So, On Sunday, I grabbed a new, 5 gallon bucket from the local warehouse home improvement store, and took it home. I then filled it up with green walnut fruits from black walnut trees. I wanted to get them "in" before the big storm hit my neighborhood.
Some were odd, as they were the size of golf balls and others were the more common (at least where I live) type that's a bit smaller than a baseball. Now the small ones were round not oval like a butter-nut so they weren't butter-nuts, unless of course I'm wrong on what butter-nuts look like.
So these will be crushed and boiled this weekend, with some added water/vinegar/Iron Oxide, plus a little salt. I will strain the nuts from the solution. THEN I will dye some leather, followed by storing the remainder of the liquid in some mason jars.
LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004
Sounds like a plan LD. I can’t help with any identification as there is not a single walnut tree in my area at all. I’m not sure where they quit growing at, but its south of me for sure. Walk
HEY! My Northern Cousin, what was either THE MOST or ONE OF THE MOST common local dyes up there, back in the 18th century??? It's easy to know here in the Mid-Atlantic States in The States, (walnut, walnut, and oh yeah walnut) but how about up North??
LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004
Gonna be honest here, I have never really pursued traditional clothing dyes for my area, but with a little research here is what I have come up with.... I live in the heart of the Rocky Mountain fur trade area, specifically the David Thompson area and about 1 mile from the Rocky Mountain Historical Site at Rocky Mountain House. This area is well documented and well know for its place in history of the fur trade and mapping of the route west through the Rockies. Voyagurs, it seems mostly wore the clothing provided by their employers, with white shirts and blue trousers being most common. The natives dyed their lether clothing mostly red using various berries. Other colors appear to be less common, but again simply using assorted berries, flowers or even evergreen needles. Chamomile leaves also come up frequently. Sorry, not much help. Walk
Camomile leaves will provide green. I expect most cotton clothing was purchased already pre-made, much like today in fact. It would be the leathers that were home made, and mostly in basic form. In fact buffalo robes were just that as I understand it. Not much in the way of actual “buckskins”. Walk
There is a lot of info about natural dyes on the Internet. Just a quick look revealed that you can get various shades of brown from walnut, oak bark, acorns, burdock, and even coffee grounds. For shades of a yellow/orange try alder root, barberry, bloodroot, sassafras, and onion skins. For blue try blackberry, blueberry, cornflower petals, dogwood fruit and elderberry. There are many more.
Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
I took poke berries, and dyed some tow twine for a buddy who does Native American, so he could wrap up some of his hair. Pretty garish color when done....purple-y pink.
LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004
Technically, it stains the trap, or really the layer of rust on the trap and makes it sort of uniform, and turns the rust to a dark flat brown, AND sorta stabilizes it too. Kinda like a browning solution. (In fact now that I write this I wonder about the acid in the dye bath and browning locks or barrels...hmmm)
LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004