The season has begun.With such fine weather it's a crying shame to be inside and the excuse is dyeing. Get ready for my tribulations.
This year as it was plain silly to keep on saving my precious indigo balls from Mali i took the plunge.What if it doesn't work out the cautious side asks? What if it does the daring side counter asks? i'll never know if i don't go for it.
Six balls were crushed and soaked in water overnight (foreground pot) then taken outside and put in a big 25 gallon plastic drum along with lye water and slaked lime.
i'm following this recipe for a fermentation vat while i also pretend to be studying Japanese :) Working my way along with Google translator and my Pera-pera kun.
The vat will take 20 days to develop, a labor of love! .This year as it was plain silly to keep on saving my precious indigo balls from Mali i took the plunge.What if it doesn't work out the cautious side asks? What if it does the daring side counter asks? i'll never know if i don't go for it.
Six balls were crushed and soaked in water overnight (foreground pot) then taken outside and put in a big 25 gallon plastic drum along with lye water and slaked lime.
i'm following this recipe for a fermentation vat while i also pretend to be studying Japanese :) Working my way along with Google translator and my Pera-pera kun.
It will go from this awful color to something more appealing with ao bana and the proverbial bronze colored film. It will also develop a horrid smell i have been warned. The approach this year will be less serendipitous , i'm taking notes, photos and measuring ph and temperature. Almost not me.
But, i'm doing madder dyeing first as it is almost instant. Look at that nice pot of soaking madder! Let's see what i can get from it.
All this entertainment and i still have to finish the warp on the loom and study for a Japanese test coming up this week.
But, i'm doing madder dyeing first as it is almost instant. Look at that nice pot of soaking madder! Let's see what i can get from it.
All this entertainment and i still have to finish the warp on the loom and study for a Japanese test coming up this week.
neki desu
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Good luck with the vat! I'm so happy I can't smell over here. :-)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see how this develops. Really must get my 'kit' out soon.
ReplyDeleteI've got some powdered Madder which I have used before with some slight success.
Is yours the real thing and is it better?
Or are we talking totally different Madder here?
i am going to try this after watching you.
ReplyDeletehey! i'm getting mine going too! after the visit with aishi (Fumiko) i have been inspired to do it better and just experiment a little more.
ReplyDeleteher vats (4 in varying strengths) include wood ash lye she makes from the ash in her stove (which heats the house and for cooking) as well as some kind of bran. stirred every day and kept at a consistent temp. we'll see where it goes...
can't wait to see how yours turns out!