I Married the Klondike

All this year we're reading "homesteading" books instead of watching movies where plants are the stars. This ties into our "homesteading in the city" theme (and I'm using the term "homesteading" loosely). Instead of acquiring a 160-acre plot and living off the land while making improvements (often in the context of westward expansion in the United States), I've broadened the term to include being resourceful, making things from scratch, improvising, thrifting and recycling, and just trying something new. In that spirit, we've read several books where people leave their comfortable lives in pursuit of their own adventures.

Our fourth book is I Married the Klondike, written by Laura Beatrice Berton (McClelland & Stewart Limited, 1954). In 1907, twenty-nine year old kindergarten teacher, Laura Thompson, received a job offer to teach school in Yukon Territory. She jumped at the chance, and within a month left her home in Toronto, Ontario and traveled to Dawson City, Yukon by train, steamship, rail, and sternwheeler for the fall term. Along the way she met many of the people who would become her friends and colleagues. Her first sight of Dawson City--comprised of a collection of gray buildings, on the bank of the Yukon River,  at the base of a mountain--was from the sternwheelers' deck. It seemed that the whole town had turned out to meet them.

Miss Thompson was immediately pulled into the social life of Dawson City, which included hosting and attending parties, entertaining visitors on an assigned day, and attending dances and other town events. Stores carried all kinds of delicacies and Parisian fashions (all of which was unexpected in a mining town, but expected to be implemented). She embarked on her teaching career in a modern school on the frontier, and later met and married kindred spirit, Frank Berton. Together they raised their children and embraced their lives in Dawson City - walking and hiking, exploring, and boating on the Yukon River in the summer.

It was a treat to read Ms. Berton's recollections about living and working in post-gold rush Dawson City, and about the international cast of people that populated their lives. Reading her memoirs brought back a flood of memories of my own. In my youth my family camped in Dawson City and the surrounding area, and fell under the spell of the Yukon. I remember fondly attending the Gaslight Follies; enjoying the view from Midnight Dome; hearing poetry read from Robert Service's cabin (one of my favorites is Spell of the Yukon); seeing the river boats pulled up on the beach of the Yukon River; and visiting the Dawson City Museum. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in history, adventure, and reading personal experiences from a unique period of history. 

Learn More:

Some interesting items related to the book:

• Klondike Gold Rush - information about the gold rush that took place in northwestern Canada from 1896 to 1899. The lure of gold and riches brought men and women from all over the world.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush

• Dawson City - description of the town in Yukon Territory that boomed during the gold rush of 1898, and still exists today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_City

• Laura Berton: Teacher in the Klondike - blog article by Gwen Tuinman about Ms. Berton and the Klondike (with pictures). https://gwentuinman.com/2016/02/07/seeking-inspiration-laura-berton-teacher-in-the-klondike/  

• Robert Service Cabin - article and podcast by Les McLaughlin from the Yukon Nuggets collection. The Scottish banker, Robert Service, turned full-time author in Dawson City. He was a beau and friend of Ms. Berton, and wrote the preface to I Married the  Klondike. https://yukonnuggets.com/stories/robert-service-cabin/

Dye Project: Logwood Exhaust 2 (Alum + Iron)

For this dye project, we’re dyeing cotton, linen, and wool with logwood. Two years ago, we dyed with logwood chips, and produced a rich purple color (see Dye Project: Logwood). I saved the dye, so this will be the second extract.This time I plan to split the project into two dye baths – one for fabric treated with an alum brightener and the other with a ferrous sulfate (or iron) brightener. Iron darkens (or “saddens”) color.

For this project you need basic dye equipment, and a well-ventilated workspace. You need a soaking pot, a dye pot, a heat source, and a candy thermometer to help keep the dye bath at a consistent temperature. You also need:

• Prepared dye (extract 2)
• A gallon of water (plus more as needed)
• Prepared fabric (scoured, gallnut mordant, and alum or iron brightener with soda ash fixer)
• Antacid tablets

NOTE: For safety, wear rubber gloves and a face mask. Logwood comes with strong warnings that it can cause serious skin, eye, or respiratory irritation, and soda ash is caustic.

Basic equipment

For each batch, we are dyeing both cellulose and protein fabric:

• Cotton dish towel (cellulose)
• Cotton tee-shirt - alum only
• Cotton fabric
• Cotton napkins
• Linen coasters (protein)
• Linen fabric
• Wool yarn

Fabric for alum brightener

Fabric for iron brightener

The Weight of Fabric WOF is used to calculate the mordant brightener proportions.

• For the alum and soda ash brighter, the WOF is 11.5 ounces (326 grams):
• 15% Alum = 49 grams (3 Tablespoons)
• 2% Soda ash = 6.5 grams (1.3 teaspoon)
• For the iron and soda ash brightener, the WOF is 7.8 ounces (221 grams):
• 2% Iron sulfate = 4.42 grams (1 teaspoon)
• 2% Soda ash = 4.42 grams (1 teaspoon)

Dye the Fabric

The basic dye process:

1. Bring dye bath to a simmer.
2. Add wet fabric and simmer for an hour.
3. Allow to cool in dye bath.
4. Rinse and hang to dry.

Pour the logwood dye into the dye pan. I’m using a half gallon of Extract 2 for each batch. Agitate the jar to mix any sediment that has settled to the bottom of the jar. Note that after two years, the dye appears brown. I wonder if any purple pigment remains! Add enough water to cover the fabric. Logwood dyes best in hard water, so I’m also adding a single antacid tablet to each batch. Bring the dye bath to a simmer.

Dye bath (fabric treated with alum brightener)

Dye bath (fabric treated with iron brightener)

Add the presoaked, prepared fabric to the dye bath, without rinsing. Stir to loosen the fabric. Add water to cover. Simmer the fabric for an hour, keeping the temperature between 170-180º F (77-83º C). Continue to stir periodically for even dyeing, turning the fabric frequently while simmering. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool, leaving the fabric in the dye bath. 

Soak fabric in dye overnight (alum)

Soak fabric in dye overnight (iron)

I transferred the project to a bucket, and started the second batch. To capture as much color as possible, I soaked both batches in dye overnight.

Squeeze out fabric (alum)

Squeeze out fabric (iron)

Squeeze out excess dye from the dish towels. Rinse the fabric in cool water until the water runs clear. Run the fabric through the washing machines' rinse and spin cycles without soap. I ran them separately, to keep track of the two dye batches. Let the towels air dry. In a couple of weeks, run the towels through the washing machine using Synthrapol or Professional Textile Detergent, and rinse. Air dry again.

Hang to dry (alum)

Hang to dry (iron)

For the alum brightened batch, the color is a pale lavender. For the iron brightened batch, the color is a darker shade of lavender (described as "saddened"). The color also differs slightly between fabric types. Unfortunately, the color distinction does not photograph well, but it is detectable in certain light.

Subtle color shades between logwood Extract 2, and alum and iron brighteners

Logwood is not considered lightfast, and fades over time. Iron can be used to mitigate fading, so it will be interesting to compare the alum and iron-based colors over time. Keep in mind that our dye is two years old, so time may have influenced the outcome. I’m pleased with the subtle color results from Extract 2, and it’s fascinating to see the range of colors produced across fiber types, even when basic variables are the same. Still, I’ve decided not to save the dye bath for a third extract.

Scrub Jay with a Mangled Leg

We have a new visitor to the water dish - a scrub jay with a mangled leg. He holds his leg high up and close to the body, and hops around on his good leg. I can't get close enough to tell if this is a recent wound, or a condition he has had for some time.

Scrub jay with a mangled leg, at the water dish

Where most of our scrub jay visitors are brash and noisy (see California Scrub Jay), this one never makes a sound. His survival strategy is to stay as quiet as possible. Several times a day, he flies in for a quick bath and a long drink. He is wary and watches us closely, but seems to manage quite well. He flies off as silently as he arrived.

Homesteading: Summer Treats

Summer has officially arrived! Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, our weather vacillates between our usual temperate climate and times of blazing hot heat! As part of our "homesteading in the city" theme this year, we're making summer treats to enjoy during those heat spells, using our modern gadgets. First, we’ll make lemonade in the Instant Pot, and then blueberry sorbet in the ice cream maker. 

Refreshing summer treats

Lemonade is one of the quintessential drinks of summer. It is tart, sweet, cold, and refreshing. As a youth, my family traveled from rainy Alaska to sunny Southern California every two years to visit our extended family. During long, hot afternoons, Grandma Char served tall glasses of ice-cold lemonade, poured from her glass pitcher. 

I’m using the Instant Pot Lemonade recipe from the “Make Me Some Sugar” blog, by Kelsey. The recipe produces two cups of concentrate, and is ready to mix now (or freeze for later).

Ingredients for making lemonade concentrate

Ready to mix up a batch of lemonade

Sorbet is delicious and refreshing any time the temperature heats up. This time we're making blueberry sorbet, using fresh blueberries and the Blueberry Sorbet recipe from the Ultimate Ice Cream Book, by Bruce Weinstein. I've been working my way through its collection of recipes for years, and have never been disappointed. First make a simple syrup, then combine the syrup, blueberries, and lime juice in a blender. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine. It could not be easier.

Ingredients for blueberry sorbet

Ready to eat, or transfer to the freezer

Find a shady spot in the yard and serve your summer treats. Enjoy!

Grandma Char's pitcher still serves up ice cold lemonade