Thursday, August 19, 2010

Another Post About Mushrooms


I know, I know. What can I say? I'm a bit obsessed. It's been a banner year for mushrooms so I'm enjoying them all before the snow flies and my world is covered in white.


After my mushroom dyeing experiment the other day, I took the advice of the talented Kim and decided to alter my technique a bit. I needed some more mushrooms in order to re-dye so I headed back into the woods for a look.

I snuck out early in the morning while kiddies were sleeping and everything was still wet with dew. It dampened my pant legs but it highlighted the spider webs and made smoke stacks out of broken tree trunks.  A good trade, I'd say.




can you see the steam?
I was after more lobster mushrooms of course, but saw some other beauties along the way.
(click on the images to see them a little better)

love the purple edges

tiny amethyst deceiver

love this color palette

I passed by an old man of the woods, laying where he had fallen.  Poor old man.


I saw a few mushrooms that I have never seen before, inclulding this spiky pair, sprouting from the moss-covered base of a tree. They sort of reminded me of crab legs with all those bumps.

scaly pholiota - poisonous but not deadly

I also saw this, which at first I thought was deer feces. Upon closer inspection (yeah, I inspected it even though it might have been deer poop...I know...) I saw that this was a clump of deep green mushrooms.


not deer poop, it's a green-headed jelly club

I also saw this little furry guy that I thought at first was a blob of mold or a errant pom pom. I saw several of these, but have never noticed them before this trip.  I think they're some sort of young mushroom emerging maybe.  Underneath it is just a small tan stalked mushroom.


I saw these guys too. We know who you are, Destroying Angel twins.



deadly

It's so hard to resist poking these little dried up puffballs. Aww, who am I kidding? I poked them.


jellied false coral next to a little puffball

The colors on these false turkey-tails are amazing.  They're very thin, like potato chips.



I've been watching this tree decay over the past few years.  Nature's work in progress.



Finally I was at the lobster mushroom spot. I peered around the corner...


...and there they were! 

Oh no, it's not that simple.  I have to work a little for my lobsters.  Do you see him?




success!
After I had gathered the few I could find, I headed home to try dyeing again.

with some acorn caps and rocks, too

It's subtle, but the color on the right is my re-dye. I took Kim's advice and heated the wool with the dyestuffs this time rather than adding the wool to a cool dye. I was still concerned about the lightfastness so I dried the wool in the sun and it still retained a deeper pink shade. Thanks Kim, for the tip!

on the left is my first batch, to the right is the re-dye

If you've hung with me all the way to the end, thank you!  You're troopers. (or maybe mushroom fans like me)

Happy Thursday.

17 comments:

Kar said...

That was fun to see all the different kinds of mushrooms. Isn't fun to go walking in the woods in the morning? The absolute best!

********** said...

I don't blame you for being fastinated. There's a bumper crop of 'shrooms this year. they are so cool to look at too. I've seen kinds in my yard that I have never seen before!

Marilyn said...

You make me want to go tromping around the woods, being really brave and poke around under all the "stuff". You know so much and make it such fun to learn!!!
May your deer poop always turn out ...not to be!!!

Anonymous said...

I love your posts about the mushrooms. We're in the dry part of Washington and have to wait till the fall. My husband (the mycologist) is most impressed with your self taught knowledge about mushrooms. JoAnn

Centi said...

Your mushroom posts are great. We've got different kinds of mushrooms in Europe and I just love learning about yours.
I like the photos very much, too. They're so beautiful!

joanie said...

You have such an amazing variety. It's such great fun going on these walks with you. Take us again next time, pretty please. I promise to be quiet and not wake the kiddos !
Jx

Vintage Tracy said...

Wow, you DO have a lot of mushrooms this year!! Amazing. These photos are great. Thanks for the education...

Margie Oomen said...

i would hang to the end with you any day
i love mushrooms almost as much as I love the forest itself.

Cassi said...

I loved wandering through the woods with you and seeing such amazing mushrooms! That little amethyst one is darling :)

jenny said...

Wow, I though we had a lot of mushrooms where we live--but you take the cake! It was nice to join you on your forest walk. Lovely shots.

Mona said...

Incredible pictures! You've got an amazing selection of mushrooms over there. I wonder if I could find just half as many ...
:)

Summer said...

Wow...such inspiration! And the colors...and the natural dye! Thank you for the journey!

Lisa at lil fish studios said...

Kar - those stolen moments before the house is a'buzz are wonderful. Even moreso when spent in the woods.

Becky - must be this rainy summer we've had. Think we'll get hammered with snow too?

Marilyn - "may your deer poop always turn out not to be" ahahahaha!!!


JoAnn - thanks! Do you have cactus where you are? I had family in Moses Lake and always thought it was so cool to see the occasional cactus. (and ash from Mt. St. Helens)

Centi - thank you very much.

Joanie - ANY time. :)

PG - thanks! How's that newest little niblet?

Margie - that means a lot. Thank you.

Cassi - Thanks! The amethyst ones turn very dull and sort of grey/brown when they're dry or too old and they're easily overlooked. I was excited to find them this year.

jenny - thanks so much!

Mona - Some hide really well. I'm always amazed at what I see under my feet. (literally...sometimes I stomp right on them before I see them)

Summer - thanks so much for joining me, oh queen of the moss! :D

Anonymous said...

Lisa, Where I live is very different than rhw Moses Lake area . We have lots of trees and mountains. We are about 40 miles from Canada and 40 miles from Idaho. That said we do have some little tiny cactus on Bisbee Mtn but that said we found almost the same small cactus' in Mn. JoAnn

AG Ambroult said...

we went hiking this past weekend and reveled in all the mushrooms we saw. Unbelievable! Each one like a tiny work of art

k said...

beautiful images of an early morning exploration. you and margaret (resurrectionfern) are killing me with all the mushroom shots lately! here's hoping we get a little rain around here in the next few days and then i will have to head out on my own woods walk and see what i can find.

Pamela Zimmerman said...

you take great pictures! Thanks for letting us hike in there with you!

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