My natural dye garden is producing so well this spring/summer. Many of the plants survived their first winter in the raised beds and are now thriving. A few were lost, but that happens during a harsh winter and can be expected.
The woad, however, is flourishing.
So today was a woad dyeing day! Not with purchased woad powder but with my very own fresh woad leaves. I’ve been wanting this for so very long and it’s truly happening!
I didn’t harvest all the woad because I still want some for visitors to the garden to see the plants and because they are just so pretty in the garden.
Leaves stripped from the plants and ready for steeping. Steeped in hot, hot water – almost boiling for about 45 minutes.
Adding the magic chemicals – fancy things like baking powder and thiourea dioxide (Rit Colour Remover) – and the dye bath turns to yellow.
But the real magic happens when that yellow skein of wool is pulled out and the oxygen does its magic turning the yarn from yellow to blue.
Well, in this case, a light teal greenish blue. But, blue nonetheless. Success! Joy! Happiness!
