I checked out the book Natural Color from the library. The theme was to dye fabrics with foraged or compostable materials. Oh, I am done with this bit in the kitchen but I can use that bit for dye type of thing I now own the book.
I have gone down a rabbit hole when it comes to dyeing. I am starting to wonder, what will happen if I boil that or infuse this and then add silk. I am making my own ribbon for my slips and nightgowns. Well, maybe not nightgowns but I have thought about it. I like simple white linen.
The last pot of black beans I made, I saved the soaking liquid. Strained it. Brought it to a boil and added silk. I let that boil away for about an hour or so. I wanted pale colours.
Then I divided the fabric into thirds. One I left alone. One I added to black bean water with soda ash added. One tub had iron sulfate added. I let this sit overnight.
Three different colours of ribbon. With interesting tones. They are varied and I swear in different lights they look pinkier then I expected. Pink? Really? The one that had a soda ash added has a bit of a lavender hue in certain lights.
It just makes me wish to do more. I want to walk and find pecans and acorns and see what they do. I have pumpkins that I am roasting and I am thinking about boiling their innards and left over shells before I add them to the compost. And then there is purple cabbage. I really like the color that purple cabbage creates.
But I have been asked to start working outside. Due to smell. I need to clean out the not quite finished tea house for that! And raise the floor. Today it would be flooded. Gravel and a propane bottle are needed to proceed.
I did post some ribbon for sale in my Etsy shop. It is what I am not going to use in the near future.