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Journal — Dye garden RSS




Experiments in Natural Dyeing: Fresh Indigo (Polygonum tinctorium)

I've done a fair bit of indigo dyeing using the powdered, pre-reduced indigo and have always found it completely magical, and pretty simple to achieve beautiful results. This year, I asked my friends Glynis and Fraser of Aldergrove Farm to grow some fresh indigo for me, so I could try to take the process all the way back to the source (as well as use certified organic indigo). So, in late September, I picked up a big ol' bag of Japanese Indigo (Polygonum tinctorium) from them at the farmer's market and set to work. Below, I'll share the method I used to extract the indigo and make a dye vat, as well as several stumbling blocks I experienced along the...

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2017 Garden Timelapse

  My garden is one of my favourite places, where I get inspiration and energy to prepare for each years knitting season.  I love to grow a huge variety of edibles, and cram 'just one more thing' in every last nook and cranny. I also plant pollinator friendly ornamentals, and take immense pleasure in noting each new species that visits. Here's a little timelapse of how it's grown so far this year:  I always find it hard to believe, most of it started off the season as a patch of bare earth! Save

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