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Thomas & Carol Nasser's avatar

Lichens are beautiful and fascinating and mysterious. My love of them began around age 8 (I’m now 68), when a camp counselor pointed them out on a nature hike and explained what a symbiotic relationship was. I was spellbound and upon returning home had a lengthy conversation with my chemist father, who also had a love for all things in nature. That’s it, nothing more, no deep study into them, no complex understanding of them, just sheer fascination and joy when I see them. I introduced them to a granddaughter at age 4 (now 8) and when she finds specimens on vacations, she has her parents video her pointing them out. Makes my heart swell. I so wish I could knit, I’d be all over that sweater, but for now I mostly observe them in awe. Last year I gathered a bucketful (somewhat contaminated with bark) and decanted them in ammonia for 4 months before using the liquid to dye some wool and linen for appliqué. The wool turned the most beautiful mauve/lavender and the linen the same, but much lighter. My granddaughter and I used a hand carved lichen stamp from Evoke Supply Company to stamp the linen and created some mug rugs. You are not alone in your lichen journey. Enjoy every new discovery.

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Kathleen's avatar

Your lichen post is wonderful, Katie! I have a microscope lens to clip on my phone, and have been doing photos for my own lichen notebook...thanks to your inspiration! I'm already thinking about yarns to use when your lichen sweater pattern is done.

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