Not wanting to beleaguer the seed to plant metaphor, a la Chris Stevens (John Corbett). Blue Jay was not all that excited about starting seedlings in peat planter pots or about labeling them. And, Blue Jay Natural Dye has been dormant.
Lucy and I labeled a bunch of Popsicle sticks that Blue Jay had for crafts. I had some gardening soil and planted various seeds. As a result, the best performers as far as seedlings go have been the Hopi and regular Sunflowers, and the peas. The Scarlet Starlet Marigolds and the other Marigolds are starting to sprout as well.
On Sunday, Blue Jay and I started to plant the peat pots in the gardens (in 311 along the back and 88 along the west side), and , but just the Sunflowers. I trenched with a hoe, Blue Jay watered the trench, and retrieved the peat pots. I cut them apart, and gave her instructions on the distance to place them, about six inches apart. She filled in between the seedlings with dirt and then re-watered them.
Blue Jay did make the remark, “I wish we could just do the dying?” On the other hand she was very excited to be part of the planting process.
Anyway Blue Jay now has the task of keeping the Sunflowers watered. We’ll do the rest of the planting next weekend. The Indigo and the Woad seeds did arrive. So we’ll include those in the weekend plant. The Indigo are really tall so they will go on the north side of 88. The shorter plants will go to the front.
I’ve been keeping my eye out on the morning dog walks for the starts of the Black Eyed Susans and the other Rock Island natives. I haven’t seen them yet.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Blue Jay's Picks, Woad and Japanese Indigo
I finally ordered the Woad and Japanese Indigo from Sand Mountain Herbs. They should be here next week. They both yield blue dye,
Blue Jay mentioned the blue color when she saw the Sand Mountain Herbs web site with the Woad seeds page up. Also on the page was the warning that the Woad seeds could not be shipped to Montana, California, Washington state, Utah or Oregon,. Colorado is in the clear.
I also purchased potting soil and additional peat pots. Lucy and I labeled Popsicle sticks to Identify the plants. We even included the height of the grown plants. Blue Jay was not to enthused with this part of the project.
The Woad will grow to be about two feet high. But the Indigo description didn’t include an estimated height. We’ll be arranging the plants with the taller ones toward the back of the flower beds.
I’ve been waiting for some less windy weather, and at a time when Pi Guy aren’t riding, and Blue Jay isn’t doing home school work. That day might come tomorrow. I also need to check to see if there are any other seeds that I need to purchase, and what collection hikes we might go on.
Blue Jay mentioned the blue color when she saw the Sand Mountain Herbs web site with the Woad seeds page up. Also on the page was the warning that the Woad seeds could not be shipped to Montana, California, Washington state, Utah or Oregon,. Colorado is in the clear.
I also purchased potting soil and additional peat pots. Lucy and I labeled Popsicle sticks to Identify the plants. We even included the height of the grown plants. Blue Jay was not to enthused with this part of the project.
The Woad will grow to be about two feet high. But the Indigo description didn’t include an estimated height. We’ll be arranging the plants with the taller ones toward the back of the flower beds.
I’ve been waiting for some less windy weather, and at a time when Pi Guy aren’t riding, and Blue Jay isn’t doing home school work. That day might come tomorrow. I also need to check to see if there are any other seeds that I need to purchase, and what collection hikes we might go on.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Blue Jay's Picks; Hibiscus, Hollyhocks, St. John's Wort, Scarlet Pea
The more I delve into the plants on Blue Jay’s Picks list, the more I wonder how I’ll have time to mow the lawn. She only picked twelve plants and I have five more to go.
Hibiscus, or Rose Mallow is another one of those items that we will have to purchase to enjoy. I think that the lavender, rose dye color is what drew Blue Jay to the Hibiscus. The plant has pretty reddish and circular flowers, but some of the dye results, depending on the mordant and material, are nearly black. The plants will require some maintenance in this dry climate, and might do best in bed 77, in the shade.
I noticed that Blue Jay skipped over the Hollyhocks. “Oh no, why does it have to be Hollyhocks?”
St. John’s Wort produces some golds and reddish browns. When I first started researching St. John’s Wort, I had another of those puzzles. I was thinking along the lines of garden flowers. When I found Sand Mountain Herbs.com there was a handy red note saying that the seeds could not be shipped to Oregon, California, Colorado, Montana, Utah or Washington State.
Looking further on the USDA web site, I found that Common St. John’s Wort was C listed in Colorado, meaning that it was a noxious weed. (I like Sand Mountain Herbs for their ecological responsibility.) I’ll have no reservations about collecting this plant from pastures or open range. It is poisonous to livestock. It’s another one for the hike, ride or drive collection method.
Blue Jay passed over several brilliant yellows and went to the blues. Indigo first. The indigofera suffriticosa is native to Mexico and the Caribbean and has distribution in the southeast.
I did find another close relative indigofera miniata, which is supposed to be found in Texas. Its common name is Scarlet Pea or Texas Indigo. (This information is via the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center). It reminds me of a plant that I have seen off the Rock Island Path while commuting to work on my bicycle. I think that we will try this, however since Rita Buchanan suggested that most alternatives in the indigofera genus don’t yield any useful color, we’ll get some seeds Indigo Tinctura from Sand Mountain Herbs. They like full sun and should do well in bed 88 or 311.
For more experimentation, we might get some shrubs from heronswood.com, the indigofera heterantha.
Japanese Indigo and Woad are the last two on Blue Jay’s list. I’ll get these next time.
Hibiscus, or Rose Mallow is another one of those items that we will have to purchase to enjoy. I think that the lavender, rose dye color is what drew Blue Jay to the Hibiscus. The plant has pretty reddish and circular flowers, but some of the dye results, depending on the mordant and material, are nearly black. The plants will require some maintenance in this dry climate, and might do best in bed 77, in the shade.
I noticed that Blue Jay skipped over the Hollyhocks. “Oh no, why does it have to be Hollyhocks?”
St. John’s Wort produces some golds and reddish browns. When I first started researching St. John’s Wort, I had another of those puzzles. I was thinking along the lines of garden flowers. When I found Sand Mountain Herbs.com there was a handy red note saying that the seeds could not be shipped to Oregon, California, Colorado, Montana, Utah or Washington State.
Looking further on the USDA web site, I found that Common St. John’s Wort was C listed in Colorado, meaning that it was a noxious weed. (I like Sand Mountain Herbs for their ecological responsibility.) I’ll have no reservations about collecting this plant from pastures or open range. It is poisonous to livestock. It’s another one for the hike, ride or drive collection method.
Blue Jay passed over several brilliant yellows and went to the blues. Indigo first. The indigofera suffriticosa is native to Mexico and the Caribbean and has distribution in the southeast.
I did find another close relative indigofera miniata, which is supposed to be found in Texas. Its common name is Scarlet Pea or Texas Indigo. (This information is via the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center). It reminds me of a plant that I have seen off the Rock Island Path while commuting to work on my bicycle. I think that we will try this, however since Rita Buchanan suggested that most alternatives in the indigofera genus don’t yield any useful color, we’ll get some seeds Indigo Tinctura from Sand Mountain Herbs. They like full sun and should do well in bed 88 or 311.
For more experimentation, we might get some shrubs from heronswood.com, the indigofera heterantha.
Japanese Indigo and Woad are the last two on Blue Jay’s list. I’ll get these next time.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Colorado Day, Blue Jay in Color
When I mentioned this morning at breakfast that I needed to post to Blue Jay Natural Dye, Blue Jay was emphatic about knowing what SHE would post.
She pointed out the kitchen window. It took me a minute to sort out all the items that were in her range of view. Not the cable junction box on the power pole in the alley. Not the squirrel on the Pergola. Yes, the little green budded leaves on the lilac. I should have taken a photo then.
The budding has been made apparent to my sinuses and allergies for several days, but I didn’t point that out. I love it when she gets excited about that stuff.
She also wants to try the Onion Skin dye that she found in one of her American Girl books, entitled Kirsten’s Craft Book. It is a little out of sequence for my preparations, but I think that we can manage.
I looked at the craft instructions in Kirsten’s Craft Book. They were well written out, so we may try them. There were sixteen craft instructions including patterns for stenciling boxes, and painted clay bead jewelry, too.
I wanted to do all the dyeing processes out side.
Yesterday's temperature topped 80° F. This morning was sunshine, blue sky, and in the fifties. This afternoon,... see the picture.
We still do need to cut up the fabric for color samples. We may do that instead and do the outdoor tasks tomorrow.
Blue Jay drew her room. Oak flooring, solid blue rug, yellow walls, white ceiling, wood dresser, desk, bed and bookcase and an orange, a yellow, and a purple canvas storage tote finish out the rooms furnishings.
Here is her impressionist view.
And, Blue Jay in color.
She pointed out the kitchen window. It took me a minute to sort out all the items that were in her range of view. Not the cable junction box on the power pole in the alley. Not the squirrel on the Pergola. Yes, the little green budded leaves on the lilac. I should have taken a photo then.
The budding has been made apparent to my sinuses and allergies for several days, but I didn’t point that out. I love it when she gets excited about that stuff.
She also wants to try the Onion Skin dye that she found in one of her American Girl books, entitled Kirsten’s Craft Book. It is a little out of sequence for my preparations, but I think that we can manage.
I looked at the craft instructions in Kirsten’s Craft Book. They were well written out, so we may try them. There were sixteen craft instructions including patterns for stenciling boxes, and painted clay bead jewelry, too.
I wanted to do all the dyeing processes out side.
Yesterday's temperature topped 80° F. This morning was sunshine, blue sky, and in the fifties. This afternoon,... see the picture.
We still do need to cut up the fabric for color samples. We may do that instead and do the outdoor tasks tomorrow.
Blue Jay drew her room. Oak flooring, solid blue rug, yellow walls, white ceiling, wood dresser, desk, bed and bookcase and an orange, a yellow, and a purple canvas storage tote finish out the rooms furnishings.
Here is her impressionist view.
And, Blue Jay in color.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Blue Jay picks sunflowers, yarrow
Sunflowers (helianthus annuus) are next on Blue Jay's list of plants. They give very nice green yellow die color when the fresh blossoms are used. We just have to plant some of these.
I’d like not only the common sunflowers but some of the bushier and smaller blossomed ones. Burpee.com has some of these, but their taller varieties are up to fourteen feet tall and are hybrids. Burpee.com doesn’t give the scientific name, either. Parkseeds.com has the helianthus annuus and various other sunflowers and does usually list the scientific name.
There is a particular challenge with sunflowers, too, reds, or blues from the Hopi Black Dye sunflower. Plantsofthesouthwest.com has seeds for this plant available. On their website they even mention the colors, blue to red, that can be obtained depending on the mordant. They mention the very dark seed coat as being instrumental for the colors. Until I can get vibrant colors from sunflower seeds this will be my enterprise.
Sunflower relatives are also native to the Rocky Mountains. The Aspen Sunflower (Helianthella quinquenervis) grows in damp woods and aspen groves, and flowers mid summer. The Tall Marsh Sunflower (Helianthus nuttallii) inhabits irrigation ditch banks, sloughs, and marshy places in the plains and foothills. The Prairie or Narrow Leaf Sunflower is shorter with smaller flowers and grows on roadsides and fields. And then, there is the Stiff Sunflower. Smaller still than the Prairie Sunflower, the center disk is brownish purple, a hopeful hue. (Hopeful because I hope that we can get good colors from the seed hulls.) It grows in drier areas, foothills, mesas and plains, and blooms in late summer. These are all field trip gathering items.
Blue Jay’s selection of Yarrow (Achilla) is going to be a classic. She can’t look at the Dyer’s Garden book or hear the name without mentioning her aunt in Dolores, and her “problem” with Yarrow. According to Blue Jay we’ll either be going there to pick some or having her aunt pick some. Meet the Natives locates Yarrow in all locations from plains to alpine. Surely we will have to harvest this in Dolores and maybe other hikes, rides and drives.
I’d like not only the common sunflowers but some of the bushier and smaller blossomed ones. Burpee.com has some of these, but their taller varieties are up to fourteen feet tall and are hybrids. Burpee.com doesn’t give the scientific name, either. Parkseeds.com has the helianthus annuus and various other sunflowers and does usually list the scientific name.
There is a particular challenge with sunflowers, too, reds, or blues from the Hopi Black Dye sunflower. Plantsofthesouthwest.com has seeds for this plant available. On their website they even mention the colors, blue to red, that can be obtained depending on the mordant. They mention the very dark seed coat as being instrumental for the colors. Until I can get vibrant colors from sunflower seeds this will be my enterprise.
Sunflower relatives are also native to the Rocky Mountains. The Aspen Sunflower (Helianthella quinquenervis) grows in damp woods and aspen groves, and flowers mid summer. The Tall Marsh Sunflower (Helianthus nuttallii) inhabits irrigation ditch banks, sloughs, and marshy places in the plains and foothills. The Prairie or Narrow Leaf Sunflower is shorter with smaller flowers and grows on roadsides and fields. And then, there is the Stiff Sunflower. Smaller still than the Prairie Sunflower, the center disk is brownish purple, a hopeful hue. (Hopeful because I hope that we can get good colors from the seed hulls.) It grows in drier areas, foothills, mesas and plains, and blooms in late summer. These are all field trip gathering items.
Blue Jay’s selection of Yarrow (Achilla) is going to be a classic. She can’t look at the Dyer’s Garden book or hear the name without mentioning her aunt in Dolores, and her “problem” with Yarrow. According to Blue Jay we’ll either be going there to pick some or having her aunt pick some. Meet the Natives locates Yarrow in all locations from plains to alpine. Surely we will have to harvest this in Dolores and maybe other hikes, rides and drives.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Blue Jay's Picks, Tansy, Black Eyed Susans, Cone Flowers
Her choices total twelve plants.
Next on Blue Jay’s list is Tansy (tanacetum vulgare). The dye results are of golds and yellows.
It has surprised me (second time today) that Tansy by that name isn’t all that advertised as a seed or plant, and, Meet the Natives didn’t list it. It does show up on a Montana State University as a weed. “Common tansy, an aromatic perennial with a long history of medicinal use, has become a problem weed in pastures and along roadsides, fence lines and stream banks.” (My thanks to Ron LeCain and Roger Sheley.) So, hikes, rides and drives will do for harvest of Tansy.
There is also the possibility of using as a supply, Southwest Botanicals. They sell Tansy as an herbal supplement, dried, at less than $13 per pound, not including shipping.
Black-eyed Susan’s (Rudbeckia fulgida) was Blue Jay’s next choice. It results in deep golds from the leaves and stems and rich browns from the flowers in full bloom. Again there are relatives of the Black-eyed Susan mentioned by RB in the Rocky Mountain region. Meet the Natives, M. Walter Pesman, has illustrated the Black-eyed Susan as Rudbeckia hirta. This is a variation that RB mentions.
Two versions that RB doesn’t comment on are the Tall Cone Flower (Rudbeckia laciniata) and the Naked Cone Flower (Rudbeckia occidentalis). The hirta variety is found in Aspen groves, but also along our own Rock Island Trail. The two Coneflowers, Tall and Naked, are to be found along stream banks. So, hikes, rides and drives will do for gathering samples. I’m thinking that this picture shows the Tall Coneflower in dried state at the end of our street.
I’ll have to summarize Blue Jay’s Picks along with some of my own, with details on how we’ll go about getting them. I’d really recommend looking these up on either the USDA or Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The links are in the right margin at the bottom.
Next on Blue Jay’s list is Tansy (tanacetum vulgare). The dye results are of golds and yellows.
It has surprised me (second time today) that Tansy by that name isn’t all that advertised as a seed or plant, and, Meet the Natives didn’t list it. It does show up on a Montana State University as a weed. “Common tansy, an aromatic perennial with a long history of medicinal use, has become a problem weed in pastures and along roadsides, fence lines and stream banks.” (My thanks to Ron LeCain and Roger Sheley.) So, hikes, rides and drives will do for harvest of Tansy.
There is also the possibility of using as a supply, Southwest Botanicals. They sell Tansy as an herbal supplement, dried, at less than $13 per pound, not including shipping.
Black-eyed Susan’s (Rudbeckia fulgida) was Blue Jay’s next choice. It results in deep golds from the leaves and stems and rich browns from the flowers in full bloom. Again there are relatives of the Black-eyed Susan mentioned by RB in the Rocky Mountain region. Meet the Natives, M. Walter Pesman, has illustrated the Black-eyed Susan as Rudbeckia hirta. This is a variation that RB mentions.
Two versions that RB doesn’t comment on are the Tall Cone Flower (Rudbeckia laciniata) and the Naked Cone Flower (Rudbeckia occidentalis). The hirta variety is found in Aspen groves, but also along our own Rock Island Trail. The two Coneflowers, Tall and Naked, are to be found along stream banks. So, hikes, rides and drives will do for gathering samples. I’m thinking that this picture shows the Tall Coneflower in dried state at the end of our street.I’ll have to summarize Blue Jay’s Picks along with some of my own, with details on how we’ll go about getting them. I’d really recommend looking these up on either the USDA or Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The links are in the right margin at the bottom.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Blue Jay's Picks Bedstraw, Cosmos, Marigolds
Yellow bedstraw is first on Blue Jay’s favorites list. It makes a nice tangerine color on wool with an alum mordant according to RB. Gallium verum is the Latin, scientific name. I found a close relative in Meet the Natives, (M. Walter Pesman). He calls it Bedstraw, of the Madder family or gallium boreale. It should be easy to find on road sides and dry slopes. Our specimens will be the result of hikes, rides or drives in the neighboring countryside.
Yellow Cosmos (or cosmos sulfureus) is next. The dye results in a deeper, darker orange. It doesn’t appear to be a native. But, bright side, we have some in our corner garden, 88, that should be returning this year. These samples will be a garden harvest. I think that the seeds came from Ace Hardware several years ago.
Marigolds (tagetes erecta, or tagetes patula) result in various shades of olive to yellow. RB separates the flower dye from the stem and leaf dye. Surprisingly, to me anyway, I found a couple of Marigold relatives native to the area, more alpine though. The White Marsh Marigold (caltha leptosepala) of the Buttercup family is found in marshy areas. Our specimens will be the result of hikes.
There is also the Beggar’s Tick or Bur Marigold (Biden’s Cernua) of the Sunflower family. This can be found along irrigation ditches, streams and marshy areas. We’ll collect samples for this from hikes, too.
I reflected on this plant with Blue Jay, looking at the Burpee website (burbee.com). I was showing her all the different varieties of marigolds they had. My though was that any of the varieties could yield nice colors. She was stuck on the “Marigold Scarlet Starlet”. That was the one that we had to get. Reasoning with her was not an option.
When I asked why, Blue Jay found A Dyer’s Garden and opened it up to the Marigold page. The picture there and the Burpee picture could have been cropped from the same photo. Generally I call that a “nice catch.”
Yellow Cosmos (or cosmos sulfureus) is next. The dye results in a deeper, darker orange. It doesn’t appear to be a native. But, bright side, we have some in our corner garden, 88, that should be returning this year. These samples will be a garden harvest. I think that the seeds came from Ace Hardware several years ago.
Marigolds (tagetes erecta, or tagetes patula) result in various shades of olive to yellow. RB separates the flower dye from the stem and leaf dye. Surprisingly, to me anyway, I found a couple of Marigold relatives native to the area, more alpine though. The White Marsh Marigold (caltha leptosepala) of the Buttercup family is found in marshy areas. Our specimens will be the result of hikes.
There is also the Beggar’s Tick or Bur Marigold (Biden’s Cernua) of the Sunflower family. This can be found along irrigation ditches, streams and marshy areas. We’ll collect samples for this from hikes, too.
I reflected on this plant with Blue Jay, looking at the Burpee website (burbee.com). I was showing her all the different varieties of marigolds they had. My though was that any of the varieties could yield nice colors. She was stuck on the “Marigold Scarlet Starlet”. That was the one that we had to get. Reasoning with her was not an option.
When I asked why, Blue Jay found A Dyer’s Garden and opened it up to the Marigold page. The picture there and the Burpee picture could have been cropped from the same photo. Generally I call that a “nice catch.”
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Garden Inspection
Blue Jay and I inspected the flowerbeds in our back yard yesterday, it being an especially fine and warm day. We looked at the flowering plant remnants that have not yet been removed. It allowed us to do some remembering of what plants were where and will probably help us with plant identification.
We have three flowerbeds in the back. All of them are slightly raised. This could and may be extended to four or five. But right now we have the 7’ x 7’ bed which is shaded much of the day year round. I’ll call this the “77.” The remaining two are mostly sunny. One is about 8’ x 8’, in the corner, and has a 5’ x 5’ triangle taken out where it meets the lawn. This one will be called “88.” The third runs along the fence with a little more sun exposure than 88, and is 3’ x 11’. It’ll be “311”
311 and 77 have rich histories of recreational digging. A famous picture of Pi Guy from about five or six years ago has him proudly posed with a shovel and absolutely covered in mud in front of 311. It is glorious.
More recently, Blue Jay and a friend discovered in it, a “time capsule” with my dad’s old metal detector. It was buried there about a year ago and forgotten. The "capsule" was a tin container with various treasures in it. So I offered the warning that these flowerbeds, once cleaned up for planting would no longer be the site of any more recreational digging. She agreed, and said she would tell her friends the same.
Then there is my part. Identifying which plants we’ll be able to find in the “wild” and which one’s that we will want to purchase, plant, grow, and harvest. For this end I have a list of the plants in Rita Buchanan’s book as well as James Lyles book. The Art and Craft of Natural Dying. This list I’m going to cross-reference with a book by M. Walter Pesman, Meet the Natives, A Beginners Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs.
All of these books are available through Amazon.com, but Meet the Natives is also available at http://www.allbookstores.com/.
We have three flowerbeds in the back. All of them are slightly raised. This could and may be extended to four or five. But right now we have the 7’ x 7’ bed which is shaded much of the day year round. I’ll call this the “77.” The remaining two are mostly sunny. One is about 8’ x 8’, in the corner, and has a 5’ x 5’ triangle taken out where it meets the lawn. This one will be called “88.” The third runs along the fence with a little more sun exposure than 88, and is 3’ x 11’. It’ll be “311”
311 and 77 have rich histories of recreational digging. A famous picture of Pi Guy from about five or six years ago has him proudly posed with a shovel and absolutely covered in mud in front of 311. It is glorious.More recently, Blue Jay and a friend discovered in it, a “time capsule” with my dad’s old metal detector. It was buried there about a year ago and forgotten. The "capsule" was a tin container with various treasures in it. So I offered the warning that these flowerbeds, once cleaned up for planting would no longer be the site of any more recreational digging. She agreed, and said she would tell her friends the same.
Then there is my part. Identifying which plants we’ll be able to find in the “wild” and which one’s that we will want to purchase, plant, grow, and harvest. For this end I have a list of the plants in Rita Buchanan’s book as well as James Lyles book. The Art and Craft of Natural Dying. This list I’m going to cross-reference with a book by M. Walter Pesman, Meet the Natives, A Beginners Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs.
All of these books are available through Amazon.com, but Meet the Natives is also available at http://www.allbookstores.com/.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Collecting Plant Information
I had Blue Jay make a cover for a ring binder in which to keep her dyer’s notes. She took to that task immediately, using Corel Draw for her illustration. Now to fill it up. To start I’ll create some loose-leaf sheets with plant identification information and pictures. (This is going to test my color print cartridge replacement capabilities.)
[As an aside, one of my Internet research techniques is to, first, open up a Word document then start my internet search. When I find relevant or interesting pages, I’ll swipe the address from the browser, and copy it into the Word document with a word or two of description. That way I can move on quickly to browse other pages, but keep the best references just a click away. Bookmarks might be the preferred method, however, I can load these research logs up on a flash drive and always have them with me.]
To look up wildflower data for identification purposes I found that the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center http://www.wildflower.org/ has abundant pictures. I looked up a Black Eyed Susan and found bunches of pictures showing the flower, the leaves and stem, and a field picture.
The USDA also has a web site for plants, a plant database, http://plants.usda.gov/index.html. This site has pictures. (They have citation policies for the use of these pictures which one would be wise to check out.) In addition the USDA site has information on a plant’s growth range for US and Canada, full classification, and threatened and endangered species information. We don’t want to be uprooting any endangered kind of plant, introducing a noxious plant to a non-native environment, or anything less than being good stewards.
[As an aside, one of my Internet research techniques is to, first, open up a Word document then start my internet search. When I find relevant or interesting pages, I’ll swipe the address from the browser, and copy it into the Word document with a word or two of description. That way I can move on quickly to browse other pages, but keep the best references just a click away. Bookmarks might be the preferred method, however, I can load these research logs up on a flash drive and always have them with me.]
To look up wildflower data for identification purposes I found that the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center http://www.wildflower.org/ has abundant pictures. I looked up a Black Eyed Susan and found bunches of pictures showing the flower, the leaves and stem, and a field picture.
The USDA also has a web site for plants, a plant database, http://plants.usda.gov/index.html. This site has pictures. (They have citation policies for the use of these pictures which one would be wise to check out.) In addition the USDA site has information on a plant’s growth range for US and Canada, full classification, and threatened and endangered species information. We don’t want to be uprooting any endangered kind of plant, introducing a noxious plant to a non-native environment, or anything less than being good stewards.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Spring Weather, Seeds, Mordants
I’m glad that I spent a few days last week preparing the raised garden beds, turning soil, pulling weeds, etc. The last few days have been great weather wise.
Yesterday Blue Jay, Lucy, Pi Guy and I took a bike ride to the Dog Tooth Café. Awesome weather, in the seventies, blue sky.
I also went to Rick’s Garden Center, I found that they carry Burpee seeds, and a flyer sent out recently had a 20% coupon on Burpee seeds. I asked Blue Jay if she wanted to go. If all the spring flowers were out she would have gone. As it was it was just me.
Rick's did have the Starlet Scarlet Marigold that Jael insisted on from A Dyer’s Garden. I also purchased some Basil, Shasta Daisy, Hibiscus, Zinnia, Mammoth Sunflower, some regular Marigold mix, and Red Hot Poker Mix just for fun. I also purchased some peat pots.
I still have some mordant that I need to buy to make our experiments complete. For the tin mordant, was able to locate stannous chloride at B & H Photo. This, also, is a special order for them. I ordered it with the alum, it should take two to four weeks. They have it for about $30 for100 grams. I opted for the 10 gram size (for starters) at $6.
Potassium dichromate for the chrome mordant is a slightly different story. If you happen to be in New York City, B & H Photo has potassium dichromate, but because of the hazard, they don’t ship it. It has it’s own personal “No Fly Zone”. I have some more research to do. I was thinking a metal plating shop. The nearest to me is Denver, about 60 miles distant. But I have located some about 10 miles closer at Colorado Scientific Company. They sell educational materials.
The purchase list for mordants is: ammonium aluminum sulfate and stannous chloride, copper sulfate, and tannic acid from B&H Photo, allowing two to four weeks; Cream of Tarter from Safeway or King Soopers; walnut shells from walnuts also from Safeway or King Soopers. We were fortunate to find copper sulfate for copper mordanting in a home school chemistry set, with the option to replenish our supplies from there. Or, our stand by B & H Photo has it. ~$9/ lb.
Happy fabric treating!
Yesterday Blue Jay, Lucy, Pi Guy and I took a bike ride to the Dog Tooth Café. Awesome weather, in the seventies, blue sky.
I also went to Rick’s Garden Center, I found that they carry Burpee seeds, and a flyer sent out recently had a 20% coupon on Burpee seeds. I asked Blue Jay if she wanted to go. If all the spring flowers were out she would have gone. As it was it was just me.
Rick's did have the Starlet Scarlet Marigold that Jael insisted on from A Dyer’s Garden. I also purchased some Basil, Shasta Daisy, Hibiscus, Zinnia, Mammoth Sunflower, some regular Marigold mix, and Red Hot Poker Mix just for fun. I also purchased some peat pots.
I still have some mordant that I need to buy to make our experiments complete. For the tin mordant, was able to locate stannous chloride at B & H Photo. This, also, is a special order for them. I ordered it with the alum, it should take two to four weeks. They have it for about $30 for100 grams. I opted for the 10 gram size (for starters) at $6.
Potassium dichromate for the chrome mordant is a slightly different story. If you happen to be in New York City, B & H Photo has potassium dichromate, but because of the hazard, they don’t ship it. It has it’s own personal “No Fly Zone”. I have some more research to do. I was thinking a metal plating shop. The nearest to me is Denver, about 60 miles distant. But I have located some about 10 miles closer at Colorado Scientific Company. They sell educational materials.
The purchase list for mordants is: ammonium aluminum sulfate and stannous chloride, copper sulfate, and tannic acid from B&H Photo, allowing two to four weeks; Cream of Tarter from Safeway or King Soopers; walnut shells from walnuts also from Safeway or King Soopers. We were fortunate to find copper sulfate for copper mordanting in a home school chemistry set, with the option to replenish our supplies from there. Or, our stand by B & H Photo has it. ~$9/ lb.
Happy fabric treating!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Taking Advantage of a Nice Day
Yesterday was such a gorgeous day, in the low seventies, sunshine, blue sky; I took the kids on a hike over at Palmer Park. (I say this because I’m not going to finish the information on the mordants today, just tannic acid.)
Both Blue Jay and I both forgot cameras, a fact the Blue Jay bewailed repeatedly. There were some excellent views of Pikes Peak and the Front Range, and some awesome sandstone formations on the Templeton Trail.
At the tail end of the hike, which was kind of rugged, we saw bunches of ladybugs on the Yuccas. About three years ago we had hiked in the same area. Blue Jay and pi Guy were intent on counting ladybugs but had no idea that they would be in such abundance. The Yucca plants were like an open square for mobs of them. (Blue Jay corrected me. Mobs are for kangaroos. All is venery.) To see them out on the first day of spring was impressive.
It was a great break. But back to the mordant business, at least for tannic acid to treat the cotton. I just want to be prepared especially if there are lead times to contend with.
I might be able to get tannic acid from a bag of oak leaves or walnut shells brewed up like tea. Walnut shells I can obtain from a metal polisher or metal finishing supplier like Cyclone Sandblasting Equipment (http://www.mytoolstore.com/cyclone/access.html) 50 lbs for ~$55 plus shipping. Lucy’s sister lives near some pecan groves, the owners of which sell shelled pecans. It’s possible that I could obtain some of the waste shells to use like the walnut shells.
We’ll try the brewing of walnut shells and/or pecan shells as an experiment. We could use our own shells obtained from whole walnuts from the grocery store. Or, another plan is to get some sumac and brew that.
If these plans are not successful, I have plan B. Plan B would be to purchase the chemical from our trusty friends at B & H Photo.
Tannin vs. Tannic acid. www.Smarter.com has a lot of coffees and teas listed when looking up tannic acid. However, if you look at an article by Bruce Richardson at Elmwood Inn, Perryville, KY, (http://elmwoodinn.com/about/tannicacid.htm, I like this news letter. I’d like to stay at his Inn someday.) he clearly differentiates between tannins and tannic acid. He even shows the difference in chemical formula, and makes the statement bold, “There is no tannic acid in tea!” So, no tea for tannic acid.
Both Blue Jay and I both forgot cameras, a fact the Blue Jay bewailed repeatedly. There were some excellent views of Pikes Peak and the Front Range, and some awesome sandstone formations on the Templeton Trail.
At the tail end of the hike, which was kind of rugged, we saw bunches of ladybugs on the Yuccas. About three years ago we had hiked in the same area. Blue Jay and pi Guy were intent on counting ladybugs but had no idea that they would be in such abundance. The Yucca plants were like an open square for mobs of them. (Blue Jay corrected me. Mobs are for kangaroos. All is venery.) To see them out on the first day of spring was impressive.
It was a great break. But back to the mordant business, at least for tannic acid to treat the cotton. I just want to be prepared especially if there are lead times to contend with.
I might be able to get tannic acid from a bag of oak leaves or walnut shells brewed up like tea. Walnut shells I can obtain from a metal polisher or metal finishing supplier like Cyclone Sandblasting Equipment (http://www.mytoolstore.com/cyclone/access.html) 50 lbs for ~$55 plus shipping. Lucy’s sister lives near some pecan groves, the owners of which sell shelled pecans. It’s possible that I could obtain some of the waste shells to use like the walnut shells.
We’ll try the brewing of walnut shells and/or pecan shells as an experiment. We could use our own shells obtained from whole walnuts from the grocery store. Or, another plan is to get some sumac and brew that.
If these plans are not successful, I have plan B. Plan B would be to purchase the chemical from our trusty friends at B & H Photo.
Tannin vs. Tannic acid. www.Smarter.com has a lot of coffees and teas listed when looking up tannic acid. However, if you look at an article by Bruce Richardson at Elmwood Inn, Perryville, KY, (http://elmwoodinn.com/about/tannicacid.htm, I like this news letter. I’d like to stay at his Inn someday.) he clearly differentiates between tannins and tannic acid. He even shows the difference in chemical formula, and makes the statement bold, “There is no tannic acid in tea!” So, no tea for tannic acid.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mordant info (1 of 2)
Mordants treat the fabrics so that the color imparted by the dye bonds to the fibers. There are several kinds, aluminum, tin, chrome, and copper are some of the most common
For aluminum mordants I’ll start with ammonium aluminum sulfate, which I can get from B & H Photo, ~$15 for a pound, as a photographer’s developing reagent. B & H is probably the least expensive source for craft sized projects. They special order it, so it would be good to note a two to four week lead time for delivery.
Ely Drugs sells 12 oz. of ammonium aluminum sulfate for ~$16, http://store.elydrugs.biz/alumpge.html they have a stated use as for pickling. And, another supplier, (kosher even) is Holland Company, I didn’t check the pricing but they supply it for wastewater treatment.
Another use that I became aware for ammonium alum of is in the manufacture of deodorant. The Delicious Organics folks, http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/aluminum.htm warn against the use of these deodorants, which might be worthy of note. (They do give aluminum chloride a (relatively) clean bill of health in anti-perspirants because it affects the production of perspiration differently. But reading up on aluminum chloride eliminates it from consideration as a mordant for right now.)
When I spent some time at the local markets looking for alum for pickling, none of the supermarkets nor any of the niche food markets carried it.
The aluminum mordants are used in conjunction with things like Cream of Tarter and tannic acid. I’ll have to get my own supply of Cream of Tarter so as not to alter the kitchen equilibrium. Apparently Cream of Tarter is used along with protein fibers like wool and silk, so, for my beginning purposes, wool.
I didn’t expect that mordants would be this time consuming. I’ll continue with, and should finish with info and sources next time. I might have more later when considering some other dyes, like the Hopi black dye. (What did they use?)
For aluminum mordants I’ll start with ammonium aluminum sulfate, which I can get from B & H Photo, ~$15 for a pound, as a photographer’s developing reagent. B & H is probably the least expensive source for craft sized projects. They special order it, so it would be good to note a two to four week lead time for delivery.
Ely Drugs sells 12 oz. of ammonium aluminum sulfate for ~$16, http://store.elydrugs.biz/alumpge.html they have a stated use as for pickling. And, another supplier, (kosher even) is Holland Company, I didn’t check the pricing but they supply it for wastewater treatment.
Another use that I became aware for ammonium alum of is in the manufacture of deodorant. The Delicious Organics folks, http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/aluminum.htm warn against the use of these deodorants, which might be worthy of note. (They do give aluminum chloride a (relatively) clean bill of health in anti-perspirants because it affects the production of perspiration differently. But reading up on aluminum chloride eliminates it from consideration as a mordant for right now.)
When I spent some time at the local markets looking for alum for pickling, none of the supermarkets nor any of the niche food markets carried it.
The aluminum mordants are used in conjunction with things like Cream of Tarter and tannic acid. I’ll have to get my own supply of Cream of Tarter so as not to alter the kitchen equilibrium. Apparently Cream of Tarter is used along with protein fibers like wool and silk, so, for my beginning purposes, wool.
I didn’t expect that mordants would be this time consuming. I’ll continue with, and should finish with info and sources next time. I might have more later when considering some other dyes, like the Hopi black dye. (What did they use?)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Cohorts Excitement
Blue Jay didn’t disappoint me with her interest level. I handed her a copy of A Dyer’s Garden by Rita Buchanan, which I had obtained from the Pikes Peak Library. (I haven’t yet received the copy that I had ordered from Amazon.) I had some things to attend to in another room.
Blue Jay found me about a half hour later and said that her “ant” was going to be busy for her, because her “ant” had commented about the Yarrow, which, in their southwest Colorado neighborhood was very much like a weed. And she could send us some.
“I really like the yellows! And I really like the sunflower colors… I think that they call madder “madder” because of the warm colors that it makes.” Did I say that she is nine years old, and enjoyably chatty?
I quizzed her a little further. She knew that we already had cosmos in the corner garden in the back yard. It has pink flowers so she didn’t know that it was yellow cosmos. I also found out that in the interim while reading more of A Dyer’s Garden she had grumbled to Lucy “Why does it have to be hollyhocks, I hate the bees.”
I asked her if she could recall from looking at the picture in the book where she had seen some dyer’s coreopsis. She didn’t, however when I mentioned a place on the Rock Island path she remembered. She also liked the St. John’s Wort because of the good, dark colors… earth tones.
Because of the time of year, I’ll acquire some of my plant subjects from the produce aisle at the grocery store that might be free or cheap. I’ll also visit the local green houses to see if there are items I might pick up there also free or cheap. (Not to say I won’t pickup an occasional bouquet.)
When the weather is warmer or if we visit warmer regions, we’ll collect samples, truly natural, on hikes and drives.
These collection efforts will be divided into specific locations with accompanying photos. Hopefully some of them will read like the “The Dye Plants of the Raymond Trail of Pack Monadnock”, or “The Dye Plants of the New Vegetation on the Talus of Mount St. Helens”, and not just “The Dye Plants of the Rock Island Trail, Colorado Springs”, which is just a stones throw from our house.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Equipment Gathering
So the other day I made the rounds to the Salvation Army store and to Goodwill here in Colorado Springs to see if I could find some used enamel or stainless steel cookware. The stainless would be the best, but enamel would do, especially for the mordanting. Unfortunately, cookware was in short supply at these locations. They did have aluminum, glass, and Corning ware. Still the eight plus quart stockpots that I would need just weren’t there.
While the family and I were at Target, I found some really suitable and inexpensive pots. The eight-quart stainless pot was on sale for about $15, and the enamel 7 1/2-quart stockpot was less than $15 as well. Although it was a bit more than what I had anticipated spending we purchased one of each. (Another option that had crossed my mind was to adopt our old kitchen cookware and purchase some new.) The Target purchases have turned out to be the least expensive option for now.
I have a couple of 20 lb propane bottles in the garage. And, I have a propane space heater as a heat source for working outside in the back yard. That is where I plan to do the mordant and dye baths. I’d like to have an alternative in case of a boil-over or spill. By the time we’re ready we may have that some how taken care of. (Hot plate of course.)
Since we are using no production quantities of fabrics we’ll use a dish rack or something similar for a drying rack or use a clothesline arrangement. All we’ll be trying to do is a sample hank, and a three by three inch fabric square of cotton and the same hank and square of wool for each of the, fabric appropriate, mordant types for each dye bath. We won’t need a full drying rack.
While the family and I were at Target, I found some really suitable and inexpensive pots. The eight-quart stainless pot was on sale for about $15, and the enamel 7 1/2-quart stockpot was less than $15 as well. Although it was a bit more than what I had anticipated spending we purchased one of each. (Another option that had crossed my mind was to adopt our old kitchen cookware and purchase some new.) The Target purchases have turned out to be the least expensive option for now.
I have a couple of 20 lb propane bottles in the garage. And, I have a propane space heater as a heat source for working outside in the back yard. That is where I plan to do the mordant and dye baths. I’d like to have an alternative in case of a boil-over or spill. By the time we’re ready we may have that some how taken care of. (Hot plate of course.)
Since we are using no production quantities of fabrics we’ll use a dish rack or something similar for a drying rack or use a clothesline arrangement. All we’ll be trying to do is a sample hank, and a three by three inch fabric square of cotton and the same hank and square of wool for each of the, fabric appropriate, mordant types for each dye bath. We won’t need a full drying rack.
Monday, March 10, 2008
My Cohort
I will have my daughter Blue Jay as my closest family cohort in investigating natural dyes. Not that Lucy and Pi Guy won’t join in on some of the activities, but Blue Jay seems to share my interest in color.
Only a few people know of my youthful penchant for going through Sears, Montgomery Ward, and J C Penney catalogs in search of the color swatches that particular clothing or linens could be supplied in. My folks knew, I’m sure, and were probably frustrated because once the catalogs were in my hands, I would take scissors to the color swatches and cut them out, just to have and look at them. Blue Jay would probably do the same if someone clued her in to the possibility.
This page taken from the December L.L. Bean catalog would have been fodder for my scissors in those days. (And now, how are we to properly identify the color of that slug bug without this type of aid? "Slug Bug Green Tea!")
Blue Jay also has the affinities toward the seventies lifestyle. A new “American Girl,” Julie by name, deals with the seventies. Blue Jay has expressed an interest in acquiring one of these dolls and has read the American Girl book. She would be a vegetarian if we would let her make that choice right now. So, as much as I say the pursuit of natural dying is the end in itself. Blue Jay may take it to the application level.
Since December is not the best time for collecting dye plants, except commercially (and perhaps grocery stores and florist shops for scraps). It seemed good to borrow some natural dye books from the Pikes Peak Library. When Blue Jay saw these books her eyes brightened considerably. I think that she will enjoy researching and acquiring the plants and the resulting colors immensely but may not take as much interest in the procuring and processing of the material and equipment, and in the recording of the process. But, that’s what I’m here for.
Only a few people know of my youthful penchant for going through Sears, Montgomery Ward, and J C Penney catalogs in search of the color swatches that particular clothing or linens could be supplied in. My folks knew, I’m sure, and were probably frustrated because once the catalogs were in my hands, I would take scissors to the color swatches and cut them out, just to have and look at them. Blue Jay would probably do the same if someone clued her in to the possibility.
This page taken from the December L.L. Bean catalog would have been fodder for my scissors in those days. (And now, how are we to properly identify the color of that slug bug without this type of aid? "Slug Bug Green Tea!")Blue Jay also has the affinities toward the seventies lifestyle. A new “American Girl,” Julie by name, deals with the seventies. Blue Jay has expressed an interest in acquiring one of these dolls and has read the American Girl book. She would be a vegetarian if we would let her make that choice right now. So, as much as I say the pursuit of natural dying is the end in itself. Blue Jay may take it to the application level.
Since December is not the best time for collecting dye plants, except commercially (and perhaps grocery stores and florist shops for scraps). It seemed good to borrow some natural dye books from the Pikes Peak Library. When Blue Jay saw these books her eyes brightened considerably. I think that she will enjoy researching and acquiring the plants and the resulting colors immensely but may not take as much interest in the procuring and processing of the material and equipment, and in the recording of the process. But, that’s what I’m here for.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Natural Dye Starting Out
I want to share my exploration of a thirty-year plus dormant interest in natural dyes. My daughter Blue Jay will be joining me, as a father-daughter project.
My desire is not to profess expertise, but to share my exploration. Also, not part of my effort is to promote natural dyeing as an attractive alternative lifestyle, which it may be, but just as an enjoyable and colorful pursuit. (Professor Jacobi a math professor of mine at the Thomson School of Engineering at the University of New Hampshire in the early 1970’s, prefaced his course “The Logical Foundations of Mathematics” saying that the study mathematics should have no practical application but that it’s pursuit was it’s own end.) This is the approach that I would like to take in this endeavor. No practical application, but that the pursuit is it’s own end.
For preparation and organization I’m starting with parsing natural dyes into sub-topics. There are the materials. Cotton and wool both raw and in skeins will probably dominate, unless some others present themselves as potentials. Flax, thistle, and bamboo are a few that could creep in. Then there are the mordants, the acidic or alkaline treatments of the material that cause the fabric materials to bind with the dye. Different mordants can cause different color in otherwise identical fiber and dye bath. I’ll be trying to acquire knowledge of other traditional and natural mordants. After that they’ll be the dyes themselves, divided into the subsections of plants, earth oxides, and fungi.
Blue Jay and I will be starting with plants for the dyes themselves. And relying on Rita Buchanan’s book A Dyer’s Garden, available at Amazon.com. This will have plenty of color, which Blue Jay will enjoy looking at.
The equipment will initially be rather simple stuff from the thrift stores. Pots, drying racks, a propane burner or hot plate, tongs (which I may refer to as “pants”) a filing cabinet, hanging folders will comprise the basis. Other items that we find necessary I’ll list as we go. We’ll be photographing the results and posting them (even though different monitors register colors differently). Each natural dyeing experiment will have a standard template that may include differing recipes. We’ll be filing the results in a filing cabinet. I don’t think a notebook will be adequate to the task.
My desire is not to profess expertise, but to share my exploration. Also, not part of my effort is to promote natural dyeing as an attractive alternative lifestyle, which it may be, but just as an enjoyable and colorful pursuit. (Professor Jacobi a math professor of mine at the Thomson School of Engineering at the University of New Hampshire in the early 1970’s, prefaced his course “The Logical Foundations of Mathematics” saying that the study mathematics should have no practical application but that it’s pursuit was it’s own end.) This is the approach that I would like to take in this endeavor. No practical application, but that the pursuit is it’s own end.
For preparation and organization I’m starting with parsing natural dyes into sub-topics. There are the materials. Cotton and wool both raw and in skeins will probably dominate, unless some others present themselves as potentials. Flax, thistle, and bamboo are a few that could creep in. Then there are the mordants, the acidic or alkaline treatments of the material that cause the fabric materials to bind with the dye. Different mordants can cause different color in otherwise identical fiber and dye bath. I’ll be trying to acquire knowledge of other traditional and natural mordants. After that they’ll be the dyes themselves, divided into the subsections of plants, earth oxides, and fungi.
Blue Jay and I will be starting with plants for the dyes themselves. And relying on Rita Buchanan’s book A Dyer’s Garden, available at Amazon.com. This will have plenty of color, which Blue Jay will enjoy looking at.
The equipment will initially be rather simple stuff from the thrift stores. Pots, drying racks, a propane burner or hot plate, tongs (which I may refer to as “pants”) a filing cabinet, hanging folders will comprise the basis. Other items that we find necessary I’ll list as we go. We’ll be photographing the results and posting them (even though different monitors register colors differently). Each natural dyeing experiment will have a standard template that may include differing recipes. We’ll be filing the results in a filing cabinet. I don’t think a notebook will be adequate to the task.
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