VIDEO: A Dyeing Life

The New York Times writes about Han Shan, who “disillusioned with China’s urban dream” as a young man set off on a 15-year walk and rediscovered his family’s ethnic Miao traditions. So touching. To get your own blue hands and to discover the wonders of turning cloth a new hue of indigo, go here.

The 225 Year Old Cyanometer That Measures Blue

The website Colossal writes: “Hot on the heels of a post earlier this week about centuries-old guide for mixing watercolors, I stumbled onto this 18th century instrument designed to measure the blueness of the sky called a Cyanometer. The simple device was invented in 1789 by Swiss physicist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure and German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt who used the circular array of 53 shaded sections in experiments above the skies over Geneva, Chamonix and Mont Blanc. The Cyanometer helped lead to a successful conclusion that the blueness of the sky is a measure of transparency caused by the amount … Read more

Accidental Indigo

I grew indigo this year.  Well, truthfully, the indigo grew itself.  The most successful plant is a volunteer that established itself in the garlic bed and has spread so much that it  is threatening to overtake the front walkway.  It’s bloomed and I am hoping I can gather some seeds from it.  The first batch of indigo seedlings I raised were a failure because I went on a trip and forgot to water them.  The second batch was for a demonstration at Seattle Tilth’s Harvest Festival yesterday and in my rush to get out the door, I forgot them on … Read more