Every morning, mostly, I eat yoghurt. You know... how the whey separates out over time and so I pour that off into a little jar and keep it in the fridge. Soak a little square of cloth, 5", lightweight muslin, for 24 hours, then, the next day hang it out to dry. I have a stack of these curing. This is a mordant process. For dyeing cellulose fibers. I learned it in Girl Scouts. 55 years ago? But I never really did much dyeing back then. At least I really had no interest in continuing in a bigger way. Now is different.
Yesterday Soul-o was out exploring the wood stacked under the porch/deck. There are mice there. He looked so small. The basement is above ground here. To the left. The morning light made it look like I live on the edge of the universe.
I have decided to just go here at WordPress. In any small way. It'll be good enough. My phone is not working with Gmail. I will check my messages on my computer once in a while, That should be good enough. It's going to rain so I will go out and finish up what i was doing before it moves in. It's damp and it smells like earth. Everywhere.
what a great piece of knowledge passed on ….and then passed on again….I will try this.
Nothing new really, just a smaller approach. i like things I can manage.
I love the idea of dyeing fabric. But all the information overwhelms me so I do nothing, just like many other things in life. But one scrap of fabric, yogurt whey, and some natural dye, that sounds achievable. Start small. Just start. Thanks.
Small is where big starts anyway.
Good way way to view it ….
I feel the same , crazy eh?!
Home
xo
Gray and wet here today. I may go out anyway to pull a weed or two. I could use some soil therapy today,
I always mixed my whey back in, but I like knowing it’s a mordant. Every now and then I have tried dying with leaves and flowers and no knowledge and may again with some knowledge in the future.
We no longer have a cat, but, one of the neighbor cats hangs around a lot and is friendly. He’s a tux, too.
LOVE the edge of the universe view!
I’m still trying to figure out some WP things, among them why I have one account here and another at my own blog (I think)(I think there are two WP formats, but???). I used to enjoy spending the time to do all the computer background stuff. Not so much any more.
yeah, it wears me out lately…
Girl Scouts — Brownies through Seniors and then assistant leader for a spell. The Girl Scouting experience was life-changing for me; made me who I am in so many ways. When people ask, “How did you know that?” or “Where did you learn that?” scouting is often the answer.
Land’s End, in England … “the edge of the world” Cornwall I think. Wonderful photo. Could be the edge of a cliff overlooking a lake. Could be anything. Precious cat enjoying “what is.”
Th woman who headed our troop was a simply amazing woman.
I love how light can change a photo into a fantasy.
The Sun Is Out!!
Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Whew! Somehow that makes everything better.
With all the rain, my grass has GROWN (good grief, I just mowed it Sat! )
I rescued an anole from the cats today and am CLEANING…it MUST be Spring, eh?!
I’m saving my yoghurt whey from now on…cool!
(oh and my madder is growing like crazy –2nd yr– and some of my indigo self-seeded! Whoop!!)
And, mostly–I’m really glad you’re still “here”–wherever that is.
XOXOXO
tomorrow it will hit 70 here, at least, eeeee.
ooh wow thanks Jude ,I eat yogurt every day too, no more pouring the whey away (hey i’m a poet and I didn’t know it hee hee) x
HA!
of course you live on the edge!
one of my teachers told me that edges are the places where life is richest, edges of fields where forests begins…I love being an edge dweller and hate it when I can’t find that fertile edge
Safe in the middle is a mistake.
little things comfort in a big way. like planting seeds. thank u. x
i planted clover
The simple smallness of doing a little piece of cloth at a time is beautiful. I bought a woad plant today. Love the synchronicity of that.
I had woad back at the other place, never dyed with it, watch it, it spreads everywhere.
Girl Scouts! Wow. I didn’t make it through Brownies. Not a group person. Very cool they had the whey info.
I don’t feel like I am getting much of anywhere with my own stitching and am overwhelmed by the amount of supplies and fabric I have accumulated. Simplifying sounds good.
Got a picture of one of the ducks this morning on top of a kindling pile. She’s been up there before. Maybe she likes the view. 🦆
you don’t need a lot of stuff really. less is more useful somehow.
Jude, I’ve been overwhelmed with email so I haven’t been reading lately…but I wanted to tell you that I’ve tried several different platforms and I like WordPress the best. Of course, I don’t try to do what you do with it! I learned about that mordant from India Flint but I’ve never tried it. Since I like working with cotton and linen, if I ever get back to natural dyeing, I’ll give it a shot. Also, I am in love with Soul-o. That’s all.
I SO know the overwhelm thing… thanks for taking the time to say…
When I had a cat he was a big solid animal, especially so when he sat on me! But when I saw him through the window in the garden he always seemed so small and vulnerable. So it is with Soul-o cat 😊
and us, I guess.
Thanks for the whey mordanting tip, a new one for me. .
as much as we know, there is always new stuff to try. share, reconsider.
Simple is my first choice in most things! Grey damp day here too … good to see soul-o on the hunt 👍🏻
he looks tough but he is a bit of a pussy, oh ha. grey here, soft.
A reminder about simplicity speaks to me. My habitual response to so many things is complication. When I read your words, I felt my body relax, didn’t know I needed to hear this. Yogurt, whey, Girl Scouts, simple things, simpler times. Thank you.
girl scouts brings good memories, primitive camping. the racoon that raided the kitchen tent.
whey as a mordant – I had no idea!! I’m going to try this! Love your Soul-o updates – what a cool cat!
he’s a good traveling companion
Apparently, handing ‘earth’ can help with depression, it’s the serotonin hypothesis – I found that in a book called ‘The Wild Remedy’ by Emma Mitchell.
Soul-o moves like a predator near the wood pile.
helps with everything. brings you back to how it is. for everyone.
he’s a bit lazy about hunting but he likes to sniff. he’s not out much, just follows me.
Thanks for the book information. I’m reading about it now …
We don’t eat dairy but maybe I could manage a soy milk soak. I like your simple dye processes. That’s all I really want to do, simple, natural, and manageable. We have fog this morning and it’s chilly. The light is pearly. I’m working on dyeing some threads destined for weaving.
yeah soy works. I just want to dye small.
Brilliant inquiry: Is it simple? Is it natural? Is it manageable?
(((Jude))) thank you for sharing your “just going” through all the thicks and thins of life!
I guess that what we got…gotta love it for what it is.
Yes…older but no too old.!! me too..visiting my daughter..cleaning and doing LOADS of laundry..myfingers are locking up and aching…not to mention getting up from the mattress on the floor!! ust got to keep moving..as my mother who passed at 100+ used to say..
yes. move. I have been working so hard outdoors and I feel so good!
It fills me with hope, the smell of earth. Woodpeckers marking their turf.
Sometimes things that appear simple are actually complicated. I have realized the amount of energy that has gone into being present every day here. I am adjusting to the new older me. But not too old yet!
I’m intrigued by theis dyeing process, have never heard of it.
oh it’s out there everywhere at this point, if you research natural mordants. les known probably back in Girl Scout Days, but my girl scout leader was from Idaho and she was amazing. Even though she had an abusive husband.
Thank you.
I love that smell. Mostly I think we make things to complicated, simple is good. I like to strain my yogurt so it’s thicker and have saved the whey several times for mordant last summer. Want to do more of that this year. Just got my indigo seeds, excited about that.
I am a cat lover and always look forward to your photos of Soul-o. =^..^=
Wish I had been in the Girl Scout program…. Can you use the whey premordant on linen fabric as well as cotton?
Thank you for sharing your precious information!
yes you can, it adds a protein element and protein fibers like wool and silk take dye more readily. so that is the reason to add such elements to the mix.