The ink, according to the recipe I was using, is finished - and the result is a very dark liquid with a blueish tinge, much darker than I'd expected. That might be due to my making a very small amount (which would increase the surface to volume ratio, and thus oxidisation) or it might be due to the longer time of the ink standing around, or it might be due to the ingredients.

Whatever the reason, I have learned several things.

One: There is quite a lot of sludge left (which the recipe says can be used for a second batch of ink), reducing the yield of actual liquid to write with quite a bit... to about half, actually, in my case.

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Sludge left, ink right...


Two: It's a fairly viscous ink. That is a nice thing as it makes using the ink on fabric a bit easier than when it's more liquid - though with a bit of practice, that is also no problem.

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The ink test on fabric...


So that would make this ink nicely suitable for use as embroidery pre-drawing... if there were not number

Three: It's too oxidised, and that means there are too many free-floating ink particles in the liquid. Which means that though it will not wash out, it will bleed - and this, in turn, means I will look for (and try) a different recipe, and see if that works better.

The ink I have now is still a nice ink, though not for pre-drawing. It does give a lovely black on paper or parchment, though, and that usually does not get washed... so if someone needs some writing ink, let me know!