what i do while the paint is drying: ongoing weaving/knitting/dye projects, experiments with local dye plants, garden trash and other messy endeavors.
I’m still collecting Woad seeds. When the one plant that had started going to seed took off I wrapped it in a tomato cage and will continue collecting seeds as long as they appear. Also on the to-do list is to start sending out seed packets to various fellow-dyers.
My idea of an enjoyable weekend: dyed more yarn, Woad and Onion peel pots and made a batch of Plantine and Lavender salve.
Link to the trailer for A Weaverly Path, the Sylvia Heyden documentary.
Since last week I started harvesting Woad seeds as they are ready.
Tomato cage wrapped around the plant going to seed – so it doesn’t fall over.
This last year I didn’t process enough Woad to dye more than a pair of socks or gloves and I’m still buying Woad powder along with processing my own.
Next year I’m planning for more plants. More of my neighbors are planting vegetables in their front yards so no one will be surprised by the expanding herb and dye garden.
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One of my favorite blogs is: Riihivilla, Dyeing with natural dyes. A really wonderful natural dye blog in Finnish and English written by Leena Riihela. I don’t know for sure but I think she may also take the photographs. One of the great things about the internet is being able to see what other dyers are growing, working with, etc.
Recently there was a post that the Finnish Natural Dyer’s Association will be putting on “ first international DIPDAY (Dyeing in Public Day), September 2nd 2011″. I’ve spun, woven and knitted in public but never been to a dye in public event. Sounds fun.
(Calendula salve)
As if the house isn’t a big enough mess what with the dye and other messy occupations I’ve been learning to make herbal salves. I’m lucky enough that there is a really knowledgeable herbalist, Julie James/Green Wisdom Herbal Studies who lectures at a local shop, the Green Man. Additionally I’ve learned quite a bit from the HerbMentor site.
(Plantine Salve)
Next to and mixed in my dye garden are a few medicinal herbs and things other people call weeds. Plantain for example, makes up a good salve.
Rosemary and Lavender tincture.
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One of my favorite dye blogs is Rihivilla Dyeing with natural dyes. Wonderful pictures and good information. The current post: Riihivilla, Dyeing with natural dyes: Now in my garden Nyt puutarhassa has a good picture (scroll down a bit) of what Woad seeds look link when ready to harvest.
Pictures of my going-to-seed Woad plant below. (Hand in pictures to give an idea of the size of the seeds.)
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Woad flowers. What you don’t see in this picture are the aphids.
Up to now it seemed that nothing wanted to lunch on my dye plants, not even snails – and the latter are capable of tearing up a cactus.
At least until a couple of days ago. Went out to water the garden and found a herd of aphids parked on the Woad plant just below the flowering stems.
The plant seems ok, continues flowering and I’ve started spraying with my home brew ‘insecticidal soap’ (dish soap and water).
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Most of the time my Woad plants have looked rather cabbage-like. Now that one of them has switched into seed producing mode it is shooting up like a mutant broccoli.
For the Weld, I’m going to dry most of the plants and let a bit go for seeds.
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Jack, through the back screen door. The cats are always looking for the door to spring.
Garden around late January, early February.
Still looks a bit bare. Shortly after this picture was taken the Weld took off.
Weld
I haven’t written much about using Weld. From: A Dyer’s Manual / Jill Goodwin (ISBN 0-7207-1327-7)
“The whole plant above ground may be chopped and simmered fresh, or carefully dried for use during the winter. There is little difference in the depth of yellow color from fresh or dried plants but the range of greens is greater from freshly cut leaves and stems.” (p.63)
[Weld plants, pictures taken only a couple of weeks apart. ]
Goodwin also mentions that the the plants grow about 3ft before flowering.
And the Woad
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Earlier this month I lost my little garden supervisor T.R.
T.R. was a “rescue” cat. She was named after the TRW computer swap-meet where we found her. A few weeks old she had been dumped in the industrial park where the swap meet takes place.
Among other things she took great enjoyment in was rolling in unwashed fleece. She would roll in it happily and come in smelling like a barnyard.
17+ good years and great company. R.I.P. little cat, you are missed.
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LibraryThing dye book list
