a fiber farm and artisan studio passionate about teaching you self-reliant skills for backyard homesteading.
On Monday we sheared the angora goats and the sheep on our homestead. It took a whole year to grow their wool and mohair. Animals with parasite loads, or inadequate nutrition can’t grow enough hair to cover their bodies and keep themselves warm. Animals with health issues have scrappy fleeces. So we pay attention to [...]
Using Natural Walnut Dye to colour your homestead wardrobe. In another blog post I talked about making ink from walnut hulls for fabric printing, or for writing with a fountain pen. In this article I will show you how to dye yarns or fabrics with natural walnut dyes, so that you can create a personal [...]
Some concerns to keep in mind when making your own walnut ink: Part 1 of this article Do not do this if you are allergic to walnuts! If you are nonallergic carry on. Reasons to make your own ink: First of all why would you want to make your own ink? Many of the colourful [...]
I was flipping through an old recipe book Walnuts for natural dyeing First, if you are allergic to walnuts, don’t try this. The nut proteins are released in the air during the simmering process. Oak galls can also be used for ink and in fact are the traditional black ink for scribes and calligraphers. Oak [...]
Who says natural dyes aren’t safe? One of my friends said that she wasn’t going to learn to use natural dyes because of the heavy metal mordants that you have to use with them. My friend had heard that natural dyes were toxic and polluted the environment. I saw a similiar discussion about natural dyes [...]
Planning your natural dye garden: It’s January and garden planning time. This year, put aside a portion of your garden, that you normally dedicate to flowers and herbs, to plant a rainbow of natural dye plants. Many common garden plants are also traditional dye plants. Begin to wean yourself from chemical colours and imported, cookie-cutter [...]
Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label - 1 quart
