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Dyers in Action
I was able to attend a special dye day with the Foothill Weavers, a group that works together to share the Navajo-style weaving traditions. We met at Anni’s in Greenwood, south of Auburn, where she...
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End of May Update
The month of May is on its last legs, and I am guessing it is going into the annals as one of the wettest on record here in the Sierras. DH is a USFS High Country Ranger, and informed me that some of...
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Rhubarb Season
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is one of the harbingers of spring in most parts of the US, and grows well in many temperate regions. It is a long-lived perennial that sends up bright red stalks and...
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Homework for Dyers
I am doing an experiment this summer, to see how many ounces of zinnia flowers I can get from planting one six-pack of plants. I sent out my August newsletter to the natural dye CSA shareholders...
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Down in the Pokeberry Patch
What are pokeberries? Not a surprising question for a Northern California grrl… this is a native plant in the South and considered mildly invasive here. In fact, when I first read about Rebecca...
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The Magic of Blue
When I started this CSA Farm adventure, I planned to grow enough Japanese Indigo (Polygonum tintorium) to dye yarns for my subscribers; after all, the plant grew well in other parts of California and...
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Fun with Fungi
Back in the fall, our local mycological expert Daniel Nicholson asked for some help in preparing for the first-ever Nevada City Wild Mushroom Exposition. This new event would mark the 14th anniversary...
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The Gift of Aspen
Aspen trees are one of the highlights of fall in my part of the world, and I was overjoyed to find that the leaves produce a true, brilliant gold dye.Aspen grove at Sierra crest Last week, I promised...
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A Summer of Dye Plants
My dyework is mostly done on this 1940s-vintage Wedgewood stove. I feel very fortunate to have this workhorse of a propane stove, capable of a low simmer, as well as that big iron cauldron.The summer...
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New CSA Offering – The Drought Share
This array of dyes was produced at a workshop taught by Alissa Allen in December 2013, held near my home. The mushrooms and lichens used were found throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. It...
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