With warmer weather, my studio is aswarm with faux ladybugs. This alien species seems to have no natural predators, and it's no wonder: After accidentally eating one that landed in my cereal, I can tell you they taste awful. They also leave a nasty orange stain any time they're crushed, which made me think I might as well see if they're good for dye -- you know, lemons into lemonade. Cochineal, the traditional source of the dye color carmine, comes from a bug. It made sense.
So today was going to be the day I began a simple solar dye experiment on silk. The plan was to sweep up a bunch of the carcasses that pile up around my studio windows, throw them in with some silk fabric and vinegar, and see what happens.
I threw in the towel, is what happens. Even if the silk takes the color, would it also take on the smell? I'm not going to find out. I yield. Uncle.
Besides, I have osage orange roots I can use for orange.
So I took this off my To Do list and put it on my To Don't list. And it feels so good!
Is there something you can decide not to do today?
2 comments:
Hi Donna,
This was delightful! I am going to have to come back and visit again for many reasons.
1. Your topic today - I have fought the little orange bugs myself many a time. My current office is our family room and at one point, they lived here in droves. Now I still see them fluttering by my keyboard now and then. The smell is horrid.
2. Your title of compost and creativity is one I should explore. I think of compost and gardening together and I love to garden but had no time in prior years because of Wausau Whitewater.
3. I love the To Don't list idea... sometimes we all need one for the things we push on doing but shouldn't.
Great getting to know you a bit through the adventure with your sister.
Hi, Julie, thanks for joining in! With the sun finally coming out today (a good thing) the Asian beetles have escalated to droves in my studio. But it was nice enough to cut some willow today, so if I can be outside, they're welcome to inside.
I've got the gardening bug, too. Come on, spring!
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