Lesson Number One: You can look like whatever you want on the outside and the right people will still cherish what’s on the inside.
Aside from actually tasting wonderful and being the star of the food show recently, avocados are one of my most prized dye materials, being among the most versatile of dye materials. Avocado pits and shells will provide a tannin rich base for whatever color you’re dyeing, shades of pink, orange, and yellow, or can be altered to create shades of purple and gray. There’s a reason Avocado Dyes have so much attention right now ~ seriously, search Pinterest! They are an easy item to obtain, freeze easily, dye beautifully and because of the tannin rich nature of the plant there’s no need for a mordant; just dye away!
Lesson Number Two: You can grow under any circumstances, wherever and however you’d like.
There is no limit to where and how you can grow. The happiest accident happened this last summer where I used already-been-dyed-with avocado pits in the bottom of one of my potted plants for some filler and left it out on the front stoop all summer. When I brought the plant in for the winter I noticed something kinda funny looking shooting out from the soil. I assumed it was some seed a squirrel planted there and just proceeded to watch it. Nope. Turns out I now have three, quite hardy, avocado plants growing in my potted plant! They are currently in desperate need of some repotting but otherwise are tall and healthy!
Lesson Number Three: Patience really is a virtue no matter how much I hate that saying.
Avocado dye takes a tremendous amount of patience. The pink color develops best under low, slow heat with days and days of soaking and reheating before using the color. It’s one of those things that is best forgotten for a few days at a time. I actually try to use my avocados on weeks that I am super busy because, then, I am less likely to rush the dye pot and I can allow it to just sit and be all on it’s own.
