DYEING WITH COCHINEAL

For 1 LB wool  use 1 oz cochineal.

Pre-mordant wool with alum (see mordanting riff).

Soak cochineal in warm water for 1 hour, boil for 15 minutes, then strain. Add cold water to the strained liquid until the dyebath holds 4 to 4½ gallons.

Rinse mordanted wool thoroughly; squeeze out excess moisture. Enter wool into dyebath. Bring slowly to a simmer and hold temperature for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off, allow bath to cool slowly. Remove wool, rinse and hang to dry.

If you want to make wool felt: subject it to abrupt changes of temperature combined with agitation (stirring too hard or too fast). To prevent felting: avoid temperature-shock and rude handling.