Monday, September 22, 2014

Fall arrives...

In 2014, the autumnal equinox brings the fall season to the Northern Hemisphere on: September 22 at 9:29 P.M. CT.



The Sun's apparent motion during the year
The Sun rises due east and sets due west on the equinoxes in March and September.
At other times of year it comes up and goes down farther north or south.
(This illustration is drawn for mid-Northern latitudes.) 

Sunday, September 14, 2014

A hint of fall color appears

Leaves beginning to turn red atop our maple
hint that fall is fast approaching
Summer ends, and Autumn comes,
 and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night; 
 and thus he would never know the rhythms that are at the heart of life. 
~Hal Borland



With 16 million acres of autumn-ready forests, Travel Wisconsin Fall Color Report can be used to track the progress of the peak changing colors from north to south to plan a fall getaway in Wisconsin. 





http://www.travelwisconsin.com/fall-color-report?new=1&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=September_ezine_1


For Calumet County, the site estimates the peak will occur the 2nd week of October, making the Rural Arts Roadtrip, October 10-12 in 2014, well-timed for a visit to explore the area.


Calumet County
120% Color
Estimated Week of Peak: 2nd Week of Oct
Last Updated: 9/11/2014 8:54:30 AM


Enjoy the fall colors during the Rural Arts Roadtrip: Fine Art, Food, and Fun being held Oct. 10-12. See breathtaking autumn views from the High Cliff State Park and Ledge View Nature Center observation towers. Avoid Hwy 41 and drive along the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago on the 'Quiet Side of the Lake'.

Picture



1 Abler Art Glass Gallery
   16205 Little Elkhart Lake Road
   Kiel, WI 53042
   920-894-7391

1 Drees Art

1 A Mudslingers Pottery

1 The Old Hairy Potter

1 Charles Ausavich, watercolorist

1 Designs by Dieter

2 Tom’s Barn Board Art
   50 E Water Street
   Kiel, WI 53042
    920-286-3198

3 Hidden Hollow Garden Art
   1851 Orchard Road
   New Holstein, WI  53061
    920-898-1405

3  Gajettes
4 Bleating Heart Haven
   W1993 Thede Road
   New Holstein, WI 53061
   920-286-0971

4 Zagrodnik Furniture Painting

4 Irene Taylor, watercolorist

4 Floppy Ear Farm

4 Designs by Leann

5 kreative knotts LLC
   228 Central Street
   Potter, WI  54160
   920-464-2221

6 Main Street Art Works
   627 W Main Street
   Hilbert, WI 54129
   920-853-7348

6 Dan Green Painting
   37 North 6th Street
   Hilbert, WI  54129
   715-213-3380

7 Sunrise Valley Organics & Natural
   Health Farm
   W4861 Moore Road
   Hilbert, WI  54129
   920-439-1887

7  Mama's Country Market

7  Sarah Birschbach
8  Heritage Orchard
    N2963 Lakeshore Drive
    Chilton, WI  53014
    920-849-2158

9  Meuer Farm LLC
    N 2564 US Highway 151
    Chilton, WI 53014
    920-418-2676

9  Dave Bartels, Chainsaw Artist

9  Amy Schauland
    Meadow Path Photography

10 The Plaid Squirrel
     N1866 US Highway 151
     Chilton, WI 53014
     920-627-3010

10 Dan Brault

10 Deana's Creations

A  Koehring's Central House
    602 Fremont Street
    Kiel, WI  53042
    920-894-7630

B  The Timm House
    1600 Wisconsin Avenue
    New Holstein, WI  53061
    920-898-5900

C  Village Inn
    1706 Wisconsin Avenue
    New Holstein, WI  53061
    920-898-4045

D  Best Western Stanton Inn
    1101 East Chestnut Street
    Chilton, WI  53014
    920-849-3600

E  Terra Verde Coffeehouse
    507 N. Madison Street
    (Hwy 32/57)
    Chilton, WI  53014
    920-849-9050

F  Village Hearthstone Restaurant
    326 West Main Street
    Hilbert, WI  54129
    920-853-3023
G  Cobblestone Inn & Suites
    800 West Ryan Street
    Brillion, WI  54110
    920-756-3800

H  The Outpost Restaurant
    N606 Knight Drive
    Sherwood, WI  54169
    920-989-3300

I   Mud Creek Coffee Cafe
    106 South Military Road (Hwy 55)
    Stockbridge, WI  53088
    920-439-1096

J   LaClare Farms
    W2994 County HH
    Malone, WI  53049
    920-670-0051

Friday, September 12, 2014

Future scarf dying plans

Some ideas to explore in future dying sessions:


Add small pieces of redcabbage to water and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer until cabbage is pale. Split the cabbage water into two pots. Add a fixative (alum brightens colors, and iron darkens them).
Add silk scarf and soak for 30mins to one pot.  Remove the scarf and add in baking soda turning the mixture a greeny-blue-the more basic the dye bath, the more blue.  Add silk scarf & soak for 30mins.
In the second pot add some vinegar, turning the mixture a dark pink-the more acidic the dye bath, the more pink.  Add a silk scarf and soak for 30 mins. Cabbage is a litmus test of soil properties.
The saltier the soil, the deeper blues that come from it. Cabbage grown in more acidic soils tend towards pink.Red and purple cabbage creates varying dye colors depending on the mordants* and modifiers used.
Soak fabric for from 20 minutes to overnight. Rinse in a pH neutral soap and cool water; hang to dry. Red cabbage dye can fade over time, but you can easily re-dye your wrap seasonally, reconnecting with your garment while refreshing its natural color.


For a scarf dyed blue with black beans (cold dye bath):


Put about 2 cups of black beans in a bucket for a long (6.5'" scarf).  Generously cover them with water, and let them soak overnight. Place your scarf in a second bucket. In the morning, strain the bean water into that second bucket over the scarf. Generously cover the beans with clean water, and let them soak all day long. In the evening, strain the bean water into that second bucket over the scarf. Generously cover the beans with clean water, and let them soak. The next morning, strain the bean water into that second bucket over the scarf. Generously cover the beans with clean water, and let them soak. Keep repeating, every 12 hours or so, until the scarf has soaked for about 3 days. It will start to smell a little, but nothing unbearable Remove the scarf, rinse it well, until the water runs clean and no more dye comes out.  Let it air dry.


For a multicoloured  blue-green dip dye scarf:


The colour of the black bean soaking water may start out looking very grey/green. A splash of distilled white vinegar, changes the color a brilliant purple.  Part of the ends can be over dyed with this new color by immersing one end and then the other in the purple dye.  Adding a little bicarbonate of soda will shift the pH again, changing the color to a brilliant green.  The very centre of the scarf can then be over dyed it with this colour.

To tie and dye, tightly wrap rubber bands wherever you want to create a design folding and tying using techniques such as these:

KNOT TYING
         tn_knottying_1.jpg (2833 bytes)Hold the cloth at both ends and twist into a long rope form
          tn_knottying_2.jpg (3890 bytes)Tie this long rope into a knot and tighten as much as you can without damaging the cloth. Knot tying works best on long sleeves and light-weight material. You can tie as many knots as you have room for. Rubber bands or string can be tied over the knots to reinforce them as well as provide fine lines in the pattern.
SPIRALS
          tn_spirals_1.jpg (4903 bytes)Lay your material on a flat surface. Place your thumb and a couple of fingers together on the cloth at the point which will be the center of the design. Using the weight of your fingers to hold the cloth in place, start twisting. After each twist, flatten the material with the palm of your hand to keep the folds from rising. With your other hand, bring the loose ends into the circle and continue to twist until the whole thing looks like a fat pancake.
           tn_spiral_2.jpg (7815 bytes)Now take rubber bands, and without disturbing the shape of the pancake slide the bands under the cloth so that they intersect at the center. Use as many as necessary to retain the circular shape, about twice the number shown in the illustration at right for most tie-dyes. If you decide to immerse, instead of squirting, just set the cloth gently in the dye bath, do not stir. For an interesting effect, prevent the cloth from submerging, either by using less water or by placing the cloth on a prop to hold it out of the dye a little. Some materials will float automatically. Then sprinkle a different color dye in powder form over the top of the cloth, being careful not to get any in the other dye solution.
ELECTRIC BUNCHING
           tn_electric bunching_1.jpg (6619 bytes)Gather cloth together in small bunches until it is shaped like a ball. Try to expose as much of the cloth to the surface as possible. This effect works best on thin materials.
            tn_electric bunching_2.jpg (6635 bytes)Wrap the string or rubber bands loosely around the ball in as many directions necessary to retain the ball shape, and set gently in the dye bath. Do not stir. Just turn over once in a while.
ROSETTES
            tn_rosettes_1.jpg (3506 bytes)A Rosette is many little circles, touching or overlapping each other. Using a pencil or your mind's eye, make a few dots on the cloth in any pattern. Each dot will be the center of a small circle.
            tn_rosettes_2.jpg (3771 bytes)With the thumb and forefinger pick up dot after dot and transfer to the other hand.
              tn_rosettes_3.jpg (4491 bytes)Wrap string or rubber bands several times around the base of all the circles which have been gathered together. Continue to wrap to the tip and back, making sure your ties are very tight.
STRIPES
           tn_stripes_1.jpg (3835 bytes)Roll the cloth very loosely, forming a long tube. The stripes will be at right angles to the tube.
           tn_stripes_2.jpg (3714 bytes)Tie at one intervals or as far apart as you want the stripes to run. Loop rubber bands or wrap string around the tube a few times and knot. Make sure the ties are very tight. Now you can either immerse or squirt the dye on, alternating your colors,
DIAMONDS OVALS SQUARES
           tn_diamonds ovals squares_1.jpg (3756 bytes)Fold the cloth once along an imaginary line which will run through the intended form. See possibilities below. Try hearts too.
  tn_diamonds ovals squares_2.jpg (3338 bytes)          tn_diamonds ovals squares_3.jpg (3405 bytes)Draw half of the intended design with a pencil or with your mind's eye, starting and ending on the crease.
                tn_diamonds ovals squares_4.jpg (4640 bytes)Form pleats, starting at one end of your line. Try to keep that line in the center between your hands while pleating until you come to the end of your line.
                 tn_diamonds ovals squares_5.jpg (5607 bytes)Wrap string or rubber bands around all the gathered pleats several times, and tie a secure knot. Now you can continue wrapping to the tip and back, or tie an Electric Ball or anything else you can think of.
CIRCLES
             tn_circles_1.jpg (4389 bytes)The circle design is relatively simple to create, yet it is easily one of the most dramatic. Just pick up the cloth with thumb and forefinger at the point you choose to be the center of the circle.
                   tn_circles_2.jpg (4715 bytes)With the other hand, try to arrange fairly neat and evenly spaced pleats around the central axis like a closed umbrella. Smooth the cloth down, and hold tightly at the base. Now let go of the top.
    tn_circles_3.jpg (3270 bytes)                 tn_circles_4.jpg (3644 bytes)With string or rubber bands, tie a strong anchor-knot around the base. Continue wrapping to the tip and back again and secure at the base. Make sure the ties are very tight.VARIATIONS: 1) Tie only part of the circle. 2) Tie at one inch intervals. 3) Poke the center or tip down inside the rest of the circle before tying.
PLEATS
           tn_pleats_1.jpg (4674 bytes)Lay cloth on flat surface. Place thumbs of both hands together firmly on the cloth. Position fingers about an inch or two in front of your thumbs, and pinch the fabric to raise a fold. Continue to pinch up more pleats until you reach the end of the cloth. You can change directions as often as you want by gathering more material in one hand than in the other.
            tn_pleats_2.jpg (5611 bytes)Be careful not to lose any pleats. Loop rubber bands or string very tightly around all the pleats several times and knot. You can use as many ties as you want. This useful technique is also employed in tying ovals, squares, diamonds or any shape you can imagine which has symmetry.



Arashi Shibori: Pole Dyeing Method

Step 1: fold the scarf in half twice
Step 2: place thick wood stick at the bottom edge of the scarf
Step 3: roll loosely with ease around a thick wood stick
Step 4: scrunch the fabric down as far on the stick as you can
Step 5: rubber band tightly 5 times, this causes randomness in the pattern once dyed



Dying silk scarves

A member of NEWHSA offered an opportunity to experiment with dying silk scarves with dyes made of vaious natural plant materials.

Pastel dyed scarf being admired by participants
as sunset creates it's own pastels in the background 
Begin by choosing plant material to use to achieve the desired color(s).

Plant Material for Dyes

ORANGE

- Alder (Alnus rubra) (Bark)- orange
- Barberry (mahonia sp.) yellow orange (with alum) very strong & permanent. Any part of the plant will work.
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) (root when cut open)- will give a good orange to reddish orange color.
- Butternut Tree (Juglans cinerea) – (bark, seed husks) – light yelllow-orange
- Carrot (Daucus carota) – (roots) – orange
- Eucalyptus – (all parts, leaves and bark) beautiful shades of tan, deep rust red, yellow, green, orange and chocolate brown.
- Giant Coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea) Yields bright permanent orange with alum.
- Lichen (orchella weed) (Roccellaceae) – gold, purple, red
- Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) (twigs) – yellow/orange
- Onion (Allium cepa) (skin) – orange
- Pomegranate (skins)– with alum anywhere from orange to khaki green.
- Sassafras (leaves)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa) dyed cloth will turn orange or red if it is dipped in lye.

BROWN

- Acorns (boiled)
- Amur Maple (Acer Ginnala) – black, blue, brown from dried leaves
- Beetroot -Dark Brown with FeSO4
- Birch (bark) – Light brown/ buff – Alum to set
- Broom - (bark) – yellow/brown
- Broom Sedge – golden yellow and brown
– Butternut Tree (Juglans cinerea) - (bark) -dark brown – boil the bark down to concentrated form
- Coffee Grinds
- Colorado Fir - (bark) – tan
- Coneflower (flowers) – brownish green ; leaves and stems – gold
- Dandelion (roots) brown
- Fennel – (flowers, leaves) – yellow/brown
- Goldenrod (shoots ) – deep brown
- Hollyhock (petals)
- Ivy - (twigs) – yellow/brown
- Juniper Berries
- Maple Trees (Red Leaf Buds) – red-brown color when dried. Found on branches before new leaves appear only present during early spring and throughout fall.
- Oak bark will give a tan or oak color.
- Oregano – (Dried stalk) – Deep brown- Black
- Pine Tree Bark – light medium brown. Needs no mordant.
- St John’s Wort (blossom) – brown
- Sumac (leaves) – tan
- Tea Bags – light brown, tan
- Walnut (hulls) – deep brown (wear gloves)
- Walnut (husks) – deep brown – black
- White Birch - (inner bark) – brown
- White Maple (bark) – Light brown/ buff – Alum to set
- Wild plum root will give a reddish or rusty brown.
- Yellow dock (shades of brown)

 PINK

- Strawberries
- Avocado from skin and seed – a light pink hue.
- Cherries
- Raspberries (red)
- Roses and Lavender, with a little mint and some lemon juice to activate the alkaloids can make both a brilliant pink dye and a very tasty pink lemonade.
- Lichens – A pink, brown, or wine colored dye can be produced from a lichen known as British soldiers.
- Camilla -It’s a nice pink-magenta. With lemon and salt.
- Grand Fir -(bark) pink

 BLUE- PURPLE

- Dogwood (bark) – blue
- Red cabbage
- Woad (first year leaves). Woad gives a pale to mid blue colour depending on the type of fabric and the amount of woad used.
- Mulberries (royal purple)
- Elderberries (lavender/blue-gray)
- Saffron - (petals) blue/green
- Grapes (purple)
- Blueberries
- Cornflower - (petals) blue dye with alum, water
- Cherry (roots)
- Blackberry (fruit) strong purple
- Hyacinth – (flowers) – blue
- Japanese indigo (deep blue)
- Indigo (leaves) – blue
- Red cabbage - blue
- Red Cedar Root (purple)
- Raspberry -(fruit) purple/blue
- Red Maple Tree (purple)(inner bark)
- Nearly Black Iris – (dark bluish purple) alum mordant
- Dogwood - (fruit) greenish-blue
- Oregon Grape -(fruit) blue/purple
- Purple Iris - blue
- Sweetgum (bark) – purple / black
- Queen Anne’s Lace

 RED – BROWN

- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) (root) – red
- Elderberry – red
- Whole (or the peel of) pomegranates – Between purple-red to pink from fresh pomegranates, and a brown color from very overripe (beginning to rot) pomegranates.
- Red leaves will give a reddish brown color I use salt to set the dye.
- Sumac (fruit) – light red
- Sycamore (bark)- red
- Dandelion (root)
- Beets – deep red
- Bamboo – turkey red
- Crab Apple - (bark) – red/yellow
- Rose (hips)
- Chokecherries
- Madder (root) – red
- Hibiscus Flowers (dried)
- Kool-aid
- Canadian Hemlock – (bark) reddish brown
- Japanese Yew - (heartwood) – brown dye
- Wild ripe Blackberries
- Brazilwood
- St. John’s Wort – (whole plant) soaked in alcohol – red
- Bedstraw (Galium triflorum) (root) – red

 GRAY-BLACK

- Iris (roots)
- Sumac (leaves) (Black)
– Meadowsweet makes an amazing black dye.
- Blackberry
- Butternut Hulls
- Carob pod (boiled) will give a gray to cotton
- Oak galls - makes a good black dye.
- Sawthorn Oak - (seed cups) – black
- Walnut (hull) – black
- Rusty nails & vinegar – set with Alum

 RED – PURPLE

- Pokeweed (berries)
- Hibiscus (flowers, dark red or purple ones) – red-purple.
- Daylilies (old blooms)
- Safflower – (flowers, soaked in alcohol) – red
- Logwood (is a good purple but you have to watch it as it dyes quick when the pot is fresh. Also it exhausts fast. We use alum to mordant and using iron can give you logwood gray.)
- Huckleberry - lavender (can use it for dye and also for ink.)
- Portulaca – (flowers, dried and crushed to a powder) use with a vinegar orsalt mordant, can produce strong magentas, reds, scarlets, oranges and
yellows (depending upon the color of the flower)
- Beluga Black Lentils - soaked in water overnight .. yield a dark purplish / black water. The color is washfast and lightfast and needs NO MORDANT and it lasts – a beautiful milk chocolate brown (when super thick) … to a lighter medium brown or light brown when watered down.
- Dark Hollyhock (petals) – mauve
- Basil – purplish grey

GREEN

- Artemisia species provide a range of greens from baby’s breath to nettle green.
- Artichokes
- Tea Tree – (flowers) green/black
- Spinach (leaves)
- Sorrel (roots) – dark green
- Foxglove - (flowers) apple green
- Lilac - (flowers) – green
- Camellia - (pink, red petals) – green
- Carrot tops - green
- Snapdragon - (flowers) – green
- Grass (yellow green)
- Pigsweed (entire plant) yellow green
- Red Pine (needles) green
- Nettle
- Broom – (stem) green
- Larkspur - green – alum
- Plantain Roots
- White Ash - (bark) – yellow
- Purple Milkweed - (flowers & leaves) – green
- Lily-of-the-valley (light green) be careful what you do with the spent dye bath. The plant is toxic so try to avoid pouring it down the drain into the water supply.
- Barberry root (wool was dyed a greenish bronze-gold)
- Red onion (skin) (a medium green, lighter than
forest green)
- Yarrow - (flowers) yellow & green shades
- Mulga Acacia - (seed pods) – green
- Peach - (leaves) yellow/green
- Coneflower (flowers) – green
- Peppermint - dark kakhi green color
- Peony (flowers) - pale lime green
- Queen Anne’s Lace – pale green
- Black-Eyed Susans - bright olive/apple green (or yellow)
- Hydrangea (flowers) – alum mordant, added some copper and it came out a beautiful celery green
- Chamomile (leaves) – green

PEACH-SALMON

- Jewelweed - orange/peach
- Broom Flower
- Virginia Creeper (all parts); alum mordant; Peach.
- Achiote powder (annatto seed)
- Plum tree (roots) (salmon color on wool with alum)
- Weeping Willow (wood & bark) makes a peachy brown (the tannin acts as a mordant)
- Virgina Creeper - (fruit) – pink
- Balm (blossom) – rose pink
- Jewelweed - orange/peach
- Broom Flower
- Virginia Creeper (all parts); alum mordant; Peach.
- Achiote powder (annatto seed)
- Plum tree (roots) (salmon color on wool with alum)
- Weeping Willow (wood & bark) makes a peachy brown (the tannin
acts as a mordant)
- Virgina Creeper - (fruit) – pink
- Balm (blossom) – rose pink

  YELLOW-WHEAT

- Alder leaves
- Alfalfa (seeds) – yellow
- Bay leaves – yellow
- Barberry (bark) – yellow
- Beetroot (yellow) (alum & K2Cr2O7)
- Birch leaves - yellow/tan
- Black-eyed Susan - yellow (or bright olive/apple green)
- Burdock
- Cameleon plant (golden)
- Celery (leaves)
- Crocus – yellow
- Daffodil (flower heads after they have died); alum mordant
- Dahlia Flowers (Red, yellow, orange flowers) make a lovely yellow to orange dye for wool.
- Dandelion (flower)
- Dyer’s Greenwood (shoots) – yellow
- Fustic – yellow
- Golden Rod (flowers)
- Heather – (plant) – yellow
- Hickory leaves (yellow) if plenty of leaves are boiled and salt added.
- Marigold (blossoms) – yellow
- Mimosa – (flowers) yellow
- Mint leaves -yellow
- Mulga Acacia -(flowers) – yellow
- Mullein (leaf and root) pale yellow. *careful, because the little fuzzy hairs can make one itchy!
- Mullein (verbascum thapsus) (flowers) bright yellow or light green.
- Old man’s beard lichen – yellow/brown/orange shades
- Onion (skins) – set with Alum.
- Oregon-grape roots - yellow
- Osage Orange also known as Bois d’arc or hedgeapple (heartwood, inner bark, wood, shavings or sawdust) (pale yellow)
- Oxallis (wood sorrels) (flowers) – the one with the yellow flowers. Use the flower heads, some stem ok. It is nearly fluorescent yellow, and quite colorfast on alum mordanted wool.
If the oxalis flowers are fermented or if a small dash of cloudy ammonia is added to the dye bath (made alkaline) the fluorescent yellow becomes fluorescent orange. Usually I do this as an after-bath, once I have the initial colour. Useful for shifting the dye shade, and some good surprises in store!
- Queen Anne’s Lace
- Paprika -pale yellow – light orange
- Parsley leaves - yellow
- Peach (leaves) – yellow
- Red Clover (whole blossom, leaves and stem) alum mordant – gold
- Saffron (stigmas) – yellow – set with Alum.
- Safflower (flowers, soaked in water) – yellow
- Sassafras (bark)- yellow
- St. John’s Wort - (flowers & leaves) – gold/yellow
- Sumac (bark) – The inner pith of Sumac branches can produce a super bright yellow color.
- Sunflowers – (flowers) – yellow
- Syrian Rue (glows under black light)
- Tansy (tops) – yellow
- Tea ( ecru color)
- Turmeric (spice) –bright yellow
- Weld (bright yellow)
- White mulberry tree (bark) Cream color onto white or off-white wool. Alum mordant.
- Willow (leaves)
- Yarrow – yellow and gold
- Yellow cone flower (whole flower head); chrome mordant; Brass to Greeney-Brass.
- Yellow, Curly, Bitter, or Butter Dock (despite various leaf shapes, all have a bright yellow taproot) gives you a yellow/flesh color.
(pioneerthinking.com)

Cold dye process:

Place a silk scarf on a table, right side down. Spread plant pieces (red cabbage shreds, elderberries) chosen for dye across half of the length of the scarf.  Fold the scarf in half to cover the plant pieces. Roll the scarf up any which way until it is the size of a fist or smaller and secure with string or rubber bands.  Place it in a ziplock bag with  1/3 – 1/2 cup vinegar (white vinegar for a lighter shade or apple cider  vinegar).

Let the scarf sit in the ziplok bag for 2 weeks. After two weeks, the scarf should be unwrapped outside, shaken out and hung them up to dry for another two weeks to let the color set. Then the scarf should be washed fast and gently in Ivory or something very mild and hung to dry. When dry, the scarf should be ironed to set the color.


Muslin, silk, cotton and wool work best for natural dyes. The lighter the fabric in color, the better-white or pastel colors work the best. Before you start the dyeing process, you’ll want to get your fabric ready. First, wash the fabric. Don’t dry it though – it needs to be wet. Then prepare your fixative or “mordant.” This is to help the fabric take up the dye more easily and ensure that the color sets in the fabric. For plant dyes, mix 4 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar in a large pot, add your silk and simmer for an hour. For berry dyes, mix 1/2 cup slat to 8 cups cold water in a large pot, add your silk and simmer for an hour. Rinse in cool water and squeeze out any excess.
To make the dye solution, chop plant material into small pieces to give you more surface area. Use ripe, mature plant material and always use fresh, not dried. Dried plant material will usually give you muted colors and sometimes no color at all.  If the plant is tough, like yellow dock roots, smash the root with a hammer to make it fiberous. This will also give you more exposed surface area. If you know you won’t need it for a while, but the plant is at its peak, like nettle, you can chop it up and freeze it for a few months.
Place the plant material in a large non-reactive pot (like stainless steel or glass). Double the amount of water to plant material. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour until you get a nice dark color. Strain out the plant material and return the liquid to the pot.
Carefully place the fixative-soaked fabric in the dye bath and bring to a slow boil. Simmer for an hour or so, stirring once in a while.
Check your fabric. Remember, it will be lighter when it dries. An hour should produce nice color, but darker hues can be achieved by allowing to sit longer, even overnight. Turn the pot off after an hour and allow fabric to sit in the warm water as long as needed. When you get the color you want, take the fabric out and wash in cold water. Expect the color to run some as the excess dye is washed out.
Hang scarves out to dry. Rinse them out with cold water to remove excess dye solution. Hang out to dry again.

Dying scarves with Dharma dyes:


Add water to Dharma dye color(s) chosen.  Paint or dip scarf in dye.  Add scarf to water and soak dyed scarf in water with Dharma Dye Fixative add according to directions to set dye.

To care for dyed silk scarves:

Test a mild, non-alkaline liquid soap or baby shampoo on a small, inconspicuous section of the scarf to ensure that the substance won’t affect the scarf’s colors. If the soap passed the test, soak the scarf in lukewarm water mixed with a few drops of the soap for no longer than five to seven minutes. You can rub the scarf gently at this time.
Rinse the scarf in cool, clean water.
Next, add distilled white vinegar to the rinse water. This will neutralize alkali traces, dissolve soap residue and ultimately keep the silk shiny.
Once the soap and vinegar is completely rinsed away, squeeze the fabric softly to remove excess water. Do not ring to the silk, as this can damage the fibers.
Lay the scarf flat between two towels to dry.
Iron the silk on a low setting while scarf is still slightly damp to smooth and add shine.

Emerald ash borer arrives is Sherwood resulting in quarantine for Calumet County



The quarantine means ash wood products and hardwood firewood may not be taken to areas that are not under quarantine.

Four more Northeast Wisconsin counties are under quarantine after an emerald ash borer was found near High Cliff State Park. The bug was found in Sherwood, just north of the High Cliff golf course and four miles from the Outagamie County line, the state Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says. Besides Calumet County, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Outagamie counties are now under quarantine. State and federal officials are also speaking with the Oneida Tribe about a quarantine on its reservation. Other quarantined counties in Wisconsin are: Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago.  Native to China, the insect was first documented in the U.S. in Michigan in 2004 and in Wisconsin in 2008, in Ozaukee County.

ID ash trees:
Ash tree branches and buds are opposite with a single bud at the endof the branch (terminal bud). Twigs are gray to brown and donot have a waxy coating. Leaves are compound, 8 to 12inches long, 5 to 9  leaflets/leaf. Leaves may be finely toothedor have smooth edges. The most common ash trees planted inthe landscape are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and greenash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Other native ash trees lesscommonly found include black ash (Fraxinus nigra) andblue ash (Fraxinus quadangulata). Black ashhas 7 to 11 leaflets and is found in wet woods; blue ash has 7 to 11 leaflets and distinctive 4-angled corky wings on the stem. White ash buds are paired with a leaf scar beneath thebud that looks like the letter “C” turned on its side. Greenash buds are paired with a leaf scar beneath the bud thatlooks like the letter “D” turned on its side (like a smile). Individual fruits are shaped like single wings and occur inclusters; many ash cultivars are seedless. Ash trees are abundant in Wisconsin, with estimates as high as 765 million trees in forests and over 5 million in urban areas. Ash is a component of three forest types in Wisconsin including 1) Elm / Ash / Cottonwood, 2) Northern Hardwood and 3) Oak / Hickory.

While other woody plants, such as mountain ash and prickly ash, have 'ash' in their name, they are not true ash (Fraxinus species). Therefore they are not susceptible to attack by emerald ash borer.



Emerald ash borers lay their eggs on the bark of ash trees in mid- to late summer. When the eggs hatch a week or two later, the larvae burrow under bark for the winter and feed, destroying the trees ability to take up nutrients and water. The trees eventually die and pose the danger of falling onto someone or something.



Recommendations to people who have ash trees on their property DATCP :

-Consider preventive treatments if your property is within 15 miles of a known infestation.


Emerald ash borer insecticide treatments available to homeowners
Product
Active Ingredient
Timing
Type of application
Amdro Tree & Shrub Care Concentrate (D)

Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control II (D)

Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed (D or G)

Compare N Save Systemic Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench (D)

Ferti-lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Drench (D)

Monterey Once a Year Insect Control II (D)

Ortho Bug B Gone year Long Tree & Shrub Insect Control (D)
Imidacloprid
Mid-April to mid-May
Soil Drench (D)
or
Granular (G)
Optrol (D)
Imidacloprid
Mid-April to mid-May
and/or
Early-Sept. to mid-Oct.
Soil drench (D)
Bayer Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed II (D or G)
Imidacloprid
+
Clothianidin
Mid-April to mid-May
Soil Drench (D)
 or
Granular (G)
ACECAP 97 Systemic Insecticide Tree Implants
Acephate
Mid-May to mid-June
Trunk Implant

-Keep a close watch for possible signs of EAB infestation: Thinning canopy, D-shaped holes in the bark, cracked bark, branches sprouting low on the trunk, and woodpeckers pulling at bark.


-Consider planting different species of trees that are not susceptible to EAB.

Large to Medium-sized Street/Urban Trees
*Acer × freemanii Freeman maple (hardy to zone 3b-4a, depends on cultivar)
Acer miyabei ʻMortonʼ State Street Miyabe maple (hardy to zone 4a)
Acer platanoides Norway maple (zone 4b), very invasive
*Acer rubrum Red maple (in acidic soils only!) (hardy to zone 3b-5b, depends on
cultivar)
Acer ʻWarrenredʼ Pacific Sunset maple (hardy to zone 4b)
*Celtis occidentalis Common hackberry (hardy to zone 3b)
Corylus colurna Turkish filbert (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 4b)
Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo (plant male cultivars only: ʻAutumn Goldʼ, ʻFairmountʼ, ʻMagyarʼ,
 ʻPNI 22720ʼ (Princeton Sentry®), ʻSaratogaʼ, Shangri-La®(zone 4b)
*Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis Thornless honeylocust (plant male cultivars only: ʻChristieʼ
(Halka™), ʻHarveʼ (Northern Acclaim®), ʻImpcoleʼ(Imperial®), ʻPNI 2835ʼ (Shademaster®), ʻSkycoleʼ(Skyline®), ʻSuncoleʼ (Sunburst®), ʻTrue Shadeʼ (hardy to zone 4a)
*Gymnocladus dioica Kentucky coffeetree (ʻEspressoʼ, ʻJ.C. McDanielʼ (Prairie Titan™
are males, no fruit) (hardy to zone 4a)
Phellodendron amurense ʻMachoʼ Macho Amur corktree (plant males only as females are invasive)
(hardy to zone 3b)
Phellodendron lavallei ʻLongeneckerʼ Eyestopper™ Lavalle corktree (male) (hardy to zone 4b)
Phellodendron sachalinense ʻHis Majestyʼ His Majesty Sakhalin corktree (male) (hardy to zone 3b)
*Quercus bicolor Swamp white oak (hardy to zone 4a)
Quercus × bimundorum ʻCrimschmidtʼ Crimson Spire™ oak (tall, columnar form) (hardy to zone 4b)
Quercus imbricaria Shingle oak (acidic soils only!) (hardy to zone 4b)
*Quercus macrocarpa Bur oak (hardy to zone 3a)
Quercus × macdenielli ʻClemonʼs Heritage oak (hardy to zone 4)
*Quercus muehlenbergii Chinkapin oak (hardy to zone 4b)
Quercus palustris Pin oak (hardy to zone 4b) (acid soils only!)
Quercus robur English oak ʻFastigiataʼ (Skyrocket®), ʻPyramichʼ (Skymaster®)(zone 5a only)
Quercus Rosehill Rosehill oak (hardy to zone 4b)
*Quercus × schuettei Swamp bur oak (hardy to zone 3b)
Quercus × warei ʻLongʼ Regal Prince oak (tall, columnar form) (hardy to zone 4b)
Taxodium distichum Baldcypress (hardy to zone 4b, use northern plant/seed source)
*Tilia americana American linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 3a)
Tilia cordata Littleleaf linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 3b)
Tilia × euchlora Crimean linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 4b)
Tilia × flavescens ʻGlenlevenʼ Glenleven linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 4)
Tilia ʻHarvest Goldʼ Harvest Gold linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 3b)
Tilia ʻRedmondʼ Redmond linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 4a)
Tilia tomentosa Silver linden (sensitive to road salt) (hardy to zone 4b)
*Ulmus americana American elm (DED resistant cultivars: ʻNew Harmonyʼ, ʻPrincetonʼ,
ʻValley Forgeʼ) (hardy to zone 3a)
Ulmus hybrids (hardy to zones 3-5) Hybrid elms (DED resistant cultivars: ʻFrontierʼ (zone 5), ʻHomesteadʼ, ʻMortonʼ (Accolade®), ʻMorton Glossyʼ (Triumph™), ʻMorton Plainsmanʼ (Vanguard™), ʻMorton Red Tipʼ (Danada Charm™), ʻMorton Stalwart; (Commendation™) (Zone 5), ʻNew Horizonʼ (zone 3b), ʻPatriotʼ (zone 5), ʻPioneerʼ (zone 5)
Ulmus japonica ʻDiscoveryʼ Discovery Japanese elm (hardy to zone 3)lmus parvifolia Lacebark elm (hardy to zone 5b)
Ulmus wilsoniana ʻProspectorʼ Prospector elm (hardy to zone 4)

Small Urban Area or Street Trees
Acer tataricum Tatarian maple (hardy to zone 3a)
Acer truncatum Shantung maple (hardy to zone 3b)
*Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis Thornless cockspur hawthorn (hardy to zone 4a)
Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington hawthorn (has thorns) (hardy to zone 4b)
Crataegus viridis ʻWinter Kingʼ Winter King hawthorn (very few if any thorns) (hardy to zone 4b)
Maackia amurensis Amur maackii (hardy to zone 4a)
Malus spp. (hardy to zone 4a) Flowering crabapple (choose from disease resistant cultivars below)
White flowers/red fruit: ʻAdirondackʼ, ʻGuinzamʼ (Guinevere®), ʻJewelcoleʼ (Red Jewel®), ʻKinarzamʼ (King Arthur®), ʻSutyzamʼ (Sugar Tyme®), Malus baccata ʻJackiiʼ, Malus sargentii ʻSelect Aʼ (Firebird®),
Malus sargentii ʻTinaʼ, Malus × zumi var. calocarpa
White flowers/yellow fruit: ʻBob Whiteʼ, ʻCinzamʼ (Cinderella®), ʻExcazamʼ (Excalibur™), ʻLanzamʼ (Lancelot®), ʻOrmiston Royʼ
Pink or reddish flowers/red to purplish-red fruit: ʻCamzamʼ (Camelot™), Malus sargentii ʻCandymintʼ, ʻCanterzamʼ (Canterbury™), ʻCardinalʼ, ʻJFS-KW5ʼ (Royal Raindrops®), ʻOrange Crushʼ, ʻParrsiʼ (Pink Princess®), ʻPrairifireʼ, ʻPrairie Maidʼ, ʻPurple Princeʼ
Weeping to semi-weeping form: ʻCoral Cascadeʼ, ʻLouisaʼ, ʻLuwickʼ, ʻManbeck Weeperʼ (Anne E.®), ʻMolazamʼ (Molten Lava®)
Prunus sargentii Sargent cherry (requires good drainage) (hardy to zone 4b)
Prunus ʻAccoladeʼ Accolade cherry (requires good drainage) (hardy to zone 4b)
Pyrus calleryana ʻAutumn Blazeʼ Autumn Blaze callery pear (hardy to zone 4b)
Syringa pekinensis Peking lilac (requires good drainage) (hardy to zone 4a)
Syringa reticulata Japanese tree lilac (requires good drainage) (hardy to zone 3a)
*Native to Wisconsin

-Call a professional arborist, and visit emeraldashborer.wi.gov for detailed information.

-If you have an EAB-infested tree that you would like to use as firewood, be aware that EAB can continue to emerge from the wood for two years after cutting. To avoid spreading EAB, split and leave the wood to age near where you cut the tree for two summers. After two years of drying, EAB that may have been within the wood will have emerged or died. The aged firewood poses little risk of introducing EAB and you may move it freely within the limits of the quarantine.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Artemisia-2014 Herb of the Year

Artemisias belong to the Asteraceae, a family of plants which also includes asters and daisies; however, Artemisia flowers, though typical, are usually quite small. There are over 300 species in the genus, distinguished by the silkiness and divisions of their leaves and the arrangements of their flowers. With the exception of several species in tropical environs, the genus originated in and mostly belongs to the drier climes of the Northern Hemisphere. 
Not all artimisias are herbal, but those that are have many uses:
-A. absinthium (wormwood) is a flavoring ingredient in absinthe liqueur. 
-Many Artemisias are useful in dried flower arrangements and wreaths, potpourri, and moth and mosquito repellents. To dry easily and rapidly, the branches or stems should be fanned out, not bunched, and hung out of strong sunlight in a dry space with good air circulation. Culinary:
-A. dracunculus (French tarragon) is a key component of Sauce Béarnaise and French salad dressing. The leaves of this species are used to flavor poultry dishes and to make tarragon vinegar. It is important to use a plant grown from a division or cutting rather than from seed.
-Oils of Artemisia are used in cosmetics and aromatherapy.
-Medicinal: Some species have proven to be antimalarial (A. annua), and antifungal (A. absinthium).

This month the herb being explored by the NEWHSA is tarragon.

A. dracunculus (tarragon): Dracunculus means “little dragon.” The Arabic name translates as dragonwort. French tarragon (sometimes designated as the cultivar ‘Sativa’ and preferred for culinary use) is seed sterile and must be grown from stem tip cuttings, root cuttings, or divisions. Tip cuttings are less likely to spread diseases and insects. Tarragon can withstand drought and excessive heat (but not high humidity or poor air circulation). It can also be susceptible to rust and nematodes. 

FRENCH TARRAGON




I discovered this recipe for mandarin orange salad many years ago for a salad that is similar to one I enjoyed at the Magic Pan, a trendy restaurant chain serving crepes in the seventies.

MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD


1 bunch Romaine lettuce
1 c. mandarin oranges
3/4 c. toasted almonds
1/2 c. sliced green onions

Tarragon Vinaigrette

2/3 c. oil
1/3 c. tarragon vinegar
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. tarragon leaves
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. chervil (opt.)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Shake well before serving.


This Chicken and Wild Rice Salad recipe from Lunds in Minneapolis makes a nice luncheon entree.

 CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SALAD



1 c. wild rice
1 t. chicken bouillon
1/3 c. green onions, finely sliced
8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
1/2 chicken, cooked and deboned (3 c.)
2/3 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. milk
1/4 t. tarragon
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 lb. seedless green grapes, halved (1 c.)
1 c. slated cashews

Rinse wild rice and drain.  In a heavy saucepan, bring wild rice, 4 c. water, and bouillon to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered 45-55 minutes, until kernels open and are tender, but not mushy.  Drain.  Cool.  (Makes 3-4 cups.)
Mix wild rice with green onions, water chestnuts, and chicken chunks.  Mix together mayonnaise, milk, tarragon, and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir into wild rice mixture.  Refrigerate, covered, 2-3 hours.  Fold in grapes and cashews.  Garnish with clusters of grapes.


My husband enjoys split pea soup,  puchasing Campbell's condensed split pea soup, until I  found a homemade version we both enjoy in the Silver Palate New Basics Cookbook.  I often makes a big batch using leftovers after serving a big spiral cut ham, freezing plenty of soup to enjoy on cold winter evenings.

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP


1 lb. dried green split peas
5 c. chicken stock or canned broth
5 c. water (or less, if thicker soup desired)
1 meaty ham bone
2 ribs celery, leaves included, diced
3 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t. crumbled dried tarragon
(OR 1 1/2 t. fresh tarragon, chopped)
4 T. unsalted butter
1 c. diced peeled carrots
1 c. diced onion
1 leek, white part only, rinsed and sliced
1 c. slivered fresh spinach leaves
2 T. dry sherry
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Rinse the split peas in a strainer, and combine them with the stock and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil.  Add the ham bone, celery, 1 T. of the parsley, and the tarragon.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the carrots, onion, and leek.  Cook 10 minutes until the vegetables are wilted.  Add them to the soup pot, along with the spinach.  Simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes.  Remove the soup from the heat.  Remove the ham bone, and shred the meat from the bone, removing any excess fat.  Return the meat to the soup along with some additional chunks of leftover ham.  Add the sherry, pepper, and remaining 2 T. parsley.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and tarragon, if desired.  Heat through and serve immediately.


One of my husband's colleagues who worked at the Dean Foods Vegetable Co. plant in Watsonville, California sent this recipe to us from the Sunset Quick Cuisine cookbook.  It has become a family favorite, with our boys preferring sautéed chunks of chicken replacing the seafood in their servings when they were younger.  We usually serve this dish this over linguine.

SCALLOPS AND SHRIMP IN BERNAISE CREAM


2 T. butter
1 lb. sea scallops, rinsed and cut in 1/2
      horizontally
1/2 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 c. finely chopped shallots
3/4 c. tarragon vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 t. dry tarragon (or 1 t. fresh chopped)
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 c.  whipping cream
salt
  white pepper
  fresh tarragon sprigs (opt. For garnish)

In a wide frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add scallops and shrimp; cook, stirring 3-4 minutes, just until seafood is opaque in thickest part when cut.  With a slotted spoon, transfer seafood to a bowl and set aside.  Reserve drippings in pan.  Add shallots, vinegar, broth, and dry tarragon to pan.  Boil, uncovered, over high heat until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup.  Pour any accumulated juices from seafood into pan along with mustard and cream.  Bring again to a boil and cook until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup.  Stir in seafood.  Season with salt and white pepper.  Garnish each serving with fresh tarragon, if desired.  Makes 4 servings.

PASTA WITH LOBSTER & TARRAGON


2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
2 lb. can Italian plum tomatoes
2 t. dried tarragon
salt, to taste
pepper, freshly ground, to taste
1 c. heavy cream
2 T. salt
1 lb. spaghetti
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 c. lobster meat (meat of 3-4 lb. lobster)
fresh parsley, basil, or tarragon sprigs
(for garnish)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.  Add the onion.  Reduce the heat and cook, covered, 25 minutes until tender.  Chop and drain the tomatoes and add them to the onions.  Add the tarragon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the mixture from the heat and cool slightly.  Puree in a food processor.   Return the puree to the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream.  Set over medium heat, simmering and stirring often for 15 minutes until slightly reduced.  Stir in cayenne and lobster meat, simmering 3-5 minutes until lobster is just heated through.  Arrange spaghetti, cooked according to directions on the package, on warmed serving plates.  Spoon sauce evenly over pasta and garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs.