I planted my rhubarb this year and following all advice I have not harvested any. However, I want to use the leaves, now we are nearing heavy frosts, to dye some wool. I'm making a blanket for my new grandson who has medical problems and I'm hoping that by keeping as much of his surroundings natural, it will stress his system less. Rhubarb leaves make a very pale yellow dye. Will it stress my plant too much if I use the leaves?

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), September 19, 2000

Answers

Cheryl, it depends. How are the plants doing? Did they have a nice or a stressful summer? They're probably starting to shut down for the winter, so a careful cutting of some of the leaves would probably be ok. I'd cut them to make sure you get clean cuts and don't yank the plants around too much. Gerbil PS what, if any, mordant do you use?

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), September 19, 2000.

When having to do with color, please put an "e" in this type of "dyeing". Otherwise I thought you were talking about euthanasia with rhubarb leaves! I hadn't ever heard that before!

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), September 19, 2000.

Is my face red!

After I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of some voodoo ritual for a dying relative. Like keeping vampires away with garlic!

Oops!

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), September 20, 2000.

Alum will give you a yellow color and tin a brassy orange. Sorry about not using the 'e' in dyeing. I will blame my spelling error on the Bermuda Triangle currently over my house. Thanks for making me laugh about the voodo ritual however. I'm still chuckling.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), September 20, 2000.

I have a question; since rhubarb is deadly to birds, is there any danger to the baby?

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), September 21, 2000.

Rogo - are you sure rhubarb is deadly to birds? My chickens feasted on my rhubarb this spring, until I fenced them out. They never suffered a bit.

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), September 22, 2000.

I think that its just the rhubarb leaves that are supposed to be poison, but not sure. Take Care, Carrie in Wis

-- Carrie Wehler (carriew@ticon.net), September 22, 2000.

The dye will not hurt the baby even though the leaves are used. After the yarn is dyed, everything is washed out.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), September 23, 2000.