I have just figured out that the large weld stalks one discards are hollow! Perfect size for weaving pirns. Time to experiment with the dried stalks and my Lao silk shuttles.
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Texas Madder Red
27 Mar
Preparing to dig 3 year old madder root before I plant the indigo bed. The dye color “should” be intense since our water has high calcium (limestone) in it.
Colors from my valley – Parmotrema Austrosinese
31 DecAlso known as unwhiskered ruffle lichen, here are some color ranges on silk I’ve gotten from my lichen by combining it with acorns, Japanese Indigo, iron, soda ash and ammonia. Of course not at once! There is quite a color range available. I still have walnut and agarita to explore with lichen in color combinations. Next up, lightfast tests….and more dyeing….what colors can I find in my valley!
Always collect ONLY windfall lichen. Our Texas winds kick up every once in awhile here in HIll Country and when we have a heavy dew morning I have plenty on the ground to harvest!
In a later post I’ll detail how the colors were combined, but I couldn’t resist sharing since the skeins had dried and were so pretty! The yarn was sourced from Habu and from Georgia Yarn Company. They all held up well in the dyepot.
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Lichen to Gall to Iron
10 Dec
Left side is water soaked lichen-tan tones. Right side is soda ash soaked lichen-red tones. Middle lichen skeins are simmered in oak galls- still held tan or red tones. Top skeins are iron afterbath, no difference in color. All great neutrals.
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Time to sort lichen!
10 Dec
After last week’s rain I was able to pick up plenty of windfall lichen. It’s dry and ready to sort. Ready for the next round of wind & rain!
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Taos Earth Palette
9 DecIndigo dye pots from top to bottom:
1. Chemical pot with hide glue
2. Fructose with a 24 hour rest
3. Aloe pot
4. Fructose with no rest.
Thanks so much to Diane DeSouza for teaching the class and Taos Wool Festival for sponsoring the Earth Palette Dye conference.
2011 Colors from My Valley
24 SepHere are the results if 2010 gathering & growing and 2011 dyeing. Lots of details on my old blog http://www.debmcclintock.com/Debmcclintock/Debs_Dyepot_Blog/Debs_Dyepot_Blog.html
I’ve done 5 scarves from all the color samples. The toughest thing was combining the colors so each scarf showed off it’s colors. The project started as a dye sample project, not a finished product project so I had a real challenge in pulling the colors togeather so they did not clash. BUT I did find out the minimum amount I needed to get great colors so next year I’ll plan bigger skeins.
Drought in Texas Hill Country continues – dyepots on hold!
24 SepWe are in a mean drought right now and I’ve put my dyeing on hold. I’m continuing to pick my Cota Navajo Tea and dry it. After a heavy dew I am gathering lichen and will soak it in ammonia to pull the color. I do have the Japanese Indigo leaves coming in and will run one more dyepot with the leaves that will provide me with a blue. It is a use it or lose it with the indigo and I’ve already invested water into those plants. But other than drying lichen and cota and gathering acorns, lichen and oak galls , the dyepot is on hold.
The rain water cistern is down to half full. We’ve switched over to the well and watching the tropics for rain! The Texas Hill Country needs a tropical storm or baby hurricane to help lift water tables and refill lakes. For now, the dyepots are quiet until the thunder booms. THINK RAIN!
Hopi Sunflower Seed Color
7 SepHere is the Hopi Sunflower color. From left to right: sunflower seed simmered and held overnight to soak, strained and silk added, middle skein is Hopi sunflower with iron, third skein is exhaust dyebath. All silk skeins are mordanted in alum sulfate.
It is now August 25, 2020. Here is a photo of the same skein shown which has been resting quietly waiting to be woven. It still holds color and has shifted a bit grey but the purple still holds. It has not been out in the sun or subject to washing or pH changes.
debmcclintock 
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