[Regia-NA] Blue recipies from 1814

Sun, 16 Mar 2003 11:58:51 -0500

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Since we are talking about woad, here is a  woad recipie from the 
manuscipt of Willam McFarland, a weaver in Ohio around 1814. (A mite 
outside our time frame, but nteresting none the less).  This is from his 
account book which not only had his accounts, but dye recipies, a love 
poem, a loom diagram (with measurements) and weaving drafts. What 
follows is my transcribing of his notes. In reading through the 
recipies, it is a wonder to me that anyone wore blue!

Joy

Dye of the garden woad, or pastet-woad.
The vat set to work.
A Copper, as near as possible to the vat is filled with water that has 
stood some time, or, is such water is not at hand, a handful of dyer's 
woad or hay is added to the water, with light pounds of brust of fat 
madder. If the old liquor from a vat that has been used in dying from 
madder can be procured, it will save the madder, and produce a better 
effect. the Copper being filled, and the fire lighted about three in the 
morning it must boil an hour and a quarter, (Some dyers boil it for 2 
hours and and a 1//2 to three; it is then conveyed by a spout into the 
woad vat, in which has been previously put a peck of wheat or bran. 
whilst the boiling liquor is emptying into the vat, the balls of woad 
must be put in one after another in the vat that they may be the easier 
broken, racked, and stirred, this is continued till all the hot liquor 
from the copper is run into the vat, which, when till more than half 
full, must be covered with cloths some that larger than its 
circumference, so that it may be covered as close as possible. and left 
in this state for 4 hours. Then it must be uncovered to be worked, and 
fresh air let into it; and to each bale of woad, a good measure of ware 
flung in; this is a combined name for some that has been flaked. this 
measure is a kind of wooden shovel, which serves to measure the lime 
grossly; it is five inches broad and three inches and a half long, 
containing  near a good hand full; the lime being scattered in, and the 
vat well rucked, it must be again covered, leaving a little space of 
about 4 fingers open, to let in air. four hours after, she must be 
worked, without serving her with lime; the cover is then put on, 
leaving, as before, an opening for the air, in this manner she must be 
let to stand for two or three hours. then she may be raked well again, 
if she is not come to work; that is, if she does not cast blue at her 
surface, and that she works or ferments still, which may be known by 
raking and plunging with flat of the fake in the vat; being well raked, 
she is to remain still for one hour and a half more, carefully observing 
whether She casts blue or she is then to be. she is then to be soured 
with water, and the quantity of indigo judged necessary is to be put in; 
it commonly used ina liquid state, the fuel of the dye house kettle for 
each bale of woad; the vat must be filled with 6 finger-breadths of her 
brine, is to be raked and covered as before; an hour after filling her 
with water, she must be served with lime, vis 2 measures of lime for 
each bale of woad, and what may be judged it will send or take of lime 
it must also be reworked, that the lime is not to be put into the vat 
till She has been well raked. the vat being again covered, 3 hours after 
a pattern must be put in and kept entirely covered for an hour; it is 
then taken out to judge if She be fit to work. If she is, the pattern 
must come out green, and on being exposed a minute to her air, acquire a 
blue color, if the vat gives a good green, do the pattern, she must be 
raked, served with 1 or 2 measures of lime and covered. 3 hours after, 
she must be raked, and served with what lime may be judged necessary; 
she is then to be covered, and 1 hour and a half after, the vat being 
pitched ... a pattern is put in, which must remain hour to see the 
effects of the woad. if the pattern is of a fine green, and that it 
turns to a deep blue in the air, another must be dipt in to ascertain 
the effect of the vat. If this pattern is deep enough in color, let the 
vat be filled up with hot water, or if it is hard, with the old liquor o 
madder and rake her well. Should the vat still want lime, serve her with 
such a quantity as you may judge sufficient by the s... and hassling. 
this done, she must be again covered, and an hour after put in your 
stuffs, and make your overture. this is tempered for the first working 
of wool or stuffs in a new vat.
works, by which you may know how to conduct a vat regular. A vat is fit 
to work when the grounds are a green brown, when it changes on it being 
taken out of the vat, when the flows is of  a fine turkish or deep blue, 
and when the pattern comes out of a fine deep grass green. When she is 
fit to work, the ...has a good appearance clear and reddish, and the 
drops and ... that are formed under the rake in the lifting of the lever 
are brown. the lever the liquor. The lever or liquor must feel neither 
too rough nor too greasy, and must not smell either of lime or lee. How 
to kn. when a vat is breached by too green or too small a quantity of 
lime; extremes which must be avoided. when more lime has been put in 
there was sufficient for the woad, it is easily perceived by dipping in 
a pattern, which instead  instead of turning a beautiful grass green, is 
only daubed with streaky green. the grounds do not change, the vat gives 
only scarcely flurry, and the lever has a strong odor of quick lime, or 
its lees. the best cure, when she is too hard, is to put in bran and 
madder at discretion; and if she be but a little too hard, it will 
suffice to let her remain quiet for 5, or 6 hours, or more putting in 
only 2 hats full of bran and three or four pounds of madder, after which 
it is to be covered. 4 or 5 hours after, she is to be raked and plunged, 
and according to the color, that the courses from this motion, observes 
and imprints the hole big ... or fresh prof is made by putting in a pattern.

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Since we are talking about
woad, here is a&nbsp; woad recipie from the manuscipt of Willam McFarland, a weaver
in Ohio around 1814. (A mite outside our time frame, but nteresting none
the less).&nbsp; This is from his account book which not only had his accounts,
but dye recipies, a love poem, a loom diagram (with measurements) and weaving
drafts. What follows is my transcribing of his notes. In reading through
the recipies, it is a wonder to me that anyone wore blue! 
 
Joy 
 
Dye of the garden woad, or pastet-woad. 
The vat set to work. 
A Copper, as near as possible to the vat is filled with water that has stood
some time, or, is such water is not at hand, a handful of dyer&#8217;s woad or
hay is added to the water, with light pounds of brust of fat madder. If the
old liquor from a vat that has been used in dying from madder can be procured,
it will save the madder, and produce a better effect. the Copper being filled,
and the fire lighted about three in the morning it must boil an hour and
a quarter, (Some dyers boil it for 2 hours and and a 1//2 to three; it is
then conveyed by a spout into the woad vat, in which has been previously
put a peck of wheat or bran. whilst the boiling liquor is emptying into the
vat, the balls of woad must be put in one after another in the vat that they
may be the easier broken, racked, and stirred, this is continued till all
the hot liquor from the copper is run into the vat, which, when till more
than half full, must be covered with cloths some that larger than its circumference,
so that it may be covered as close as possible. and left in this state for
4 hours. Then it must be uncovered to be worked, and fresh air let into it;
and to each bale of woad, a good measure of ware flung in; this is a combined
name for some that has been flaked. this measure is a kind of wooden shovel,
which serves to measure the lime grossly; it is five inches broad and three
inches and a half long, containing&nbsp; near a good hand full; the lime being
scattered in, and the vat well rucked, it must be again covered, leaving
a little space of about 4 fingers open, to let in air. four hours after,
she must be worked, without serving her with lime; the cover is then put
on, leaving, as before, an opening for the air, in this manner she must be
let to stand for two or three hours. then she may be raked well again, if
she is not come to work; that is, if she does not cast blue at her surface,
and that she works or ferments still, which may be known by raking and plunging
with flat of the fake in the vat; being well raked, she is to remain still
for one hour and a half more, carefully observing whether She casts blue
or she is then to be. she is then to be soured with water, and the quantity
of indigo judged necessary is to be put in; it commonly used ina liquid state,
the fuel of the dye house kettle for each bale of woad; the vat must be filled
with 6 finger-breadths of her brine, is to be raked and covered as before;
an hour after filling her with water, she must be served with lime, vis 2
measures of lime for each bale of woad, and what may be judged it will send
or take of lime it must also be reworked, that the lime is not to be put
into the vat till She has been well raked. the vat being again covered, 3
hours after a pattern must be put in and kept entirely covered for an hour;
it is then taken out to judge if She be fit to work. If she is, the pattern
must come out green, and on being exposed a minute to her air, acquire a
blue color, if the vat gives a good green, do the pattern, she must be raked,
served with 1 or 2 measures of lime and covered. 3 hours after, she must
be raked, and served with what lime may be judged necessary; she is then
to be covered, and 1 hour and a half after, the vat being pitched ... a pattern
is put in, which must remain hour to see the effects of the woad. if the
pattern is of a fine green, and that it turns to a deep blue in the air,
another must be dipt in to ascertain the effect of the vat. If this pattern
is deep enough in color, let the vat be filled up with hot water, or if it
is hard, with the old liquor o madder and rake her well. Should the vat still
want lime, serve her with such a quantity as you may judge sufficient by
the s... and hassling. this done, she must be again covered, and an hour
after put in your stuffs, and make your overture. this is tempered for the
first working of wool or stuffs in a new vat. 
works, by which you may know how to conduct a vat regular. A vat is fit to
work when the grounds are a green brown, when it changes on it being taken
out of the vat, when the flows is of&nbsp; a fine turkish or deep blue, and when
the pattern comes out of a fine deep grass green. When she is fit to work,
the ...has a good appearance clear and reddish, and the drops and ... that
are formed under the rake in the lifting of the lever are brown. the lever
the liquor. The lever or liquor must feel neither too rough nor too greasy,
and must not smell either of lime or lee. How to kn. when a vat is breached
by too green or too small a quantity of lime; extremes which must be avoided.
when more lime has been put in there was sufficient for the woad, it is easily
perceived by dipping in a pattern, which instead&nbsp; instead of turning a beautiful
grass green, is only daubed with streaky green. the grounds do not change,
the vat gives only scarcely flurry, and the lever has a strong odor of quick
lime, or its lees. the best cure, when she is too hard, is to put in bran
and madder at discretion; and if she be but a little too hard, it will suffice
to let her remain quiet for 5, or 6 hours, or more putting in only 2 hats
full of bran and three or four pounds of madder, after which it is to be
covered. 4 or 5 hours after, she is to be raked and plunged, and according
to the color, that the courses from this motion, observes and imprints the
hole big ... or fresh prof is made by putting in a pattern. 
 

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