered late in the year, and is generally collected in August.

Linnaeus mentions that a beautiful red colour may be prepared from the Lichen _Gyrophora pustulata_. _G. Cylindrica_ is used by Icelanders for dyeing woollen stuffs a brownish green colour. In Sweden and Norway, _Evernia vulpina_ is used for dyeing woollen stuffs yellow.

Iceland Moss, _Cetraria Islandica_, is used in Iceland for dyeing brown. _Usnea barbata_ is collected from trees in Pennsylvania, and used for an orange colour for yarn.

A general method for using lichens is suggested by Dr. Westring of Sweden in his _Experiments on Lichens for Dyeing Wools and Silks_:

"The Lichens should be gathered after some days of rain, they can then be more easily detached from the rocks. They should be well washed, dried, and reduced to a fine powder: 25 parts of pure river water are added to 1 of powdered lichen and 1 part of fresh quick lime to 10 parts powdered lichen. To 10 lbs. lichen half a pound sal ammoniac is sufficient when lime and sal ammoniac are used together. The vessel containing them should be kept covered for the first 2 or 3 days. Sometimes the addition of a little common salt or salt-petre will give greater l.u.s.tre to the colours."

This method can be followed by anyone wis.h.i.+ng to experiment with Lichens.

Dr. Westring did not use a mordant as a rule. Where the same species of Lichen grows on both rocks and trees, the specimens taken from rocks give the better colours.

ORCHIL OR ARCHIL AND CUDBEAR are substantive or non mordants dyes, obtained from Lichens of various species of Roccella growing on rocks in the Canary Islands and other tropical and sub-tropical countries.

They used to be made in certain parts of Great Britain from various lichens, but the manufacture of these has almost entirely disappeared.

They have been known from early times as dyes. They give beautiful purples and reds, but the colour is not very fast. The dye is produced by the action of ammonia and oxygen upon the crushed Lichens or weeds as they are called. The early way of producing the colour was by treating the Lichen with stale urine and slaked lime and this method was followed in Scotland. Orchil is applied to wool by the simple process of boiling it in a neutral or slightly acid solution of the colouring matter. 3% Sulphuric acid is a useful combination. Sometimes alum and tartar are used. It dyes slowly and evenly. It is used as a bottom for Indigo on wool and also for compound shades on wool and silk. For cotton and linen dyeing it is not used. It is rarely used by itself as the colour is fugitive, but by using a mordant of tin, the colour is made much more permanent.

Many of the British lichens produce colours by the same treatment as is used for producing Orchil. Large quant.i.ties were manufactured in Scotland from lichens gathered in the Shetlands and Western Highlands.

This was called Cudbear. The Species used by the Scottish Cudbear makers were generally _Lecanora tartarea_ and _Urceolaria calcarea_; but the following lichens also give the purple colour on treatment with ammonia:--_Evernia prunastri_, _Lecanora pallescens_, _Umbilicaria vellea_, _U. pustulata_, _Parmelia perlata_. Several others give colours of similar character, but of little commercial value. The manufacture of Archil and Cudbear from the various lichens is simple in principle. In all cases the plant is reduced to a pulp with water and ammonia, and the ma.s.s kept at a moderate heat and allowed to ferment, the process taking two or three weeks to complete.

RECIPES FOR DYEING WITH LICHENS

_To dye Brown with Crotal._ For 6-1/4 lbs. (100 ozs.) of wool. Dye baths may be used of varying strengths of from 10 to 50 ozs. of Crotal. Raise the bath to the boil, and boil for an hour. A light tan shade is got by first dipping the wool in a strong solution of Crotal, a darker shade by boiling for half-an-hour, and a dark brown by boiling for two hours or so. It is better, however, to get the shade by altering the quant.i.ty of Crotal used. The addition of sufficient oil of vitriol or acetic acid to make the bath slightly acid will be an improvement (a very small quant.i.ty should be used).

_To dye red with Crotal._ Gather the lichen off the rocks--it is best in winter. Put layers of lichen and wool alternately in a pot, fill up with water and boil until you get the desired tint. Too much crotal will make the wool a dark red brown, but a very pretty terra cotta red can be got. No mordant is required.

_To dye Pink from a bright yellow Lichen_ (_Parmelia parietina_).

Mordant the wool with 3% of b.i.+.c.hromate of Potash, then boil with the lichen for 1 hour or more.

_To dye Brown from Crotal._ Boil the wool with an equal quant.i.ty of lichen for 1 or 1-1/2 hours. No mordant is required.

_To dye red purple from Cudbear and Logwood._ Dye with equal quant.i.ties of Cudbear and Logwood, the wool having been mordanted with chrome. A lighter colour is got by dyeing with 8 lbs. cudbear, 1/2 lb.

logwood (for 30 lbs. wool).

_To dye Yellow on Linen with the Lichen Peltigera canina_ (a large flat lichen growing on rocks in woods). Mordant with alum (1/4 lb. to a lb. of linen) boil for 2 hours. Then boil up with sufficient quant.i.ty of the lichen till the desired colour is got.

LIST OF LICHENS USED BY THE PEASANTRY OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FOR WOOL DYEING[D]

SHADES OF RED, PURPLE AND ORANGE

_Borrera ashney._ Chutcheleera. India.

_Conicularia aculeata._ var. _spadicea._ Brown p.r.i.c.kly cornicularia. Canary Islands, Highland Mountains.

_Evernia prunastri._ Ragged h.o.a.ry Lichen. Stag's horn Lichen. Found in Scotland on trees.

_Isidium corallinum._ White crottle. On rocks in Scotland.

_I. Westringii._ Westring's Isidium. Norway and Sweden.

_Lecanora tartarea._ Crotal, Crottle, Corkur, Corcir, Korkir. Found in the Scotch Highlands and Islands, growing on rocks; used for the manufacture of Cudbear in Leith and Glasgow.

_L. parella._ Light Crottle, Crabs Eye Lichen. Found in Scotland, France and England, on rocks and trees; formerly celebrated in the South of France in the making of the dye called Orseille d'Auvergne.

_L. haematomma._ b.l.o.o.d.y spotted lecanora, Black lecanora.

Found in Scotland on rocks and trees.

_Lecidea sanguinaria._ Red fruited lecidea. In Scotland, on rocks.

_Nephroma parilis._ Chocolate coloured nephroma. Scotland, on stones. Said to dye blue.

_Parmelia caperata._ Stone Crottle, Arcel. Found in North of Ireland and Isle of Man, on trees. Said to dye brown, orange lemon and yellow.

_P. conspersa._ Sprinkled parmelia. Found growing on rocks in England.

_P. omphalodes._ Black Crottle, Cork, Corker, Crostil or Crostal (Scotch Highlands). Arcel (Ireland). Kenkerig (Wales). Alaforel leaf (Sweden). Found on rocks, especially Alpine, in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Scandinavia. One of the most extensively used dye lichens. It yields a dark brown dye readily to boiling water, and it is easily fixed to yarns by simple mordants. It is stated to yield a red, crimson or purple dye.

_P. saxatilis._ Crottle, stane-raw, Staney-raw (Scotland).

Scrottyie (Shetland). Sten-laf, Sten-mossa (Norway and Sweden). Found on rocks and stones in Scotland, Shetland, and Scandinavia. In winter the Swedish peasantry wear home made garments dyed purple by this Lichen. By the Shetlanders it is usually collected in August, when it is considered richest in colouring matter.

_Ramalina farinacea._ Mealy ramalina. On trees in England.

_R. scopulorum._ Ivory-like ramalina. Scotland, on maritime rocks. A red dye.

_Rocella tinctoria._ Orseille. Grows in the South of France, on the rocks by the sea.

_Solorina crocea._ Saffron yellow solorina. In Scotland, on mountain summits. The colouring matter is ready formed and abundant in the thallus.

_Sticta pulmonacea._ On trees.

_Umbilicaria pustulata._ Blistered umbilicaria. Found on rocks in Norway and Sweden.

_Urceolaria calcarea._ Corkir, Limestone Urceolaria. Found in Scotland, Western Islands, Shetland and Wales, growing on limestone rocks.

_U. cinerea._ Greyish Urceolaria. In England, on rocks.