Orange is a powerful color right out of the dye jar. It can really make a statement.
For many years I didn’t use my orange dye very often. One day I realized I was ignoring it and spent the whole day playing. Is orange the dye you use the least, too? It’s time to dust off your orange dye and experience all the ways orange can manifest itself in your rugs. Many of us avoid it, but it’s a joyous color that can do a lot of intermediary work between the colors red and yellow, and red-violet and yellow. And it makes blues and blue-greens look all the more enticing.
Here’s to bringing more orange to our wool shelves and into our rugs.
GETTING STARTED
I dyed 1/8-yard pieces of natural wool using Majic Carpet Dyes and a dye bath method (putting water in a pan and giving the wool plenty of room to swim). I added dye formula (the formula was mixed in 1/4 cup of boiling water, then I added cool water to make 1 cup), added wet wool, heated the water, waited until most of the color was absorbed, and added 1/32 teaspoon of citric acid or 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
If you have other orange dyes, I encourage you to give them a try with these recipes.
OF NOTE
You might notice lots of yellow dye left in the water after you dye some of these recipes. Over the past few years, people have commented on this phenomenon, but it just started happening in my pots in the last year. Here is what I do:
- I add acid to the dye bath after most of the dye is taken up.
- I add synthrapol to the water.
- I turn off the heat, cover the pans, and wait for a few hours.
I hope this helps you over-come the problem.
Two samples of orange dye: on the top Pro Chem Orange 233, and on the bottom Majic Carpet Orange; 1/32 tsp of dye over 1/32 yard of wool. (To measure 1/32 yard of wool, divide 1/4 yard into 8 even pieces.) You can see the Majic Carpet Dye is twice as strong as the Pro Chem. Substitute accordingly.
DYNAMIC ORANGE RECIPES
Yellow Curry Paste
Yellow Curry Paste
1/8 tsp. Orange
1/32 tsp. Reddish Brown
Sherbet
Sherbet
1/128 tsp. Orange
1/256 tsp. Yellow
Antique Coral
Antique Coral
1/64 tsp. Orange
1/256 tsp. Red Violet
Copper Tray
Copper Tray
1/16 tsp. Orange
1/32 tsp. Chocolate Brown
Woodland Thrush
Woodland Thrush
1/32 tsp. Orange
1/256 tsp. Black
Note: 1 Tbsp. of this formula over 1/8 yard of natural wool makes a great flesh tone.
Cabernet Gravy
Cabernet Gravy
1/16 tsp. Orange
1/32 tsp. Blue Violet
Flesh
Flesh
1 toothpick Orange
1 toothpick Seal Brown
Oak
Oak
1/64 tsp. Orange
2 toothpicks Bottle Green (go easy, tips only)
Autumn
Autumn
1/8 tsp. Orange
1/32 tsp. Blue Violet
Crush
Crush
3/32 tsp. Orange
Orange Supreme
Orange Supreme
2/32 tsp. Orange
1/128 tsp. Seal Brown
Caramel Cream
Caramel Cream
1/32 tsp. Orange
2 toothpicks blue
(Dip a damp toothpick 1/4″ into the dye)