One of my fellow Pilgrims has a tree in her garden. It's a walnut tree and it sheds many nuts. Now walnut hulls - the fleshy green outside part which decomposes gently into black mush if you leave it alone long enough, makes the most beautiful natural dye. You can imagine my glee when I came home one night last week after a long and tiring day, to find a box at the top of my stairs. I shook the box, the box rattled with a satifying walnut-like rattle. Sheer bliss.
I have commenced my dye experiments with this bounty and so far have discovered that walnuts dye skin a light brown, (bad idea) latex gloves go bright bright yellow, ( much safer ) and alum mordanted white fleece turns a glorious multi-layered dark brown, like a glamorous brunette.
Thank you Elspeth - I'll post photos of the yarn when the sun cooperates.
5 comments:
The title of this post sounds like it should be an offbeat children's story....
Trust a fiber artist. Most people would be excited about a box of walnuts for the, well the nuts.
Looking forward to seeing the results of the dye job.
Can't wait to see the yarn! I have a yard full of walnut trees - and yes, those husks really do stain your hands! Maybe I will try dyeing with them someday.
Mad scientist in the kitchen! can't wait to see the pictures!
They also stain one's freshly painted front steps where a squirrel has brought his lunch, leaving walnut paw prints all over. :)
Can't wait to see the brunette!
beautiful walnuts! can't wait to see pics of what you dye!!
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