Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Lichen & Indigo.

Even though this is my first week back on Peaks, I've been just itching to get knee deep back into natural dyeing. While gone, I had two sweet elves (in the form of my mother & Island friend Judith help me obtain my indigo plants from the Maine Fiber Frolic (Sunshine Daydream Gardens to be exact). 

We arrived back home mid evening on Sunday. I missed this view from the ferry. We pass by Fort Gorges on every ferry ride. 



My lichens from Inis MeĆ”in survived the flight and everything else that goes with that. I collected them from a stone ring fort. They were all very crispy and flaked off easily. I made sure to leave a good bit behind when ever I collected form a round of lichen. 


Today I got a fermentation jar started as I'd like to use it for my demonstrations while I teach at New England Fiber Arts Retreat, aka Medomak and Squam, A Taproot Gathering this summer and early fall. With in minutes of adding the ammonia, pink started to appear. I'm really REALLY hoping the color does not disappear like last time. I had read that opening up the jar and giving it air daily would ensure the color, but instead the opposite happened. The color just slipped away. Though, I am suspicious that this will happen after the dyeing process. We shall see.  


My indigo plants are doing pretty well. I look forward to them getting bigger and harvesting them later in the summer. I'll be celebrating the harvest with an indigo dyeing party!!


I discovered these two lichens growing, overlapping each other on one of our Norway Maples. I'll be keeping an eye out for future collection. :) 


Now, back to spinning this Roscommon fleece! 



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