Winter is really coming

I have seen this autumn's first waxwings:

That means winter is coming. Along with them was a lonely trush. It must have lost it's flock, or it's temporarily moving together with the waxwings. Waxwings are so beautiful! And trushes are so fun :)

One more fascinating text about wool

why-closing-the-gap

Yes, he's always with me

Yes, Kasper is always with me. I've had dogs for more than 40 years. It's very difficult to imagine life without dogs.

Snow

Master spinner and weaver

 
We still have something to learn.

No, we won't disturbe this new inhabitant of our house. Soon the net will become dusty and it'll start breaking up. Then the spider will move to another place, and we can clean up. Until then we enjoy that masterly piece.

 

Girls

Kasper, come home!

Why?

OK, I'm coming. But you better give me that treat!

Sigh... there are GIRLS in the village, why doesn't she understand? My silly human.

Wovember

Time for Wovember!

No wool

Raining, raining, raining.

Today I got a message that the wool I have been looking forward to has felted on the sheep.

Lightbox wannabe

I said I'd make a lightbox about two years ago. Since then I've been thinking "I'll make a lightbox". Today I made the skeleton:

And I took a first photo, but I haven't taped the tissue yet, so light is coming in from the left upper corner and making shadows and burning out colors:

And I have to adjust the lights, I think they are too close. But you can see the lighter gray fibers in that hand combed top!

I'm satisfied with myself :) I have almost made a light box :)

Alpaca

I spun this alpaca-camel-silk yarn last year. For a long time I didn't know what to make from it, then I thought a very simple pattern would suit the yarn best. The result pleases me very much. It's a strong, soft, floating fabric, lays steady on my shoulders. Anna, a spinner from Sweden, sent me the alpaca for no reason at all. She had washed the raw fibers keeping the fibers in order, so I combed them and spun worsted. I bought a baby camel/silk top from Wingham Wool Work for the second thread. The pattern is Melon Stitch from Sowerby's Victorian Lace Today.

Glutenfree pizza!

I'm slowly learning how to bake glutenfree bread, pizza and pies. My best pizza so far:

Mmmmm...

Autumn colors

Signature

My first Signature needles:

They will not be the last. Best needles I've ever had. I'm so happy they have decided to make them in smaller sizes. These are 2.25 mm, a size I often use for sock yarns around 420 m/100 grams. Stiletto points, 80 cm circular needles, perfect for socks.

Signature

Gerd Lindman Nilsson, Daldräll

Gerd Lindman Nilsson weaving daldräll on a four shaft loom at Nordiska museet in Stockholm.

Gerd has specialised in weaving beautiful, varied fabrics on a simple four shaft loom. This was the most common loom in the areas where dräll has been woven, Dalarna and Jämtland in Sweden, and Österbotten in Finland. Jämtlandsdräll and Österbottensdräll is called Crackle weave in the US. I haven't found an English term for Daldräll, maybe someone can help me?

The variations seem to be endless. Gerd has a site in Swedish, with many photos: Daldräll. She has also written a book, now out of stock, but she may have a copy to sell on her site.

In my childhood tablecloth woven in Österbottensdräll were used on solemn occasions, like Christmas, or a christening. My grandmother on my father's side was a skilled weaver, but most of her fabrics were inherited by my aunt so I don't have any of her tablecloths. What I mostly remember is that it was a nightmare for us children to sit at a table beautifully set with a handwoven cloth. I was and still am unable to eat or drink without spilling. Therefore I am thankful my sister saved her beadspread and gave it to hubby and me at our wedding. It's now displayed as a wall hanging, well away from the sun, in our house: Grandmother.

Väv - Weave

So, all of you who want me to start weaving: I have come as far as to look at weaving again. I'll show some of the beautiful fabrics hubby and me saw at Nordiska museet in Stockholm last Sunday. The Weaving exhibition is now closed, but the museum has plenty of other things to see, so do visit it while in Stockholm.

The exhibition showed a cross section of traditional weaving in Sweden today. There is of course many artists working with weaving. You find their work in art galleries and public buildings.

I may show the photos with the kind permission of Nordiska museet.

Åkdyna (Travel cushion) by Kerstin Winther. Flamsk (Flemish weave). Linen and wool.

Åkdyna (Travel cushion) by Rebecka Winther. Flamsk (Flemish weave). Linen and wool.

Längd (Fabric length) by Kerstin Stenback. Munkabälte (Monk's belt). Cotton and wool.

Fälltäckesvåd (Sheepskin coverlet weave) by Hanna-Kristine Lindström. Plattväv (Platt weave, weft float patterning). Cotton and wool

Hängkläde (Hanging) by Inger Arnell. Oliksidig korskypert (Unbalanced Swedish cross twill). Cotton and wool. Löpare (Runner) by Britt-Marie Berggren. Treskaftskypert (Three shaft twill). Cotton and linen. Hängkläde (Hanging) by Brith Lindström. Oliksidig korskypert (Unbalanced Swedish cross twill). Cotton and wool.

I' sorry to say I forgot to take a photo of the labels for all except number 158, but I still want to show them. 158: Förlåt, draperi (Cover curtain) by Västmanlands läns hemslöjdsförbund (Västmanland County Handcraft Association). Halvkrabba (Halvkrabba). Linen and wool. These covers seem to be of older origin.

Duk (Tablecloth). Weaver Hans Thomsson, designer Helena Bengtsson. Damast (Damask). Linen.

Duk (Tablecloth) by Elsa Persson. Damast (Damask). Linen.

This was only a small section of the exhibition, my personal choices. There was also lots of looms and people weaving, some of them weaving really intricate fabrics. All this happened in the museum's impressive hall. You can see the exhibition area at the far end, with the market place in front of it, and to the right is the café I can fully recommend for lunch or a snack.

Tomorrow I'll show one of the weaver's working at her loom.

Solkustens Spinnverkstad

While thinking about what to do in Stockholm besides seeing my son, his cohabitant, and her parents, I saw there was a weaving exhibition at Nordiska museet. As the world around me seems to be working to get me weaving after a pause lasting about two decades, I thought it would be in line to get me and hubby to see that exhibition. It was worth it. More to come about that later.

There happened to be a fair in the museum on Sunday, the last day of the exhibition. So first I want to show you yarns I have admired for years:

This is one of Solkustens Spinnverkstad's singles yarns in natural sheep colors. They spin several colorways of this yarn, and also as a 2-ply. It's soft, evenly spun from high quality Swedish sheep wool, and prepared and spun with gentle handling. This is highly skilled handicraft, worked with a respect for the wool you would like to see more of. It's a small mill, and even if their site is only in Swedish I'm sure you can contact them in English.

More of their yarns, and the mill owner's brother and sister-in-law, who took care of the booth that day:

 The lady was weaving a band with the help of a piece of cardboard and a nalbinding needle:

You can do this with any long needle with a blunt tip. Just cut some slits in the short ends, string a few warp threads, and start weaving. This is a wonderful way to teach children the first mysteries of weaving.

The owners of the mill, Ingrid and Fredrik Danielsson, kindly sent me two photos to use here:

Solkustens Spinnverkstad's booth at Syfestivalen in Borås, an event for textile crafters

Below Ingrid and Fredrik Danielsson

See the Scandinavian light in that beautiful photo? Not to mention the awesome garments!

I love the natural sheep colors. It's reassuring to see wool being used in this way. High class quality in craftmanship, products and design are essential for the small spinning mills. Solkusten have it all.

Christer Strömholm and Sally Mann

Hubby and me saw several exhibitions while in Stockholm. At Fotografiska museet we saw a comprehensive retrospective of Christer Strömholm's photos. I have wanted to see them in real life for years, so I was very happy to be able to actually see some of them. Read more about one of Sweden's finest and most interesting photographers here: Christer Strömholm.

After lunch at the highly recommendable restaurant at the museum, we went to see one of the other exhibitions. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I was so impressed by Sally Mann that I still have difficulties remembering Strömholm's photos. Read about Sally Mann here. I can't remember I've ever seen so beautiful photos. This was also a retrospective, and I'm sorry to say you can't see it in Stockholm now, it's over. I liked everything, but was especially taken by the beautiful photos documenting Sally Mann's husband, death, and the landscapes.

Just to prove I was there: three snapshots with my phone in black rooms with strong spotlights making reflections.

Christer Strömholm's relaxed dog, one of my favorites from photo magazines.

Sally Mann's landscape. The light in this series of photos is beyond any description in words, not to talk about what a digital photo with a phone can show.

My husband and another visitor at the museum. It's a coincidense I didn't notice until I downloaded the photos to the computer: the dog and my hubby and the likeness of the composition. I must say I like my own photo also! Hubby was not aware of the camera, he's looking at a photo.

Stockholm

Hubby and me visited Stockholm last weekend. We went to see a dance performance at Dansens Hus. My son has worked with the celebrated choreographer Helena Franzén in several productions. This time he composed the music together with musician Johan Skugge, using a lap steel guitar, electronics, and piano. Both are also actually on the scene together with the dancers this time. The performance will next go to Barcelona, so if you are in that area keep your eyes open in November: Helena Franzén's website.

I have known for decades that Stockholm is a beautiful city, but this time hubby and me did something you should do in all cities: go for sightseeing in a double decker and get the sights in a nut shell. More photos will follow once I get myself composed and the photos done. These are all taken through the bus window:

Stockholm is green. There is water everywhere. There are shopping streets and wonderful looking houses. And there are more museums you could go to in a weekend. Hubby and me managed to spend several hours in two of them. So, more to follow!