oh elation!oh rapture!

the alcohol steeped chips with distilled water gave me this interesting liquid.it is not transparent and has an almost  solid translucent quality. ok.ok., the photo has some added texture, but the color is right.

 the silk skein was scoured and while still wet dipped for 30 minutes +/- in ash lye water. then dyed for 45 minutes starting on cold and slowly rising the temperature without letting it boil. then cooled in the liquid and then hung outside to dry.

i was gratified this morning with the color it took. ouchiiro!!.

dipped the skein in ash lye water  again and will do a second dip today. meanwhile i'm mordanting a skein of very textured silk with alum and will use the murasaki liquid in the other jar.

what i've learned so far:

• alcohol extracts much purer color than water soak.

• it also extracts more color than water so it is more cost/time effective.

•  color extraction with water gives a lot of yellowish- brown color. the purple coloring matter tends to stick to the container so it is wasted.

i think i'm going to devout time to murasakizome.i could become a specialist as  it is much less frustrating than indigo. i can't imagine myself becoming a specialist on something, the ever jack of all trades :D

 

neki desu

totemo murasaki ne!

yesterday i checked the steeping murasaki and was totally disappointed with the color of the water. it was yellowish brown with no hint of the beautiful purple. having read in the natural dyes lists about  using alcohol for extracting dyes i thought i had nothing to lose by trying. after all sandra rude is an advocate of the method  and she gets gorgeous colors from wood chips.

it was like magic. as soon as the alcohol touched the root chips the liquid started getting purple.this time i'm going to get purple, not like last time.  

here  you can read about the different shades of purple and their names in japanese. 

note the difference between edo and kyoto colors both tremendously iki in their own way

i'd be elated with anyone except fujiro. done that one already!

turning a page. today there's a general strike here. strange to see my street, a busy cross town street empty and silent at 11 a.m.

neki desu

a million small things cooking

change of seasons, the cooler weather always brings a surge in activities.still have to finish warping , but taking a break from the loom to look around. here are some  interesting finds in no particular order.

found this post which is  a beautiful summary of the change of seasons.

if you are into sewing and interested in retro  here is a good source for vintage patterns. some of them cost as much as the gown itself but there are plenty of good value ones.

still on the the diy mode: continued education for diy artist fractured atlas offers courses, sponsorhips and health insurance among other resources.

has your work ever been rejected to an exhibit? this article via textile art resource guide gives a good perspective on juries and juried exhibits.
and the image, you may wonder what the point is .it is this digitally transformed that is already here

neki desu