Woad again

 Today the weather is cold, dull & gloomy, so I just wanted to remind myself of that chilly but bright day in November when I made a final vat using my home-grown woad leaves. Here are some of the skeins I dyed that day, hanging outside to dry.

Stored away in my shed I still have some woad solution, to use whenever the mood takes me or when the brighter weather draws me outside to set up my dye pots.

Woad solution is easy to make & can be stored for several years. All you do is follow the instructions for using fresh woad leaves, given in my earlier entries, up to & including the whisking to produce the blue froth. Then leave the solution for a while to allow the froth to settle. It’s important to make sure all the froth is incorporated into the solution, as the froth contains most of the blue pigment. Then pour the solution into a strong glass or thick plastic airtight container with a well-fitting lid. (If you use a plastic container, make sure it is made of thicker plastic than those containers used for milk. I have found that, if the plastic is too thin, the blue pigment is absorbed by the plastic, which becomes a deep blue, leaving little pigment left to dye anything else.) Allow the solution to overflow slightly, then screw the lid on well.  You can add a teaspoon of sodium metabisulphite as a preservative if you like, but I’ve never found it necessary. I have successfully stored woad solution in my shed for several years & it never seems to develop mould or deteriorate in any way .