Solar dyeing, Day 423

Birch bark dyed wool with a beautiful woodsy fragrance even after a thorough wash.

The alum mordanted wool was layered in a jar with birch bark and covered with water.  Last summer the jar was placed in the greenhouse to solar dye and brought into the house for the winter.  It was shaken occasionally, but I forgot to bring it back out into the sun this summer.  When I emptied the jar the liquid was clear.  This didn’t achieve  a very deep gold colour perhaps  due to the small amount of dye stuff  I was able to put into the jar for the weight of wool.

Hearts of stone

Found 10 days ago on a rocky shore of the river.

 

 

Cotton Hammock

A great way to spend some lazy summer time.

Beautiful  cotton fabric woven in Brazil.

with the most amazing hand-knotted fringe.

Apricots

Fruit ripens and they don’t take any notice of sick people.      Apricots grown organically have a few blemishes which don’t matter at all to the jam or me.

I was well enough to make the annual  apricot jam – I include a few apricot pits for flavour.

And of course there is always a bit that doesn’t make it into the jars.

Apricot jam on freshly baked wholemeal bread for breakfast.

No weaving here yet, but I have begun working on designing my sample for the Complex Weaver’s 16′s sample exchange this year.

Out Of Our Minds

I love the interlibrary loan system in B.C.   One goes online to the B.C. library database to  search  for a book.  if it is in a B.C. library it will come up with a list.   A click brings up a simple form to fill out  and a click sends your request!   Most of the time your book arrives at your local library within a few days checked out for 3 weeks.  I know the system has been around for years, but with online access it is so much better.

I did request a book way back in late June,  then I went away for a few weeks,   got the flu  (or came back bringing it along) and suddenly I received a call from the library telling me my book was here.  Huh?  what book?  I had completely forgotten the request, but the system didn’t and I just received it.  Amazing.   So now I can finish recovering from this nasty flu bug with what I hope is a good read.

I am sure I picked up the link to this book on one of the blogs I check in on.  Not sure now which one – it was awhile ago – so I am sorry I cannot credit anyone.   Anyway – here is a link to the book with various reviews and interviews.