All my long gloves (the ones suitable for stirring and lifting things out of a five gallon pot) have holes in them so I just gave in to the blue nails. And like you -- I kinda like it. Finally fading over a week later...
Oh gosh, that is so great to hear-- I really appreciate the feedback and love knowing you like them. Meant to make one or two this week too but alas I got caught up in the process and totally forgot! Silly.
Love that perfect loaf of bread! And the lovely aqua-blue yarns. And the grand views on your walk with Beryl. And the oh so sweet way she checks on you. And your smile now that your fortune has found you. And that the phone did not fall into the vat!
What a fabulous post Sandy. Always so happy to see and learn more about how milkweed from different perspectives. And I have to agree that the needs of the butterflies need to come first!
Also, thanks for your sweet comment on my bread. I'm still a newbie and learn something every time--which of course is a good part of the delight.
Why thank you! Hilariously, my entire wardrobe has slowly been moving in the blue direction just as my hair has grown whiter and whiter... I actually think Indigo looks pretty fabulous on everyone but perhaps that's just my bias :-)
I visited an ancient indigo operation in Japan. I was so intrigued by the in ground vats and how the plants oxidized and tuned blue. They had intricately hand cut templates for the white contrasting designs on the fabric. There were probably 20 vats in an old wooden structure and the gentleman had a long wooden stick that he’d tend the vats with. Thanks for memory reminder.
Oh gosh Becky how amazing to see that in Japan -- all those living bubbling vats carefully tended, all that delicious blue and white cloth. YUM. Thank you for a delicious word picture!
YOu're right -- she is a very good dog. How lucky am I? It used to worry me when she got ahead like that, but that regular checking is so reassuring. "I know what I'm doing Sarah--you just chill and enjoy the walk."
As it happens, you can grow the plants and dye with your kiddos. You can get the seeds for PERSICARIA TINCTORIA (Japanese Indigo) from the wondrous guys at Grand Prismatic in Utah (https://www.grandprismaticseed.com)-- and as it happens, they have a picture of blue hands in action on their landing page right now!
You don't even have to do fancy chemistry as there are some really fun projects you can do working with the fresh leaves.
How did you know I'm homeschooling my younger kid (the one who's in love with Beryl) this coming year and they would LOVE THIS. We did a day-long pine needle basket-making workshop together last month and this is all clearly their jam, so to speak.
Also, I finally found a native milkweed seed source and am going to try planting Showy Milkweed in the garden this fall. I did plant milkweed from Fedco last year, but a bunch of magpies were watching me and I'm sure they promptly ate the seeds. Or someone did.
The indigo bath is a very special place to be and to realise that Beryl is part-indigo made my day. But above all the twining is mesmeric. I feel I need to find this rhythm...no milkweed in Scotland but plenty of nettles. Can I strip the bast out in the same way? (Protecting hands from stinging when collecting, of course)
Painting my blue dog with indigo is one of the highlights of my days...
And yes, Nettle is wondrously abundant and similar to milkweed though for me it is not quite as easy to get fiber from it. For more specific information I highly recommend Allan Brown's fabulous website Nettles for Textiles: http://www.nettlesfortextiles.org.uk/wp/ Also Alice Fox's Substack and/or her beautiful book Wild Textiles: https://alicefox.bigcartel.com/product/wild-textiles
I am so glad you have returned. My inspiration was lagging.. I have some fleece that needs dyeing and the days of sunshine are getting longer. Your milkweed find reminded me, pertner John, and discussed gardening for this years harvest. We will be growing to plant several beds with Rozelle. Not only will we get fruit bit we will have dye possibilities and the have a fibrous stalks and branches so I will have the opportunity to return it and twist it into yarn. We haven’t even planted the beds yet I get to have a year of some interesting work. Thank you for being such an inspiration.
What a treat to have a long term plan--and how brilliant to plan ahead to plant Rozelle. I'd love to learn more about how that goes. Always amazing to be able to grow bast fiber plants in one's back yard. Indeed, you've just inspired me so thank you kindly!
I love the blues! And oh, my...Is that your former naturally cream colored felted vest you made a while back? Nice upgrade to blue! Gotta say, the blue thumbnail at first made me think you had hit it with a hammer. So glad that's not the case! The bread looks delicious! And I do love your videos demonstrating twining and any other of your skills you can delight us with. Thanks for sharing such an interesting dyeing spree! 😀🥰👍🏻
It is indeed my former cream vest. I adored its original color but continual wearing last winter was rendering it somewhat grey in spots (esp around the pocket), despite several washes, so it seemed it'd be more useful overall if blue. And oh my did it take the color nicely!
And thanks for your thumbnail concerns. It certainly could have been a hammer, but I guess I'd have had to hit every one of my fingers!
Fabulous colors!!
Why thank you kindly Randy! I'm pretty smitten with them myself :-)
Love the blue nails. I really don't like wearing gloves dye, except for Ashli's Iron Indigo vat. It is a pleasant reminder offing creative.
Yes, those nails are priceless!!
All my long gloves (the ones suitable for stirring and lifting things out of a five gallon pot) have holes in them so I just gave in to the blue nails. And like you -- I kinda like it. Finally fading over a week later...
One of your best and an inspiration to get off the couch and get out the tools. Thanks.
Gosh thank you Mary! That color really does something doesn't it?
Love your video demonstrations Sarah. I always learn something new. Thank you.
Oh gosh, that is so great to hear-- I really appreciate the feedback and love knowing you like them. Meant to make one or two this week too but alas I got caught up in the process and totally forgot! Silly.
I’m always happy to see the Gusset stack. Absolutely beautiful blues
Blue is a poem.
Oh yes. It is indeed. Thanks.
Love that perfect loaf of bread! And the lovely aqua-blue yarns. And the grand views on your walk with Beryl. And the oh so sweet way she checks on you. And your smile now that your fortune has found you. And that the phone did not fall into the vat!
PS Thought you might like to see this milkweed post:
https://open.substack.com/pub/sydneymichalski/p/who-are-you?r=2l04ge&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
What a fabulous post Sandy. Always so happy to see and learn more about how milkweed from different perspectives. And I have to agree that the needs of the butterflies need to come first!
Also, thanks for your sweet comment on my bread. I'm still a newbie and learn something every time--which of course is a good part of the delight.
Madrugadorial! Oooohhhhh!
Isn't that just the yummiest word and idea all rolled into one?
And that felted piece with your hair. What a marvelous blue. On you. (Forget the nails).
Why thank you! Hilariously, my entire wardrobe has slowly been moving in the blue direction just as my hair has grown whiter and whiter... I actually think Indigo looks pretty fabulous on everyone but perhaps that's just my bias :-)
I visited an ancient indigo operation in Japan. I was so intrigued by the in ground vats and how the plants oxidized and tuned blue. They had intricately hand cut templates for the white contrasting designs on the fabric. There were probably 20 vats in an old wooden structure and the gentleman had a long wooden stick that he’d tend the vats with. Thanks for memory reminder.
Oh gosh Becky how amazing to see that in Japan -- all those living bubbling vats carefully tended, all that delicious blue and white cloth. YUM. Thank you for a delicious word picture!
😍 wonderfull colors, wonderfull work, wonderfull drawing!
Thank you for sharing
Gosh thank you Maria.
Love the fact that Beryl waits for you to see you’re coming , then proceeds to her important interests- sign of a VERY GOOD DOG!
YOu're right -- she is a very good dog. How lucky am I? It used to worry me when she got ahead like that, but that regular checking is so reassuring. "I know what I'm doing Sarah--you just chill and enjoy the walk."
I did not know I needed that blue in my life but I NEEDED THAT BLUE IN MY LIFE!
It's amaaaazing, isn't it?
As it happens, you can grow the plants and dye with your kiddos. You can get the seeds for PERSICARIA TINCTORIA (Japanese Indigo) from the wondrous guys at Grand Prismatic in Utah (https://www.grandprismaticseed.com)-- and as it happens, they have a picture of blue hands in action on their landing page right now!
You don't even have to do fancy chemistry as there are some really fun projects you can do working with the fresh leaves.
How did you know I'm homeschooling my younger kid (the one who's in love with Beryl) this coming year and they would LOVE THIS. We did a day-long pine needle basket-making workshop together last month and this is all clearly their jam, so to speak.
Also, I finally found a native milkweed seed source and am going to try planting Showy Milkweed in the garden this fall. I did plant milkweed from Fedco last year, but a bunch of magpies were watching me and I'm sure they promptly ate the seeds. Or someone did.
The indigo bath is a very special place to be and to realise that Beryl is part-indigo made my day. But above all the twining is mesmeric. I feel I need to find this rhythm...no milkweed in Scotland but plenty of nettles. Can I strip the bast out in the same way? (Protecting hands from stinging when collecting, of course)
Painting my blue dog with indigo is one of the highlights of my days...
And yes, Nettle is wondrously abundant and similar to milkweed though for me it is not quite as easy to get fiber from it. For more specific information I highly recommend Allan Brown's fabulous website Nettles for Textiles: http://www.nettlesfortextiles.org.uk/wp/ Also Alice Fox's Substack and/or her beautiful book Wild Textiles: https://alicefox.bigcartel.com/product/wild-textiles
I am so glad you have returned. My inspiration was lagging.. I have some fleece that needs dyeing and the days of sunshine are getting longer. Your milkweed find reminded me, pertner John, and discussed gardening for this years harvest. We will be growing to plant several beds with Rozelle. Not only will we get fruit bit we will have dye possibilities and the have a fibrous stalks and branches so I will have the opportunity to return it and twist it into yarn. We haven’t even planted the beds yet I get to have a year of some interesting work. Thank you for being such an inspiration.
What a treat to have a long term plan--and how brilliant to plan ahead to plant Rozelle. I'd love to learn more about how that goes. Always amazing to be able to grow bast fiber plants in one's back yard. Indeed, you've just inspired me so thank you kindly!
I love the blues! And oh, my...Is that your former naturally cream colored felted vest you made a while back? Nice upgrade to blue! Gotta say, the blue thumbnail at first made me think you had hit it with a hammer. So glad that's not the case! The bread looks delicious! And I do love your videos demonstrating twining and any other of your skills you can delight us with. Thanks for sharing such an interesting dyeing spree! 😀🥰👍🏻
It is indeed my former cream vest. I adored its original color but continual wearing last winter was rendering it somewhat grey in spots (esp around the pocket), despite several washes, so it seemed it'd be more useful overall if blue. And oh my did it take the color nicely!
And thanks for your thumbnail concerns. It certainly could have been a hammer, but I guess I'd have had to hit every one of my fingers!