Tuesday, December 4, 2007

sanguinea or not sanquinea that is the question

Another round of mushroom gathering today, and a feast of Chantarelles, we keep thinking it will be the last feast but still going into December, what a treat. Gathered more northern red dye, top, and what I think are californicus on the bottom, but I am definitely not sure of that, are they western red dye, phoenicea , or californicus...they have very orange gills, and aren't nearly as red as the sanquinea. Hopefully someone , somewhere can answer this question. Perhaps Leena the queen of mushroom dyeing, in my mind, who lives in Finland, and is a great dyer.. can help me out. Even with three mushroom books in hand they are so close the two californicus and phoenicea, that it is hard to tell for a novice like myself. Also found what I think are Jack O'Lanterns Omphalotus olivascens, which I have cooking away on the stove as we speak...and the liquid is slightly orange, sort of like a pumpkin, thus its name, but gives a purple dye, mystery of mysteries....what I did get today was Carol Lee's mushroom dyeing book, and that will be helpful. Already is helpful and I just opened it. Now I think I will try and dry these new mushrooms in the picture today, as I don;'t have enough pots to put them in, and I did hear that drying is the best way for color, and Color says that the older the mushroom the more color, which is news to me...of course, its all news to me. Will post some Omphalotus olivascens tomorrow .....and perhaps wool dyed with it.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Top row mushrooms look more like sanguineas, lower row looks more about semisanguineas. Semisanguineas have rather yellow stems byt often the stem base has some red tinge. Those caps give red shades but separatelly used stems dye fibers orange - yellow.

Nice mittens you make!