Generalities and Dirt

[attack_laurel]

I'm just feeling chatty this evening; no long diatribes.  I've been taking advantage of the lovely weather to clean up the black walnuts in the yard - two wheelbarrows full from one mid-size tree.  We got a bumper crop of black walnuts this year from three of our walnuts (we have many), and here's me without a nutcracker that can handle them.  I'd

Comments

[hugh_mannity]

Black walnut hulls make a lovely brown dye. Especially on silk. stringgeek and I got a lovely rich cinammony brown from the batch we played with last year.

[christianet]

This. Also, was it this boiled with iron filings that made a durable black dye or ink? Or am I thinking of oak galls?

[hugh_mannity]

Oak galls make black ink. I think this was mordanted with alum -- not sure where my notes are right now.

[christianet]

Thank you, I just could not remember, though I suppose I just should have Googled it. :-)

Googling it, I found something (from someone in the SCA, it seems) that if you use a cast iron pot or throw some iron nails in, it will produce a dark brown or black-brown ink:

http://denevell_books.home.insightbb.com/making_walnut_ink.htm

Cool!

[pinkleader]

Pink Daffodils?!?

[attack_laurel]

Wal-Mart had them as a "pinkification"-type dealie for Komen. I got them half-off ($2.50 for 10). I saw them by chance, I was looking for something else.

They look like a white daffodil with a pink trumpet - Breck's has pretty much the same kind.