[MR] blue vitriol explained

[Becky McEllistrem]

Since several people mentioned wanting to know what
happens I thought I'd post my results here.

Kateryn Rous is the one that got it right even more
than EarthGuild.  Earthguild says blue vitriol is only
a mordant not a colorant.  Actually it depends on what
you're coloring.

Blue vitriol is a soft dark blue crystal that's pretty
easily crushed with a mortar and pestle and like lapis
turns lighter as you crush it more and more.  Tried
adding it to hot lye first and got a very burnt black
looking powdery water that wasn't very inviting thus I
didn't use it.

Added a little bit to plain water and let it dissolve
just for an experiment and it created a beautiful
light blue water.  Added a bunch of ground blue
vitriol to cold lye and got a darker blue color. 
Mixed this lye with the olive oil and got a dingy gray
soap with kind of a blue-gray hint to the color that
seems to be lightening as the soap hardens.

Next night - since the recipe called for "common oils"
and I wanted to be sure any soap I had was dry, I used
lard - needed a sheep fat substitute anyway for a
different recipe.  I mixed the lye with the melted
lard which started to dry almost instantly.  Added the
blue vitriol in with the alum.  Alum doesn't appear to
have done much of anything but the blue vitriol turned
the soap into a pretty neat dark green-blue-gray
color.  

The only equivalent I can find is ground pigments used
commercially to color soap.  Will have both on display
at University and hopefully Challenge of the Heart. 
Not 100% sure about Challenge.

Nice thing about this recipe is I believe it documents
colorants in soap.  Will post recipe later.  It's from
Alexis of Piedmont - 1580
  

Rebecca


		
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