goldenrod can be top-dyed (see pages 107 to 109) to make dark green 

 shades; top-dyeing goldenrod with madder results in terra cotta and rose- 

 brown tones. Goldenrod does not produce lightfast colors on cotton. 



Flowers should be picked as they are coming into bloom. They can be 

 used fresh or dried. 



Brass Wool: chrome mordant 

 Colorfastness : good 

 1 pound wool 

 1 to 1% pecks goldenrod flowers 



Use chrome mordant (see pages 67 to 68). Cover the flowers with water 

 and boil for 15 minutes. Strain out the flowers, then add cold water to 

 make a dyebath of 4 to 4% gallons. Before immersing mordanted material 

 in the dyebath, thoroughly wet it and squeeze out excess moisture. Immerse 

 the wool; heat to boiling; boil for 20 minutes, rinse and dry. 



Yellow-Brown Wool: alum mordant 

 Colorfastness: good 

 1 pound wool 



1 to 1 ^^ pecks goldenrod flowers 

 }^ ounce potassium dichromate 

 ]/i ounce acetic acid, or 6 to 7 tablespoons vinegar 



Use alum mordant (see pages 67 to 68). Follow directions for dyeing 

 "Brass Wool" (above). Without rinsing, transfer the material into a boiling 

 bath of potassium dichromate and acetic acid in 4 to 4)^ gallons of water. 

 Stir and allow to boil for 10 minutes, rinse and dry. 



Omitting the potassium dichromate and acetic acid bath will result in a 

 greenish-yellow color with poor lightfastness. 



Hickory Nut Hulls {Carya laciniosa or Hicoria laciniosa) 



This hickory tree, commonly called big shellbark, grows throughout the 

 eastern half of the United States from New York to Iowa and south to 

 Tennessee and Oklahoma. The very large, thick hulls contain the dye 

 material. 



Light Brown Wool: alum mordant 

 Colorfastness: good 

 1 pound wool 



1 peck green hickory nut hulls 

 }^- ounce potassium dichromate 

 y^, ounce acetic acid, or 6 to 7 tablespoons vinegar 



Use alum mordant (see pages 67 to 68). Cut up the green hulls, cover 

 them with water and soak overnight. The following morning, heat the dye 

 material gradually to the boiling point; boil 45 minutes. Strain the liquid, 

 then add water until the dyebath contains 4 to 4}^ gallons. Before immersing 



87 



