Natural Dyeing with Indigo

We love to do natural dyeing at home, but there are some dyes we only use when we are at the Griffin Dyeworks Dye & Fiber Retreat. Indigo is definitely one of those unique, natural dyes that is best done with masterful dyers around!

Dyeing with indigo is unique -- you can see in these pictures how Ricky is dyeing his handspun yarn. First, he dips the yarn into the blue dye pot, then he pulls it out right away. The yarn looks green! Oxidation occurs. Eventually, the yarn turns blue. If he wants it darker, he can dip it again.


We dyed our own handspun wool yarns, some silk ribbon and a few silk scarves with indigo dye this past week while at the retreat. Some were redipped for a darker color, while others were first dyed with other plants, and then overdyed with indigo. Here are some of our creations:


1. Brazilwood, then Indigo = lavender, purple, indigo colors

2. Broom, then Indigo = blue-green, lime green colors

3. Onion Skins, then Indigo = med.-deep green colors

4. Broom, then Indigo, then in the Brazilwood rinse water = aqua color

Mommy had fun using the rinse waters to change the tones a bit and ended up with some light, fairy colors! Can't wait to make the yarns into a family project. The silks will be used in our nature table and around the Dell for homelearning activities and play.

The Chi of Streamer Wands

We had the pleasure of creating these wonderful streamer wands for a wedding. We can just imagine the joy of those attending the ceremony as they wave their streamers to bless the newlyweds! In feng shui, colorful ribbons and flags may be placed near a home and as they move to gentle breezes, it is said that they capture and stir the nurturing chi energy. For a wedding, the fluttering streamers would certainly call the energies of love, sensuality, and happiness. As for a child, well, there's just something infinitely cool and captivating when a simple circular motion of the arm creates a lively, shimmery, ribbony trail.

We made the sticks of poplar, cut to seven inch lengths. An earlier prototype of our streamer wand had a metal eyelet screwed to the top of the stick for the ribbons, but in our new design, we carved a subtle dual concavity and drilled a hole for the ribbons to loop through - a safer, more elegant design!

The ribbons are of silk strips that had been naturally hand-dyed - oh so pretty!





Streamer wands - from weddings to playtime to enhancing chi, ribbons on a stick go a long way!

May Day!

Today we learned about May Day. We read about how it has been celebrated throughout Europe in the book All Year Round. We made a miniature May pole, sang May Day songs, and talked about our upcoming trip this Sunday to the Sacramento Waldorf School May Day celebration!

Making a Miniature May Pole
Daddy made a small stick with a hole and finished it with beeswax. Mommy dyed some silk ribbons with natural ingredients to make 6 colors (pink, raspberry, blue, green, peach, lavender). Ricky found some Do-kee-doo and formed a stand for the stick. Joey and Wilson put the ribbons through the stick, layed a play silk around the base, and placed a fresh flower at the top.

May Day Songs/Verses
It's May Time
It's May-time! It's May-time!
That's the happy play-time!
We'll dance around the blooming trees,
So fragrant and so fair.
The sweet white petals falling,
The glad bird-voices calling;
It's May-time and a happy time
For children everywhere.

May Day
We're quaint little milk-maids, dancing in the hay,
Each dainty and sweet as a Queen o' the May;
With vine and with bough we now show you how
In honor of May Day we garland our cow.
A rosette of ribbons, as pink as the morn,
We've tied to the tip of each crooked white horn,
With courtesy and bow we now show you how
In honor of May Day we dance round our cow.

Valentine's Day!

Today was Valentine's Day. Mommy and Daddy handcrafted gifts for the children. Here are pictures of a couple of the gifts. The ribbons on the streamer stick were dyed with tumeric, brazilwood and copper.

Inspired by 5 Orange Potatoes' blog, we went on a heart hunt in the backyard this morning! We had fun finding and making hearts in nature.