Dandelion Poof

This picture is from a friends Instagram post.  At first it might seem like an art stylized version of a dandelion but it's really just a near perfectly dewed poof.  Not enough dew to collapse the poof entirely but just enough to give it that glistening look like a jewel in a field. (I think this one was in a parking lot somewhere though by the looks of it.)

My wife has always liked dandelions, not sure if it's the simple beauty of the poof or the way the seeds gracefully float through the air after blowing on them.  Either way they really are pretty.

This one reminds me of a sundew.  Of course the "dew" on those plants is actually a sweet sticky substance meant to trap insects so the plant can eat them but they're still interesting.

Of course it also reminds me of the grand agave that survived the frost that covered it.  A very similar look.

Fall is nearly over and the plants can't be happpier. All summer long the radishes lay there crying, barely growing at all. Now that they are growing the make great additions to salad.

Our purple basil has gone to seed and is nearly ready to collect seeds for next year. Not enough leaves to worry about and the ones that are still on the plant are pretty small.

Another prodigious grower is the ever present dandelion. They're a little too bitter at this point but they aren't too bad when they just start sprouting in the spring.

Unfortunately fall also brings around spiders. When coming back from our trip we saw tons of strands waving in the breeze at the airport shimmering in the parking lot lights. I don't mind them hanging around but I don't like running into them in the woods or yard.

Seeing Red?

Seeing red? Most people look at a dandelion and cringe because they know that it's only the first.One dandelion can spread to a thousand in only a few days. I once thought that if I just picked the flower off that it would be done. One day I looked down at a flower I had plucked the previous day and poof, it was just that, a poof. Some of the seeds had even blown away.Next time you think red though you might want to think a little deeper, like Magenta! Dandelion makes a great magenta (allum) color or even purple (tin and vinegar) depending on the chemical you use to set the dye.

How to dye wool using dandelions:
1) In a stainless steel pot soak dandelion roots or plants overnight in water. In the morning bring the pot to a boil then remove the plants with a wooden spoon.
2) Wash the material you wish to dye in warm soapy water and keep it wet. The dye bath is your key to color.
3) Put a mordant (allum or tin and vinegar) in the pot with one cup of water: one ounce of mordant for every thirty-two ounces of material.
4) Simmer gently and stir until dissolved, add 2 quarts water, and stir well to mix. Your saturated textile goes into this bath; bring to a low simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
5) Note: When dyeing, ensure the fabric stays completely covered with water, and remember, materials appear darker wet than dry.
6) After the dyebath starts to simmer, check in 15 minutes if you wish to have a pale color. Leave the material in the dyebath longer for a deeper or richer color. For full color saturation, leave overnight in the dyebath.
7) Turn off the heat, let cool, squeeze out excess water, and then rinse in warm water to remove the alum.