Our Indigo Dyeing (3)

Following on from the previous articles " Our Indigo Dyeing (1) " and " Our Indigo Dyeing (2) ", today we will continue with the previous article. Just like making sukumo, ash is an essential ingredient in indigo dyeing. Ash is dissolved in the dye "sukumo" and lye is added to it, which is then fermented to create the dye solution.

Preparation Indigo production is hard work

To prepare the sake, first make the lye.
To make the lye, we get some high-quality ash (we get it from wood stoves and stone oven pizza places, preferably wood ash) and pour hot water into it. The top liquid is the lye.

We collect up to number 5 lye from the same ash, and use numbers 1 to 3 lye for brewing. The sukumo that has been completed for a year is kneaded with warmed lye and placed in a jar. The lye, which has been warmed to about 45 degrees, is added and the temperature inside the jar is kept at about 42 degrees (temperature is very important).

Keeping an eye on the pH, add shell ash when it gets low and mix to remove any lumps of sukumo. Close the jar when it is about half full or slightly less, then stir every three hours to encourage fermentation. (Fermentation also occurs in the making of sukumo, so Japanese indigo dyeing has two fermentation stages.) When the surface of the indigo liquid becomes shiny and bubbles start to appear, it is proof that the indigo has been successfully created. It is very exciting to see this!

Love for Indigo...

When the surface layer thickens and turns a deep purple color, it means the blue color has appeared and you can relax. We feed them rice porridge made from bran as nutrition and remove the scum.

If all goes well, it will rise within a day, but if it doesn't, it will remain still and fermentation will not progress, so I will keep an eye on it every day and do what I can.

When you plant indigo, you feel as if you have a new child. However, while a child expresses his feelings by crying, indigo does not cry, so you have to read indigo's expressions and do what you can. This is the beginning of the difficult task of raising a child. It is often said that indigo does not work well without love.

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Itoshiro Clothing Store: Recommended indigo-dyed clothing