woodash lye

Leigh said she did not realise that there was a difference in wood ash lyes. I don't know that there is and Leena commented yesterday that it may have been just the ash of local trees. However when researching for my indigo book I did find that the recipes for fermented indigo called for a wood ash lye from oak. But I managed perfectly well without it. Yesterday I had a stall at an art fair and met up with a friend who as well as making fabulous baskets ( which I use on my stalls) has a husband working in a oak frame business. They reconstruct ancient building etc. as well as building stunning summer houses in oak. She feels he can get me oak chips to burn and possibly beech. Another wood turner ambling past my stall also said he could get me beech chippings so I may be able to try these all out. Incidentally wood ash lye is not difficult to make. There are all sorts of fancy instructions for dripping water though straw etc but I find just pour water onto a thicklayer of woodash in a bucket and leave for a few days does the trick.

The buckthorn bark is bubbling away the pH has now dropped to between 6-7 and the temperature has risen to 45 degrees C.