gift of time

during this gift of time that i gave myself

avoiding traveling and instead doing some necessary things

i've cleaned. 

cleaned out the intensely untidy

and overstuffed closet in my studio.

which has lead to other things

as many cleaning projects do,

the bookshelves that hold equipment,

the unders- and overs- that also stashed "supplies"

mostly fiber in the form of

raw or prepared fiber

cloth

paper.

i found this little bag of madder root

that i bought from Trudy Van Stralen

the author of Indigo, Madder and Marigold

and

owner of Hilltop Wools

back in the 80's when I worked (briefly) for her. 

Trudy died in 2015, 

her business lives on run by her son, i believe.

i soaked them overnight or so 

and then cut them up a bit and then soaked more

 and cut them up again

nothing was longer than 1/2 inch by the time i was done, 

 i could have chopped them in the blender but i was tired of this work

and besides, i wanted to dye.

i'm not sure but i don't think i've ever done my very own madder dyepot.

i was once told by a *famous* (unnamed) dyer that madder goes bad after a while.

so i sent my newer bag off to a friend with good wishes for her to use it.

so in the ethers both tim mclaughlin and sarah swett recently became enamoured with madder.

i indulged myself after finding this old bag of 250 grams of madder.

i cooked on low heat, well under boiling, 

but i don't have a thermometer 

(well, i do, but can i find it?)

but it was a lovely color blood orange sanpellegrino 

stained the paint strainer bag

one little swath of kozo i just dipped in for a bit

part of my quest was to find fiber to dye so i can use my new tapestry pipe loom

with wool 

before i try the other stuff 

(do it proper first, gurl)

it was really almost red, 

but has oranged out some now.

meanwhile this was happening in the dining room 
while i unburdened all the containers, 

closet from hell, 

under the tables and etc.

there is an abundance that i wish i could be 

somewhat unburdened of.

this closet under the stairs is actually organized now.

this is the next big step after the fiber--

much fiber went to places--

the paper mills at home and at school,

some to recycle,

some to compost.

that box of bottles under my studio table is 40 years old

each bottle a lichen vat dye.

gifted to me by jean reynolds from cranberry lake.

in about 1980.

and my lovely partner has made a wagon from our trees he

marked for harvest

cut and hauled last winter. 

the sawyer came and made the boards

and it's now been screwed into a usable and "free" wagon.

a huge accomplishment.

home work

homework.

the best work.