chanda worked dyepots for her first morning at sturbridge. here she's explaining about where many of the dyes come from and how they prepare the yarn by treating it with alum in hot water over the fire.
they don't work with indigo at sturbridge as i believe the dye process is too involved for what they want to present and the amount of work they are willing to prep for. i think it also leaves their hands very blue!
it does get hot working the dyepots!
logwood is from the west indies, mexico and central america and produces a color ranging from purple to grey to navy blue (depending on what metals or minerals it's mixed with during the dye process). next to it is madder root from the netherlands which produces an orange to red color, and sometimes brown.
browns are primarily produced with black walnut hulls from the area around strubridge, and onion skins would often be used for a golden color.
fustic is also from central america and the west indies and produces a beautiful yellow. (i don't have a picture of it here, but they also work with brazilwood which the portuguese began exporting from south america in the early 1500's, and which gave it's name to the country of brazil; the portuguese "pau" for stick and "brasa" for ember, as the inner wood has a deep red hue.)
getting the yarn ready . . they have to wet it first and bring it up slowly in the dye bath or the wool will felt.
she did develop calluses from the strings holding the wool strands together.
the source of it all . .
and asparagus from the parsonage garden . . i had never seen asparagus growing in the ground before.
the final part of the day: the toy hot air balloon.
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