Last autumn when several of the girls at school were quickly learning how to spin yarn from roving with drop spindles I promised them that I would bring in some marigold blossom dye and that we would dye some yarns. They loved the idea and I loved that they loved the idea. Can I get any simpler?
This is the first batch of blossoms I harvested. It barely made a dent in the profusion of them in the gardens and on the deck. A lovely woman, and her equally lovely sister, harvested some of their blossoms for me last weekend and they are now drying in the mud room. I must say that these trays are very convenient for drying. Wish I’d thought of using them sooner. They have been languishing in the mudroom for a couple of years now. a
I will, of course, boil the blossoms at home and bring the dye into school in one gallon glass pickle jars. It will amusing enough to see the look on their faces when they put they yarn into the bottles. Such an interesting aroma marigolds share.
This was a good topic for today as it just occurred to me that I would have to bring a big container for the vinegar bath so that the girls know to use a mordant. It tends to stick with me longer if I actually do something rather than be told how to do it and I suspect that the girls will remember this longer if they do as many steps as possible. We won’t be doing this until October, right after National Spinning and Weaving Week, but I well certainly post pictures of our efforts.
Inquisitive Felines and Fibers 