Today we had an expedition to Turkey Hill to find an Osage orange tree that dad remembered seeing there. We found the tree, notable for its thorns, and harvested some dead branches, and walked back. I had Oscar on my back, in Henry's carrier. I also had a Fun Meter button that I had found in the back of the minivan, set to Max of course.
When we got home the men went out back with all the hand tools they could find and set about turning all that wood into something resembling sawdust. No one went to the emergency room! The chips were collected and set to soak in a pot full of isopropanol, to make a more efficient extraction of the dyestuff. When sufficiently extracted, the dyepot was then boiled to remove the isopropanol, which we subsequently learned was heavier than air. A little vinegar was added, and some fresh underpants, and the New Year's tradition was continued. They actually turned out quite yellow! I would totally try this again, except I don't think Osage orange trees grow in Colorado. Goldenrod would also work.
The remaining underpants were colored with Rit dye, and they are much more obviously yellow. I do not think, however, the amount of luck the underpants bring you is corellated with the amount of yellow dye they contain. I also do not think it is allowed to buy fresh yellow underpants - dying them yourself is what adds the luck to them.
