Indigo Summer

On the schedule for today was:
1) To plant the dye plants in the plot at the farm
2) To finish our dye work for Alabama Chanin.

So early this morning I set out for the farm... and then about 45 min later I got there (after much ado and not knowing which direction I was going...figures). It was a beautiful morning and we got a lot done: dug out places for the seeds to be scattered, and planted marigold, hopi-dye sunflowers, and indigo. It was an incredible thing to be a part of the very beginnings of planting. The whole time I was thinking about the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, and also the idea of a harvest and how the process of planting, growing, and harvesting the seed is exactly that: a process. Its a beautiful analogy of how we grow spiritually with the Lord... Jesus uses so many stories and comparisons with agriculture that its incredible to be able to see it first hand.

The second part of the day was devoted to dying yardage for Alabama Chanin with Indigo. She has a beautiful line of clothing for the summer that is inspired by the color of Indigo. I thought I would give a brief overview of Indigo for those of you who don't know... Its actually been incredible seeing the process and getting a better understanding of how it works.

Historically Indigo is a very powerful and often times considered a "magical" substance. It is different from normal natural dyes in that it Indigo is a dye different than any other. It does not require any mordant. Rather it is dyed through a living fermentation process. The process "reduces" the Indigo, changing it from blue to a greenish color. In this state, it dissolves in an alkaline solution. The fiber is put directly into the dye.. usually kept in what is called a vat. It is sensitive to air so when you lower the fabric in it must be very gentle, introducing as little air as possible. When brought out to the air, it is a bright green and slowly the air changes it to the beautiful deep and rich blue of Indigo (this is the magical part).

I have become very attached to our vats of indigo.. especially our very large one that sits outside. There are probably a lot of reasons for it: One being that every day I come home with Indigo completely covering my hands, arms, and feet. Also because the vats survive by a fermentation process you can keep in going for however long you are willing to "feed" it and help it along with adding various materials like Barley Wheat (that kind of feeds the bacteria that live in the vat and keep up the fermentation, Soda Ash, or more Indigo Powder (to strengthen or weaken the color). The vats periodically need to rest, or need to be fed, or are exhausted from the amount of Indigo it has been releasing to dye fabric... It's just like a person! (we are in the process of naming ours, because they are personified so much). I wish I had pictures now.. but they will have to come later.. I need to buy a camera chord.

I've gotta run! I'm going to a benefit concert with my roomie for Logos Bookstore that got a lot of damage during the flood.