strange happenings

I have a query........

hmmm seems like interesting things happen at my house! though i am sure there is a logical solution to it.

I had previously dyed some cotton with a local plant known as colour tree (pictured above), coeleospermum reticulatum, which turned the fabric a lush yellow colour (see above). Somehow one piece of this fabric ended up being chucked irreverently into my shower sopping up all the soap and shampoo bits.

Anyway the end result was i noticed it looked slightly different, took it outside (my shower is dark) and low and behold.....it had turned red!

I love colour tree; it is amazing...I know when I lived out bush that to get red you add coconut ash (there I guess I answered me own questions) however, I guess I wonder if soap can be used instead of ash to create the same effects?? Not sure, it would seem a lot less painful to chuck in some lux flakes in a dye bath than make a fire and collect the ashes. I love making fires, but my neighbours probably hate the smoke and it's hard to get motivated to get out of town....

Also the name for this tree out bush is milwakwak, which literally translated means mil = eye, wakwak = crow, eye of the crow. Which I didn't understand until one day I looked at the berries...when they get old they turn dark black with a white dot in the middle, looking just like the eye of the crow.

Anyway musings musings....