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Temperature is dropping - my mum got out a very special scarf I wove for her some time ago.
It's made with handspun vicuna, and it's even softer than cashmere.
The yarn is from Argentina - a lady here used to have a shop selling speciality yarns - and the colour is incredible!

The blue tapestry is a needlework piece from this lady.
She left some unfinished canvasses so I just filled in the empty squares and hung it.

Fiddleleaf fig

Do you like big apartment plants? I do.
And since reading this post a while ago I decided I needed one too
(not that our home lacks in any kind of plants - thanks to the hubby!)
So I received one as a birthday gift! It's young but there's room for it to grow.

tomas saraceno

This an exhibition that I could go and see every day.
I have a fascination for these forms and their black string. More photos here.

Nadia's

Nadia's loom is now operational (we spent quite a few hours setting it up, with texsolv cords and full countermarch tie-up,
following Dot's precious advice).
Then, since I had my camera with me, I couldn't resist taking some pics around her house - I really like her style!

The throw was woven with wool leftovers, then assembled with old silk ties.

solar dyeing - results

Here are my skeins after a little more than a month of sun (more or less!) in the jars.
Two developed mould - and a not so nice odour -
but after a wash and a rinse in lukewarm water with a bit of detergent the skeins were ok.
The colour is subtly variegated, I think it would be nice for a scarf.

Of course the cotton towel didn't pick up as much dye as the wool/silk blend. No mordant added.
This experiment was fun, and apart from my impatience (I checked the jars every other day...)
I want to try again with some other plant!

troppo tardi

Yesterday I got a copy of this lovely book illustrated by Camilla Engman (they sell it here )

- and I love the colour palette -

all is blue

I got some lovely indigo dyed wool from a fantastic place here in Genova.
I only got a skein for sampling, but already I can't take my eyes off it. It's clear that I need a LOT more.

I wove a piece of cotton fabric for a cushion.
I used some rainbow yarn for both warp and weft and a simple log cabin pattern.
I quite like the effect.

The amount of things to be done in this flat is still overwhelming but I calmed down a lot.
It's the effect of Autumn approaching...