ANST - natural dyeing ... reds & purples

Mark.S Harris rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com
Tue Jun 30 13:42:46 PDT 1998


Blackwolf mentioned and Moriel answered:
> > if you have access to large areas of prickly-pear cactus, there is a species
> > of small insect (starts with a "c" i think ...) that lives in them ... that
> > produces a really nice reddish-purple.
> BINGO!  You win the dyer's award of the day!  The bug you are referring
> to is cochneal [sp] and gives BEAUTIFUL purples.  The prickly plant
> fruit gives off really pretty Magenta's...at least on acryllic yarns.  I
> tried that one years ago before I  got into natural dyineg.  The fruit
> is really good to eat too.
> 
> Moriel***

This makes me curious. Are there prickly-pear cactus varieties native
to Europe? What about other cactuses?

If so, what did the medieval Europeans make with them? What about the Middle East
or Africa? Did any of these products get transported to Europe?

Thanks.
  Stefan li Rous
  stefan at texas.net
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