Have missed a couple of days - I was supposed to be slaving away in the dyehouse on Sunday, but it was so gorgeous we decided to go out for a drive again! Well you've got to take advantage of the weather! We met up with some friends for lunch at the http://www.myttonandmermaid.co.uk/ The food is fantastic, have so far had 3 meals there and enjoyed every one of them so much we're recommending it to anyone we can!!! Not to mention the beautiful setting! The church just behind the hotel is full of characteer with a stained glass window from the 16th century, when it's fine you can sit out in the garden by the banks of the Severn and look at the old bridge, with the swans floating away down the river it's so peaceful the tranquility takes you over!

However that was then and now we're back to work! Yesterday I prepared my cochineal and sticklac for the workshop - today I'm doing the dyeing, normally I would do all this preparation way in advance, but I want to do the workshop with everyone, so everything is fresh to answer the questions.

The sticklac was very gloopy - but lots of red colour came out - in fact more than I expected from the books I've been reading! This was right at the start - a very rich colour is developing, I'm using 50g sticklac and will attempt to dye 50g fibres with it. I had to add boiling water many times to get to a point where it appeared no more colour was coming out of the gloop! It all went into a pan ready to add water and proceed with the dyeing - which is happening at the moment! I'll add some more pictures later - I'd better go and check what's happening down there!