symplocos in stock ~ dried leaf mordant

 

Long Ridge Farm is pleased to be a retail partner

in this most exciting project.

The Plant Mordant Project offers natural dyers a unique opportunity to avoid mordants produced by industrial processes and make reliable colors 100% from plants. Powdered leaf from Symplocos trees can replace alum in conventional natural dye recipes and produce some exciting new colors. Natural dyers already chose plant dyes over synthetic dyes because they are aligned with their values, and the Plant Mordant Project offers an opportunity to extend the expression of these values by also using a plant-sourced mordant.

.
At its source, the Plant Mordant Project builds partnerships for sustainability with rainforest communities and indigenous textile artists in Indonesia. Through its sourcing and sales of Indonesia’s traditional plant-sourced dye mordant, the Bebali Foundation (www.bebali.org) alleviates rural poverty and empowers women, saves rainforests, and supports the traditional textile arts. The Bebali Foundation brings to this project a decade of experience in the fields of conservation, indigenous culture, and rural livelihoods, while its partnerships with the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew and the Indonesian Forestry Department, and its funding from the Ford Foundation bring world class scientific rigor and accountability.

 

I did a number of tests to confirm satisfaction in using symplocos

as a mordantand these silk scarves performed

with perfection at just 30% symplocos on the weight of the fabric. 

The reds are dyed with madder and the yellows with weld.



 I did a wool test with two skeins of our CVM/Romeldale 100% wool.

Both skeins are dyed with cochineal at 3%.

The left skein is mordanted with symplocos at

100% on weight of fiber and cream of tartar at 1.5%,

the right skein at 50%, no cream of tartar..

Vibrancy shows in both skeins

with minimal difference of saturation.

Symplocos gives the natural dyer a start to finish
natural process. It is simple to use and I find
it gives the fiber a nicer handle than mordanting with the alums.
With yarns I put the symplocos powder in a nylon stocking, knot the top
and proceed with the process. None of the powder leaches into the yarn
and the take up is excellent.

To purchase
How to use

 

disclaimer

I don't like beginning with the word "I"...ever. This life is not about me. Usually. Humor me this one day.

I am not a tracker of followers or people who read my blog. Good grief...where is there time for that work? So for all I know you haven't missed my posts. I am sorry I haven't followed more closely my favorite bloggers...abject apologies to each of you.

Paralysis set in a year ago. Being one to pour my guts out is not my style.
Typically, I share the things that go on at the farm, my excursions, workshops, the sheep, farm and pups, sometimes even a personal milestone. At this time, for me to move forward and post meaningfully means dumping a bad memory.

I suffered the strangest and most heart-wrenching experience in that spring season. Something
I never wish to duplicate, ever again. I followed my instincts which blew up and apart as no one could imagine. I know this is fodder for "Tell me more" but suffice to say I won't, in kindness to myself and those affected. What I will say is I fell apart. My intuition and I had a falling out (briefly). I seconded guessed and imagined it was all my inner workings. The work has been incredibly slow and painful. And laughably, at 59 years old, this shouldn't still occur. Yet it does for us all.

On a walk this late spring, I stood and looked at this oak leaf in an icy puddle on my morning walk understanding it's place. Sinking, floating, frozen, yet looking to the bright sky of a new season, transforming. That is me. On dry land now.

how sweet it is

This is Charlotte. Once a lamb, now 7 years old.

This is Memphis, Charlotte's dam. Memphis won me a quite a few

fleece ribbons and Memphis' dam, Athena, took Grand Champion fleece 

at Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, OR.

Just this spring this photo of Memphis was a winner

in a photo contest for a breed specific CVM/Romeldale.

I got an email this morning 

that Charlotte's fleece took 1st place in the 

breed specific CVM/Romeldale division

at the Maryland show. It's the largest show in the east.

I can't be more proud. Something as simple as this 

makes me higher than a kite.

a lady's man

Neville, a most handsome CVM/Romeldale ram, lived across the river on Betsy's farm. He vacationed on our farm and spent time with our pretty ladies.

A romancer caught in early morning.

He chose his women one by one and gave them a whole

day, complete with breakfast the day after.

and quiet time alone.

Pretty sweet offspring were created.

 

Sadly this love bear's time had come.

I was thankful to be there with Betsy when he died.

It was big and sad.

He left behind a good crop of lambs on both sides of the river.

He'll be missed.

 

another go round

 If you love winter blooms inside,
I suggest you don't discard your spent Amaryllis

bulbs after the holidays. Christmas 2011

a good friend gave me a lovely bulb which

bloomed in February. I didn't have the heart to throw it out

so instead waited until late spring and
planted it down in a protected area.

One day in late August the Amaryllis, once again,

spewed forth it's beauty. Surprise!

I thought best to read up and found that the bulb

will continue to renew seasonally. In the late fall I dug it up,

planted it in light soil and put it in the cellar until November.

[dark and cool being needed ~ a closet will do]

In December I brought it up and set it out of the sun in a cool room.

Just this week it began sending new buds.

It was suggested to feed it once a week

during this stage. 

I am using a liquid 10-15-10 fertilizer.

We have been doing the same with five Cyclamen for

many years and they just keep working their magic;
same pot, same soil, year in, year out.
The blooms begin in October and run through June each year.
This is a north facing window.

The difference with the Cyclamen is to just "dry them off"

in the June and put in the dark until September.

a heart for you

Notice hearts as you walk the path, smile to them, give back

 and put a swing in your STEP
with this fun snippet

cloud hidden

I have taken an unintentional disappearance that is clearly needed.
Once I got that clue, the rest has been easy. 

Hanging out on the farm, with all my animals friends
has been a good prescription.

Google (Blogger) informed me I had used up all my picture storage and

 now I would have to pay to post. 

Ya, ya, I said. Perfect excuse not to.

I burrowed deeper.

I prefer focusing on the good things like a gift of firewood
to a dear friend who needed some warmth.

And getting an order of yarns and roving 

shipped off to Japan from my great wooly producers.
Overdue writing, updating the website and
summer workshops is getting checked off.

Long walks to clear last year's gray ghosts away.

  I have new promises for each day.

I don't want to miss a minute of it hunched over the 

computer pecking away, when I could be here.

And here, meeting this flock of sheep.
 [I can't spill the whole bean pot just yet.]

Working with a group of women on growing and

dyeing their own indigo to produce products to sell

to improve their lives. No one is famous there.

It's beautifully simple.

The seeds have been shipped to be sown.

An adventure is in the works.

I can't lug my sax there but a recorder may do the trick
or even some percussion.
I will be dancing, giving, sharing, singing,
whatever comes to the fore.

For now, I am here, cloud hidden [unless the sun comes out].