I’m not quite sure how this happened. This summer felt like a blur and completely static simultaneously. Quite a strange feeling. I was grateful that my boys’ sleep away camp was able to open - and they had a COVID-free experience in their happy place with a semblance of normalcy for at least a few weeks. It is a good example of how if everyone works for a common goal (in their case, being able to stay at camp for the summer) with 100% compliance with all safety protocols, a good outcome is possible, even when college students are involved! In fact, a study is being done on their camp and few others who successfully kept their bubble COVID free this summer.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, during this pandemic, I have taken some online classes as I deepen my indigo practice. In mid-August, I actually took a class in person in Vermont! Ever since I was introduced to katazome, (rice paste resist indigo dyeing) in Japan, I’ve wanted to learn more. So I jumped at the chance to take a class this summer with Graham Keegan.

As Graham explains, “Indigo only dyes what it can touch” With katazome, you apply a rice paste to the textile with a stencil. The rice paste is the resist, so when you dip in the indigo vat, the dye penetrates everywhere except for where the paste is applied. (It’s kind of like the reverse of silkscreen.)

While I love the free flowing organic nature of shibori, as a graphic designer, the ability to create a more exact pattern with katazome is very appealing. We learned how to make the rice paste through steaming, how to apply it with a stencil. We even learned how to make the shinshi - the ingenious bamboo tool that keeps your cloth taut as it is dipped into the indigo vat. Not to mention how to keep your indigo vat happy. There are so many steps to this process and therefore many opportunities for failure (or as I like to think of it “opportunities for learning”, but it is intoxicating and it makes me want to keep practicing. I just ordered some bamboo poles. Later in the week, I am going to attempt to make my own shinshi. Wish me luck!

UPDATE: I asked my father to help me figure out how to make shinshi on a recent visit. And it was a great success! We were able to make them in several lengths. I couldn’t have done it without my pops and his incredible workspace!

Is it really September?