Blue Fingers

Yes, I’ve been dyeing… how did you guess?!

With a warm day to myself this weekend I took the opportunity to play in the garden with indigo. It’s a few years since I last tried it – for me, it’s one of those things where it takes a while to forget the pain and only remember the tempting colours and patterns.

So, there’s the alchemy of the bright green turning that glorious deep deep blue, and the magic of resist patterns… and then there’s the endless rinsing, washing, cleaning up the gear, ironing. Oh yes, and unpicking the stitched resists that were so carefully secured and are now too well camouflaged (yes I should’ve used something that wouldn’t take the dye – didn’t have anything strong enough). A few minutes fun and hours of what seems way too much like housework!         

But my new T is pretty spectacular, no? And I just love the arashi (pole wrapped) linen with its wavy patterns – I think that’s my fave technique, so effective but really quick and easy to do.

Of course I did dye some plain fabric, flax fibres and yarns as well – there’s always a point where I hate to waste the dye and nothing’s safe .  

Now, what can I do with it all? A shame to spoil the shibori patterns with stitching…