Mushrooms On My Own

We've had more rain this summer than I can remember since I've lived here. There are mushrooms everywhere! I have only rudimentary skills at identifying them, so I've tested some for dye possibilities. I was pretty sure when I found this that I'd hit on something:

I was right.

Oh, and these lovelies are now on their way to Girl Scouts in Bartlesville, OK. The troop is headed up by David's mom, and I gave them a little spinning demo a couple of months ago. They wanted spindles, so I ordered these from our local fiber artist, Barb, of Woolies Fiberworks. I think the girls will be thrilled.

Brasstown Autumn

Brasstown, NC, located in the scenic Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, is home to the John C. Campbell Folk School. I spent last week there, learning how to dye fiber with mushrooms. Fall color was gearing up for a real show by the time I left yesterday. Luckily for me, the week's work with the fantastic fungi allowed me to bring Brasstown's autumn colors home with me. Behold:






Under the guidance of dyer extraordinaire and amateur mycologist, Susan Hopkins, our class chopped, simmered, poured and experimented our way through an astounding variety of mushrooms and colors. What a satisfying way to begin the autumn!