Little House in the Big Woods

For our "homesteading in the city" theme this year, we've been reading books about people's adventures living close to the land, pioneering something new, or choosing an alternative way to live. We've read stories that span the last 100 years (most took place in Alaska or Yukon Territory, but the people came from all over North America). This time we're going even further back in time to the mid-1800s, when "out West" meant Wisconsin or Missouri.

Our fifth book is Little House in the Big Woods, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Garth Williams (Harper and Row, 1971; first published in 1932). The Little House books are a beloved series from my own childhood. I read the books for myself, and our whole family listened as Mom read them aloud for my siblings. We were living in Alaska, where partial or full sustenance living was a way of life for some, so were fascinated with the details of everyday life and how things were made. Later in life, I read the books to our son, and then recently jumped at the chance to reread Little House in the Big Woods after many years. 

The story takes place over the course of a year. Laura is five years old, and lives with sister Mary, baby Carrie, and Ma and Pa in a snug cabin, deep in the woods of Wisconsin. Neighbors are far apart, but relatives live in the area. The story starts in the fall, with the family putting in provisions for the winter. The book describes their preparations from harvesting pumpkins and garlic from the garden, drying herbs, making cheese, smoking venison and fish. They work hard living off the land, making their food and clothing, and often working with extended family and neighbors on bigger projects like harvesting maple syrup or wheat. They also take time to make music in the evening, rest on the Sabbath, and celebrate Christmas with relatives. 

Since I last read the Little House books, controversy has arisen about racist depictions and outdated viewpoints in the books (there are definitely some cringe-worthy passages). Still, I appreciate reading about the homesteading experiences of Laura and her family, and learning about the skills needed to survive. As a modern reader I can acknowledge the mindset of their day, and evaluate them in the context of the times. If we remove the references and whitewash the story, we still don't tackle the real issues they represent. If we throw everything out the window that contains an idea we disagree with, we have little record left of what happened and what people were thinking, and little against which to measure any progress. I still recommend this book for adults and children who enjoy personal history, are comfortable with thinking and questioning, and have been exposed to broader history and ideas.

Learn More

Some interesting items related to the book:

• Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) – Laura was born to Charles and Carolyn Ingalls in Pepin County, Wisconsin. Read a synopsis of her life. 
• Pepin, Wisconsin – Laura was born in the Pepin area, and is acknowledged as one of its notable people.
• Vinegar Pie Recipe – this didn't sound very appealing, but, after learning more, it might be worth trying. The pie is included in a class of "desperation pies", because of its few ingredients. Ma made this pie for Christmas.
• Arkansas Traveler – Pa played his fiddle during cozy winter evenings, and sang hymns and humorous songs such as this one.
• Godey's Lady's Book – this magazine for women was published from 1830-1878, and provided popular culture and hand-tinted fashion plates. (Even homesteading ladies want to know the latest fashions, and be well dressed).
• The Wonders of the Animal World (a.k.a., The Polar and Tropical Worlds) – the Ingalls owned few books, but this animal book was well-loved and mentioned several times in the Little House series. It is interesting to learn that the book actually has a different title.
• Learning From Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Dr. Amy S. Fatzinger (The Atlantic, September 2018) – discussion about the controversy from different viewpoints
• The World of Little House, by Carolyn Strom Collins and Christina Wyss Eriksson. HarperCollins Children's Books (New York, 1996). See chapter 2, "Little House in the Big Woods". I loved seeing the floor plan of the Ingalls' log cabin, and the recipe for Molasses-on-Snow Candy (one of the treats produced from fresh maple syrup).

Dye Project: Cochineal Exhaust 2 (Alum + Iron)

For this project, we’re dyeing cotton, linen, and wool with cochineal. Cochineal is light- and washfast and produces a broad range of fuchsias, reds, and purples. Two years ago, we dyed with cochineal and produced a rich fuchsia color (see Dye Project: Cochineal (Bugs!). I saved the dye, so this will be the second exhaust. We’ll use two dye baths – one for fabric that has been treated with alum and the other with Ferrous sulfate (or iron, which darkens or "saddens" color). 

Note that I sometimes use "exhaust" and "extract" interchangeably, to mean the number of times the dye has been used. The first time the dye is used is Exhaust 1, and the second time is Exhaust 2. I prefer to use "exhaust", and reserve the use of "extract" to mean the number of times dye is extracted from the source (I extracted dye six times from the same batch of cochineal insects two years ago). Also note that I recorded various pH values throughout the dye process. I'm not sure what to do with the information yet, but thought it would be useful to start collecting it.

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 maintain the dye bath at a consistent temperature. You’ll also need:

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

NOTE: For safety, wear rubber gloves and a face mask.

Basic equipment

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

• Cotton dish towels (cellulose)
• Cotton fabric
• Cotton napkins
• Cotton handkerchiefs
• Linen coasters (protein)
• Linen fabric
• Wool yarn

Protein and cellulose fabric and fiber for dyeing

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

• For the alum and soda ash brightener, the WOF is 8.7 ounces (248 grams): 
• 15% Alum = 37.2 grams (2.5 tablespoons)
• 2% Soda ash = 5 grams (1.13 teaspoon)
• For the iron and soda ash brightener, the WOF is 8.7 ounces (247 grams):
• 2-4% Iron sulfate = 5-10 grams (1-2 teaspoon; I used one rounded teaspoon)
• 2% Soda ash = 5 grams (1.13 teaspoon)

Per Maiwa, adding iron shifts the color towards purple, and adding alkaline, like soda ash, shifts the color toward deep fuchsia.

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 the dye bath.
4. Rinse and hang to dry.

First, I combined all my stored jars of cochineal Exhaust 2 from two years ago. I stirred and agitated to incorporate the sediment that had settled at the bottom of the jars. After two years, the dye was still a deep glossy fuchsia. A couple of the storage jars had a strong, rather unpleasant odor, but no deterioration of color.

Combined cochineal dye for Exhaust 2

Pour the cochineal dye into the pan. I’m using half a gallon of Exhaust 2 for each half-pound batch, and enough water to cover the fabric. Maiwa recommends using distilled water, which is pH neutral. Out of curiosity I tested the distilled water and our tap water. The pH for each is 6, so distilled water may not be needed here in the Bay Area. Maiwa also informs that cochineal is pH sensitive, and you can shift the dye color by adding acid (vinegar) or an alkaline (soda ash). See the Maiwa Guide To Natural Dyes for more information. In this project, I'm using alum and iron mordant brighteners to influence the pH of the dye bath, and the color of the fabric.

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. Bring the dye bath to a simmer, over the course of an hour. Then simmer the fiber 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 fiber 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 overnight.

Squeeze out fabric (alum)

Squeeze out fabric (iron)

Squeeze out excess dye from the fabric (but save the dye bath for a third exhaust)! 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 dye batches. Let the fabric air dry. In a couple of weeks, run the fabric 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 lovely pink. For the iron brightened batch, the color is a deeper lavender (and reminds me of the shades produced from logwood Exhaust 2). The color also differs between fabric types. As with logwood, the color distinction does not photograph well (at least with my setup), but it is more distinctive in person.

Color differences between cochineal Exhaust 2, and alum and iron brighteners

In summary, the fabric color that was produced by Exhaust 1 two years ago has faded, even though the fabric was stored away from the light. The color from Exhaust 2 is less intense than the original Exhaust 1, but that is as expected. The dye becomes lighter with each exhaust (plus, the dye is two years old). Following is a summary of pH values recorded through the process (as mentioned above, I'm not sure what I'll do with the information yet)!

• Alum/soda ash mordant bath: the pH is 3.
• Iron/soda ash mordant bath: the pH is 9.
• Combined cochineal dye: the pH is 7.
• Distilled water: the pH is 6.
• Our tap water: the pH is 6.
• Combined dye bath, distilled water, and alum mordant: the pH is 5.
• Combined dye bath, distilled water, and iron mordant: the pH is 9.

Cochineal Exhaust 3 for a future project!

I’m pleased with the color results from Cochineal Exhaust 2, and it’s fascinating to see the range of colors produced across fiber types, even when basic variables are the same. I am preserving the dye in a glass jar to use again, and marking it as Exhaust 3. The dye color may be less intense, but is still usable, either for a lighter shade or mixed with another color. As always, there are more opportunities ahead to experiment!

Color Comparison

For fun, look at the range of shades produced with cochineal dye, over two exhausts, and using alum and iron as mordant brighteners!

Cochineal:  shades of color produced

Back to Work in San Ramon

For the last month, I've been working in the office two days a week, and working in my home office three days a week. The commute to San Ramon is still lighter than it was two and a half years ago, and only a handful of folks come to the office on my chosen days. This makes for a gentle "re-entry" into the more rigorous schedule of yore. I'm sure this will change over time, even with the new flexible schedules that many major corporations are offering.

Lunch by the lake

In the meantime, it's been fun to reconnect with friends and colleagues that I haven’t seen for a couple of years, and to see a few new faces. I have also visited some of my favorite places in the business complex, such as the library, cafeteria, and cat walk (with its 360 degree views), and resumed my afternoon walks around the lake and grounds. Everything is beautifully landscaped and maintained as always, and so far the temperature has been surprisingly comfortable, even though San Ramon is typically 10 degrees hotter than Oakland.

Lounge (and work?) by the lake

Despite losing work time for commute time, I'm enjoying getting out of the house and broadening my horizons again. And I'm enjoying the changes that expand the parameters of where and when you can work. Wi-fi has been extended at the office, so you can work anywhere it reaches. Hmm ... I wonder if it extends out to the lounge chairs in that shady spot under the willows by the lake!

Urban Forestry

Our neighborhood is populated with many big beautiful evergreen trees that provide shade, beauty and habitat. But sometimes one of them needs to be taken down because of safety concerns, disease, or overcrowding. In a cramped urban space, this is no small feat. You need a professional who knows how to safely remove the tree without injuring pets and people or damaging property. You need an arborist or forester who knows trees and doesn't mind that the entire neighborhood is fascinated with your work! 

An urban forester at work in the neighborhood

The process of removing this big beautiful tree took over a week to accomplish. It started with removing the branches along the trunk. Smaller branches were dropped strategically to the ground. Next the crown was removed. The forester took special care to secure larger branches with ropes and cables so they could swing into position to be carefully lowered to the ground. Finally the trunk itself was removed in lengths from the top down. Take a look!

If you've ever see an America's Funniest Home Videos clip of a do-it-yourselfer removing a tree that ends up crushing the house or a vehicle, you can really appreciate the skill of a professional who knows how to do it right. Watching the process also made me think of my forester dad, pruning my grandparent's pecan and walnut trees in Southern California with the same expert knowledge, care, and skill!

Month-by-Month: Summer

 I'm writing this on a gray summer morning in the San Francisco Bay area. The temperature is cool and the sky is overcast. The haze will burn off in early afternoon, revealing blue skies and sunshine all afternoon, and then return in the evening. This is typical for this time of year, and may help conserve whatever moisture is still locked in our clay soil.

Cherry tomatoes ripening in September

Today I'm checking the website maintained by the University of California Master Gardeners of Alameda County, specifically to see what the Month-by-Month page recommends for July, August, and September. Here in the East Bay, the temperature has been characteristically cool, typically in the high 60s or low 70s during the day (and mid-50s at night). This is the type of condition that prompted Mark Twain's classic quote, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." We'll experience our heat in September and early October, so I'll enjoy the cooler temperatures now.

July has already passed, but fertilizing, watering, and harvesting crops planted earlier in the season were the main activities, as well as deadheading flowers. August is the month to start planting fall crops, such as broccoli, mustard, cabbage, beets, carrots, lettuce, green onions, potatoes, peas, and so forth. You can also plant cool-season annuals, such calendula (a dyer's favorite)! In September, harvesting continues, as well as composting, planting cover crops to preserve the soil, and planting onions. You can also set out cool-season annuals such as pansies and primrose, which thrive as we head into the colder winter months. It's not too late to plant!