New Friend

Yesterday was a funny sort of day. It started with an accident on the freeway. While I drove in to the Guild at Carlton I heard a report on the news about a crash somewhere in the Eastern suburbs. I let it slip by until I got to the workshop to find I was the only student. The others trickled in as the morning went on: with sore shoulders; tense and tired from the resulting traffic congestion. A cuppa and a bar of chocolate went some way towards reviving them. Meanwhile the tutor was fighting off a cold and unsuccesfully stuggling to open the back door of the hall to allow us to set up our dyeing equipment in the open air.

Eventually we got into the swing of the workshop. Marilyn showed us how to set up an Indigo vat from scratch. I love from scratch! Here's the stock solution sitting in a warm bath while the various components do their thing:
That dark blue colour of indigo turned into a yellowish-green as the dye turned into its soluble form. The magic was watching it oxidise again after dyeing the yarns: the unique blue gradually reappearing on the fibre and staying there.

By the end of the day I was so bonded with the process that I couldn't resist the invitation to take a leftover indigo vat home for myself. It's in the car as I type. In fact I must bring it into the house so I have room for passengers today. I spent the evening reading my Indigo book and dreaming of possiblilities. I know, it's not a great time for me to find a home for another bulky source of colour, but I find myself justifying myself in a million ways. Basically though, I love this stuff, and there's always room in the house for those you love.