Rantings

So, today I spent a few hours in Ian's shop updating fabric prices. I hate that job. It takes ages, and it's so boring I can't do it for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. Still, once it's done, it's done, and hopefully won't need doing again for another year. The trouble is, if I'm only doing 4 hours a day, I could be on for 3 or 4 weeks at this rate!

On a different note, we had a delivery of mealworms and kibbled sunflower hearts for the birds yesterday. When I put mealworms out I just stick my hand in the bag and grab a handful to put in the dish. They wriggling worms feel kind of tickly! Well, I just found out today Ian doesn't like touching them. LOL The big wuss! He made a seed feeder out of an old coke bottle today to put up at the back of the shop. He already has a bird table attached to the wall of the yard and gets blue tits and all sorts, so thought it might be a good idea to provide worms to feed their chicks, and sunflower hearts because according to the RSPB they're a favourite of blue tits.

And guess what else?! I have indigotin!! The pigment obtained from woad!! Yeah! It's my first pigment I've managed to extract from it, and from one whole mature plant I reckon I've maybe got about a level teaspoonful! LOL Still, it's worked, and there may be enough there to dye perhaps one ball of wool! My sister will be pleased, hopefully, as she's the knitaholic. My next batch of indigotin will be going into a small batch of soap.


Indigotin from Woad


For anyone wanting to have a go at this, you can buy the seeds to grow it here, and you can find instructions on extraction and dyeing here.