Lana Rosada™ Pink Cochineal Paste

Shepherd Textiles is happy to announce the release of a new natural dye extract, Lana Rosada™ Pink Cochineal Paste.

Developed in our studio and available exclusively through our website, Lana Rosada™ Pink Cochineal Paste is manufactured from our own Peruvian cochineal grains using a formula that dates back to 1874. It gives beautiful shades of cotton candy pink and bubblegum pink on wool using as little as 1% weight-of-fabric*. This historical dyestuff is a PH-stable form of cochineal that is impervious to acids like cream of tartar and oxalic acid. That makes it possible to add cream of tartar to the mordant bath or the dyebath without shifting the color toward orange. On an alum mordant it gives pinks and magentas; on a tin mordant it produces the singular hue that Victorian dyers called “rose red.” It can also be combined with normal cochineal in the same dyebath to adjust the shade of red to your liking.

Shepherd Textiles is making Pink Cochineal Paste available to the public for the first time in more than a century. Please note that it comes in the form of a sticky paste: wear gloves while handling. Extract the color by adding the paste to the dyebath and bringing to a boil, then letting cool. Filter the tiny particles of cochineal out before adding the fiber. Suitable for wool and silk; not recommended for cotton. Manufactured in the USA.

*For pink shades, pre-mordant the wool with 5% alum and 5.5% cream of tartar. For rose shades, dye in a single bath using 6% tin and 8% cream of tartar.

CAUTION: May contain slight traces of ammonia; avoid contact with eyes and mucus membranes. In case of contact, flush with lukewarm water. Do not mix with bleach. Wear gloves while handling to prevent stains on skin and clothing.