Sunday, September 22, 2013

One person can, or can't

I was a fool to take on this dyeing paper job. A fool! This was yesterday's first round of soy milk, to help bind the pomegranate dye. I did two coats of that today, while cooking a new pot of dye from the old rinds and just for fun, making a little bundle of hanji and eucalyptus from Pam, who hosted a lovely dinner for some new/old friends last evening. A wonderful respite, but too short!
Frustratingly, heavy rains like what we've had recently cause flooding and backed-up drains at the Morgan. The hundreds of carpet squares that were so carefully taped down one by one had to be ripped up again, wet vac-ed, and laid outside or inside to dry. Inadvertent installation.
In dorms, people put socks on doors, so I hear. At the Morgan, we leave each other scraps of paper.
I didn't sleep until 3am two nights ago thinking about this milkweed that I wanted so badly to harvest. I finally got around to it today, though there are still a few beyond the fence that I couldn't access. The close ones I pulled through.
The batch from the back lot. Tomorrow, if I have energy, I'll harvest on Hough behind a favorite warehouse.
I usually never ever bother with the pods b/c silk removal is a big big chore. But I decided to try it today.
 Inside each pod,
 surprise colors!
I had made this note for myself but only remembered the TOP of that circle. Now my non-work clothes are covered in milkweed latex. And this is how all clothes turn into work clothes! I feel quite overwhelmed after a full day of work, still, by the insane workload ahead. But I keep trying to hack it down with my two legs and two arms and all my fingers intact.

1 comment:

Velma Bolyard said...

i remember visiting the papertrail in ottawa LONG ago and seeing BALES of milkweed bast, dried and all ready for processing. sigh.