More browns (photo to follow)

But all different shades of brown!  Some people may say (and some people DO say) why go to all this trouble to produce shades of brown?  Well, partly it is because we are just experimenting with what is available, and what is mainly available in January and February is tree prunings,
and partly it is so satisfying to produce colour, any colour, from plants that are around us.  And when they have given up their colour they can go onto the compost heap, so have a pretty low carbon footprint.

I said in the first post that we would test a skein for lightfastness.   Some natural dyes fade quite quickly - they are known as  'fugitive' and some wash out.  Sadly, the beautiful berry colours of blackberries, sloes and other fruits fade very quickly. The skeins to be tested will be sandwiched between card, leaving a portion of wool exposed, and left in a sunny window.