I Made Ink!

I was passing time and went into Wordsworth Books, in Waterloo and saw this fascinating book, by Jason Logan.

I’ve tried a couple recipes in the book awhile back and decided to try some more. I made the recipe for yellow ink in the book using turmeric. It turned out really bright and pretty, but as I wanted it for writing letters, yellow was not the ideal colour. It didn’t stand out enough for people to read.

Using inspiration from the book, I decided to go rogue and try my own recipe with wine, cherries, and berries (all things I had at home). I added some salt and vinegar and boiled it down to make the colour darker. I also made sure to run it through a coffee filter a couple time.

It turned out really well! And even better I used it in a fountain pen without the pen clogging! I’m so happy with it. The ink didn’t pool everywhere, bleed through the paper, and it came out really consistently. It was really easy to work with.

The next day the colour had turned a dark blue-grey. I am hopeful it doesn’t fade over time. I’ve had so much fun. Yesterday I went out foraging, looking for things to make more ink with. I brought home sumac and lichen that I found (it was mentioned in the book as good sources of ink). I hope they turn out as great at the wine ink. I am curious if grass ran through a juicer will also get me great results (after all it does stain your clothes. Remember those grass stains a lot of us came home with as kids?).

I’m so happy I found this book. It’s gotten me outside and exploring nature, in different ways. I am so excited to keep experimenting. Go visit your local bookstore, you never know what fun and exciting adventure it will take you on.