Overdyeing Lincoln Green — Weld Yellow over Indigo Blue
There is no single green dye plant. Throughout history, greens were achieved by overdyeing — dyeing fabric first in one colour, then a second. Lincoln Green, the colour associated with Robin Hood and medieval English cloth, is made by dyeing wool first in an indigo or woad vat (blue), then overdyeing in a weld bath (yellow). The blue and yellow combine in the fibre to produce a rich, fast green. This blueprint covers the two-bath overdyeing process, building on weld and indigo techniques from the earlier blueprints.
Instructions
Prepare Indigo Vat
Prepare Indigo Vat
Prepare a reduced indigo vat following the indigo extraction blueprint — the vat liquid should be yellow-green beneath the surface
Tools needed:
Stock PotWet the Wool
Wet the Wool
Soak the undyed wool skein in warm water for 30 minutes to ensure even dye uptake
Materials for this step:
Wool Yarn Skein (Undyed)100 grams
Water5 litresFirst Indigo Dip
First Indigo Dip
Lower the wetted wool gently into the indigo vat — do not agitate, as oxygen breaks the reduction
Hold Submerged 20 Minutes
Hold Submerged 20 Minutes
Keep the wool submerged for 20 minutes, pressing it down gently to avoid air pockets
Oxidise in Air
Oxidise in Air
Lift the wool out — it will be yellow-green at first, then turn blue as it oxidises in the air over 15 minutes
Repeat Indigo Dips
Repeat Indigo Dips
Dip and oxidise 2-3 more times to build a medium blue — not too dark, or the final green will be very deep
Rinse the Blue Wool
Rinse the Blue Wool
Rinse the indigo-dyed wool thoroughly in cool water until the rinse runs clear
Materials for this step:
Water10 litresDry the Blue Wool
Dry the Blue Wool
Hang the blue-dyed wool to dry completely before the second dye bath — this sets the indigo
Prepare Weld Bath
Prepare Weld Bath
Prepare a weld dye bath following the weld yellow dye blueprint — chop 200 g of weld and simmer at 80°C for 45 minutes
Materials for this step:
Weld Plant (Reseda luteola)200 gramsStrain Weld Bath
Strain Weld Bath
Strain out all plant matter and return the golden dye liquid to the pot
Tools needed:
Cloth (Straining)Add Alum Mordant
Add Alum Mordant
Dissolve 10 g alum in hot water and add to the weld bath — this fixes the yellow layer permanently
Materials for this step:
Alum (Potassium Alum)10 gramsRe-Wet the Blue Wool
Re-Wet the Blue Wool
Soak the dried blue wool in warm water for 15 minutes before entering the weld bath
Enter the Weld Bath
Enter the Weld Bath
Lower the blue-dyed wool into the yellow weld bath — the colour will begin shifting toward green immediately
Materials for this step:
Firewood1 bundleSimmer at 80°C
Simmer at 80°C
Heat the bath to 80°C and hold for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning the wool every 10 minutes
Check the Green
Check the Green
Lift a section to check — the blue and yellow combine in the fibre to produce a rich green
Adjust if Needed
Adjust if Needed
For a bluer green, shorten the weld bath time; for a yellower green, extend it or increase the weld concentration
Final Rinse
Final Rinse
Remove the green wool and rinse in progressively cooler water until the water runs clear
Materials for this step:
Water10 litresDry in Shade
Dry in Shade
Hang the Lincoln Green wool in shade to dry — the overdyed colour is extremely lightfast and permanent
Materials
5- 100 gramsPlaceholder
- 200 gramsPlaceholder
- 10 gramsPlaceholder
CC0 Public Domain
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