Nettles from far and wide

The nettle search has begun. I have already collected from my garden and have 4 different samples to compare. They are already showing a range of colour and I am thinking that I need to compare the colour differences from plant parts. Does the whole plant cause darker colours? Leaves create a stronger dye vat? Leaves in different seasons? A visit to a Nature Reserve and a chat with their biologist revealed that there are different species of nettle - the nettle plot thickens! Does it matter anyway? Is what I am doing valid or even useful?
Friends from across the country ie Devon Gloucester Kent Hampshire and Dorset arrived at the weekend carrying their bags of nettle and a soil sample!! They want to know what kind of colour their nettle produces and if their colour is different to the rest of the group.
Now I need to plan my time and get on with the idea that nettles are a good source for a reliable yellow/green dye giving a range of colour tones!

Nettle tops collected in May waiting for a bath of boiling water!

As the label says - nettle leaves dried from the same patch last Autumn in their bath of boiling water.

It is also essential for me to get back into a sketch habit. There are so many ideas I want to try to explore the shapes of reflections ripples etc and I have some good images to work from and I want to get to know the shapes of fish that I have been gathering from books directly from the Nat History Museum and photos.

 Such interesting shapes and I
love the detail of the face and gills

Just need to get on exploring ways of representing them on paper and fabric.

So much to do - just need to get organised!!