Thank you for all your lovely comments on the Cosmic Playdough, I hope some of you try it out :-) I have been trying to reply to comments via e-mail but as some blogs don't have an e-mail attached I can't always reply - I appreciate your comments though and wanted you to know that.
Little Sweepea and I have really enjoyed harvesting walnuts and other things from the garden recently. I was chatting to a friend about how the walnut tree looked ready to harvest and about how I wanted to beat the pesky squirrels this year :-)
So we set about getting them off the tree and breaking open the skins. If we waited for the skins to release the nuts I knew the squirrels would have them all before we got to them :-)
We really enjoyed ourselves, especially as we didn't get to pick any blackberries this year due to them all getting mildew and shriveling up :-( I find something very relaxing about doing this sort of thing with the kiddies (or on my own), it is earthing somehow.
Now what my friend forget to tell me was how much these walnuts stain! This is after I washed my hands a couple of times - it, in fact, got darker the more I washed them :-s Not fab for someone who works in a hospital - luckily a lot of the patients know me well already so aren't too surprised about me picking walnuts and having stained hands from it :-)
Even little Sweetpea was stained but she didn't seem too worried - the stains didn't go until about 7 days after we picked the walnuts :-) hhhhmm I wonder what it is like for dying material ??? .........
It's very good for reed - I used to use crushed black walnut shells in water to stain baskets after weaving and it gave them a gorgeous softly aged look. I do seem to recall it had a "do not drink" warning on it though. Worth a google!
ReplyDeleteYou can use the husks for dye-ing, as well as the bark. Both give a brown-ish colour.
ReplyDeleteWow, how are you going to get rid of that?! lol It won't matter when you are scoffing yummy walnuts though :)
ReplyDeletex
That all sounds so much fun, walnuts - how fab! i love pottering in the garden, with or without small people too...
ReplyDeleteI had to smile re hospital hands. I never used to garden without gloves, to keep my hands as clean & intact - due to handling IV chemo on a daily basis... Now I find it a joy to get my hands stuck right in the soil....
Lx
It makes a good dye - I remember doing vegetable dyeing on my City and Guilds course and along with berries and lichens walnuts were mentioned - I never used any as I'd have eaten any I found but apparently they give a good brown colour. Check out this blog. http://birdinhandyarn.blogspot.com/2007/10/dyeing-with-walnuts.html
ReplyDeleteAhh little sweetpea looks so sweet collecting walnuts! I didn't realise they stained your hands that much and that the colour remained for so long afterwards! I once learnt a bit about natural plant dyes at college, and do vaguely remember walnuts being on the list!
ReplyDeleteHelen x
Walnuts are definitely on the dye list.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky are you, having a tree in the garden, I hope you post up what you do with them .. if you haven't scoffed them all already that is!
Not only a good dyestuff but the joy of walnut is that you don't really need a mordant. Give it a go :D
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have a walnut tree! Our blackberries were very poor this year, we have one sad tub in the freezer!
ReplyDeleteKate x
Hi, thanks so much for coming over to Cottontails. I read your profile - saw 'arty' and 'eco' and thought ah, here's someone I will like :) Then I scrolled down a bit and saw some honey bees - I am hoping to get a hive next Spring :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like my ducks. I am about to try and sew something duck related. I am not very good and never find the time, but I have the plan...
Charlotte
x
Oh I know too how much they stain hands! But they do make a wonderful dye, and I guess they're what walnut ink is made from.
ReplyDeleteA walnut tree- you are sooo lucky! I'm now imagining coffee and walnut cake to be eaten whilst dying something with walnut or writing in walnut ink (maybe labels for your pickled walnuts?)
ReplyDeleteI rarely have to gather walnuts but my aunt often waits until I am visiting for me to crack open bags of them for her!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming over and commenting on my blogs!
xXx Helen
Hello, could you tell me where you got your color threads from Frister and Rossmann , online ? Thank You
ReplyDeleteOh my I didn't know they did that *note to self need to get out more* :) What lovely photographs you have shared too. Thanks for your thoughts on my crying post, can be difficult can't it but am glad many would infact hold out a hand to those who may be in need of one....Have a lovely weekend xxxx
ReplyDeleteOh, I love Walnuts.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have your very own supply! (very glad you beat the squirrels to it, too!)
Have a great weekend.
Xx
PS giveaway time at mine, if you fancy it. X
I don't beat the squirels to anything!
ReplyDeleteYour hands look like you've been doing a spot of self tanning!!!Presuming your skin will testify otherwise...
great bounty - how lucky to have a walnut tree.
fee x
I love walnuts but I've never picked them from a tree, how lovely. Hope the stain has gone from your hands by now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a little sweetie.
ReplyDeleteThe walnuts look great! I didn't realise they stained your hands so much either - you should definitely try making a dye with them! :) x
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried them yet to dye wool, but apparently it's very good. Your blog makes lovely reading...we share a lot of interests.
ReplyDelete