First point of call this morning was to check on the walnut dye. Mostly because the Gardener had left a cup of ginger tea next to it for me.

It’s looking lovely and dark already, especially the iron-mordanted skein. I was originally going to leave it in the slow cooker for at least 3 days but now I am debating taking it out tonight.

I have a few bark-based dyes coming up and only one slow cooker so I could do with freeing it up. I have apple, birch, cherry and magnolia bark samples all waiting for dyeing. I only have 4 sets of pre-mordanted skeins left as well so I need to get winding – not my favorite job!

Today was my first day back in the Real Job after my holiday. No more lazy dyeing and cuddling Cat1, and more 5 mins here and there squeezed in between the work that actually pays the bills. I feel like today is more of a coffee day than a ginger tea day!

After some debate after work with the Gardener, I decided to leave the walnut dye in overnight and then take it out first thing in the morning. Dyeing is as much an art as a science so there is never a right answer to when to remove the yarn.

Dinner was provided by the Gardener’s excellent work over the season with some charred vegetables and wild garlic pesto.