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Tag: natural dyes

Lichtechtheit in Pflanzenfarben/Lightfastness Test in Natural Dyes

Vor einiger Zeit machte ich aus Versehen einen Lichtechtheitstest mit einem meiner Schals. Der Schal lag über einer Kommode im Dachzimmer, direkt unter dem Dachfenster in direkter Sonne von morgens bis etwas nach Mittag. Ein Teil war durch eine kleine Stereoanlage abgedeckt und ein weiterer Teil lag hinter der Kommode. Irgendwann bemerkte ich tatsächlich was ich da getan hatte und das Ergebnis könnt ihr hier sehen.

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Some time ago, I accidentially left one of my handwoven scarves on a dresser in the attic room, directly under the roof-window. A part of it was covered by a small stereo and another part behind the dresser in the shadow. Over a year (or a bit longer) it was in direct sunlight from early morning to about 2 pm. Sometimes, you just get used to a sight, that you really don't think about it too much. So it took me a while to realize what I had done. And the result of this accidental lightfastness test is this:

Von links nach rechts: Rotholz, Krapp, Alkanna, Krapp, Zwiebelschalen

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From left to right: brazilwood, madder, alkanet, madder, onionskin.

Mordanted in 10% alum over night, dyed slowly over night (alkanet) or longer (the rest) heated for about an hour to max 50°C (except the brazilwood and the onioskins where boiled beforehand) and left in the dye bath. Woven on a small RH.

The same, only in this picture the colours are a bit darker in reality. I suspect the white background is the reason.

As expected, there is fading. I mean, I have seen more fading in some synthetic dyes under similar conditions, not to mention the wood of the dresser. But there is less fading than expected in onionskin, although it is said, onionskin is not very lightfast. Unfortunately, alkanet really isn't very lightfast. As you can see on the picture below.

This is part of a the bat shawl from anticraft. Industrial merino yarn, dyed with alkanet (in spirit solution). It is my staple shawl for cold weather, and usually I wear it above my head with the tip of the triangle over my upper back under the coat. When it is really cold, I usually wear a cap over it as well. As you can see on the left, there is a lot of wear and tear and fading, compared to the right, which is the part that is always under the coat. I see an indigo vat waiting for this beauty ;o)

Handspindel 01.05.2010, 08.14 | (1/1) Kommentare (RSS) | TB | PL