Llewellyn's 2022 Sabbats Almanac by Natalie Zaman

Author:Natalie Zaman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: CVR08202020;sabbats;sabbats almanac;2022 sabbats;2022 sabbats almanac;llewellyn sabbats almanac;llewellyns sabbats almanac;llewellyn's sabbats almanac;llewellyn's 2022 sabbats almanac;2022 almanac;2022 datebook;llewellyns 2022 almanacs;llewellyns 2022 datebooks
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2021-06-15T16:58:11+00:00

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Crafty Crafts

Charlie Rainbow Wolf

In the northern hemisphere, we’re well into spring by the time Ostara comes knocking. The shops are full of images of Mother Earth awakening, from baby chicks to spring flowers. It’s a time when eggs are represented in chocolates and jelly beans, and of course, egg dye!

There are many theories as to why we dye eggs. When I was growing up in Indiana, my Sunday school teacher taught us eggs were first dyed red to symbolize the blood of the crucified Christ. My English husband says he remembers learning something about King Edward I coloring eggs to give as gifts. Colored eggs seem to have played a role in many cultures throughout history.

Dyeing Fabric

It’s easy enough to make the jump from dyeing eggs to dyeing fabric. It’s possible to use commercial dyes but much more fun to scavenge natural items and see what colors they produce. If you spun wool at Imbolc, you might even want to dye that for Ostara!

Materials

Fabric: This needs to be a natural fabric like wool or cotton, otherwise the dye might not take. If you are new to dyeing, I recommend a white, 100 percent cotton fabric. Consider sackcloth tea towels; they take the dye well, they’re fairly inexpensive, and they’re easily available online or in stores.

Mordant: This is a fixative for the dye and influences the final hue of the color. Common mordants are alum, iron, tannin, and even table salt.

Dyestuffs: I’m focusing on what can be gathered naturally rather than store-bought colors. Onion skins and rhubarb leaves are among my favorites. Experiment with this and have some fun; I’ve made suggestions below.

Dyebath: This is a big stockpot for the mordant and dye. An iron pot will add its own mordant. It’s a good idea not to use the same pot for food preparation.

Cheesecloth or other strainer: Nut milk bags are suitable and easy to use—and reuse. They’re available from farm stores, home canning suppliers, and online retailers.

Rubber gloves: You don’t want to dye your hands!

Distilled water (optional): Regular tap water will do unless you want to be very precise about the final color. The chemicals in tap water might influence the outcome.

Candy thermometer (optional): This will come in handy for measuring the temperature of the dyebath.

Cost: Again, this is hard to estimate, as an absolute fortune could be spent on a new stockpot and fabrics and mordants, or you could scavenge what you have and do this at little or no cost. If items are purchased, consider looking for 100% cotton sheets or even white cotton shirts from a local charity shop. Sometimes old stew pots or stockpots can be found there too. A new stockpot could cost $30 or more. Sackcloth towels average less than $3 each (cheaper if a bundle is purchased), and simple mordants such as alum or salt are in the region of $10 or less a pound. The nut milk bags are $5 or so—if one isn’t available, use an old nylon stocking! If a candy thermometer is desired, they can be obtained for under $10.

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