This is an extremely neat little book. The information is plentiful. How to plan and design a dyers garden; the plants to put in it and their growing habits; how and when to harvest them when you are ready to use them and then the info on the actual dying bit. Mordants, recipies, proportions of dydstuff to fibre etc. It goes into a fair bit of detail too, with plentiful pictures but with all this, it retains a pleasingly compact form. Not too heavy for a bit of bedtime reading.
It leans toward the American, as in the zones and altitude that are best to grow the dye plants. Not really applicable to the UK, though of course if a plant can survive in the Rockies then you could guess that it will be up to anything a Welsh mountainside could throw at it. (Except maybe the astonishing rainfall we are getting right now.) And some of the plants are usually only found in the Americas. Mostly though, the plants are familiar and there is always the good old faithful onion skins.
There is not too much by way of anecdote and it is rather firm in tone. Personally, I like a chattier attitude in a how to/ craft book. But it is a fab little thing and a pleasure to have on the bookshelf.
It leans toward the American, as in the zones and altitude that are best to grow the dye plants. Not really applicable to the UK, though of course if a plant can survive in the Rockies then you could guess that it will be up to anything a Welsh mountainside could throw at it. (Except maybe the astonishing rainfall we are getting right now.) And some of the plants are usually only found in the Americas. Mostly though, the plants are familiar and there is always the good old faithful onion skins.
There is not too much by way of anecdote and it is rather firm in tone. Personally, I like a chattier attitude in a how to/ craft book. But it is a fab little thing and a pleasure to have on the bookshelf.
2 comments:
Sian- It looks very interesting- and it's something I'm going to experiment with this summer.
And you should have optimal growing conditions for many of the plants.
Hi Sian
I'm Keith in Bristol (blog woofnwooly) you left a message for me ages ago and i didn't answer - you must think me a pig! love your site the music is great - the Hobbit houses WOW... would love to keep in contact. Man spinning knitting, loves Judy Garland and Dusty Springfield - it confirms your worst fears LOL...
Ps. My daughter lives in Dunvant Swansea with my grandchildren 2 boys. I've been to the wildlife park in Neath (is it still there and the caves. Didn't think much of the shops in Neath tho'.
Speak soon.
Keith
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