Sunday, September 14, 2008

a likely story of lichens

Todays dyeing was with this lichen, which was picked from ponderosa pines in the interior of British Columbia and gifted to me..so I pulled it out and added water and cooked it for an hour and then added mordanted (alum and COT) silk/merino 100 grams and two skeins of kid mohair and I thought I got a generous amount of color so I have pulled the yarn out to cool, added two more kid mohair, and it is cooking now and then I will add 1/4 tsp iron and see what happens ...a light green I am hoping.


I also have some `chicken of the woods` in a pot ..I had chopped this and soaked for several days, not much
colour so I am now cooking and added
a bit of ammonia as I read somewhere I
might get some colour that way, I also
read that it won`t dye..so I shall
experiment.




This is the lichen batch and it is a clear light yellow with greenish hue.
I am also dyeing with some giant knotweed, and have gathered and dried a quantity of this for winter dyeing.

One of those times when I have endless desire to do many projects and only one hand and not enough time in the day...alas, where are those workers to help me out...lol

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was that a hint to get your friends to come over and help???
Frenchette

Anonymous said...

most kinds of lichens you don't need mordant. Unless you getting purples or stuff, but then you add mordant. that was an interesting choice. I use alot because we have a lot in northern ca.