For the Love of Textiles

My One week Tulip-Holiday started last Friday. I was really looking forward to this. My life right now takes a lot of energy with a husband who is ill and needs care. One week without waking up at 5.45..no classes..just doing things I love to do. My cardigan goes slowly, but I like the result sofar. At the end I decided not to fill in the squares with different patterns. Tried some, ripped it out and came to the conclusion that I like it more in this simple way. It will take some time till it gets finished, but I can see me wearing it with great pleasure in the future. The yarn already gets a little softer while knitting it. Guess To Steek is not that difficult.... The Fair Isle project is also still on the needles and this afternoon I did some rows. So 2 Big projects..I might start a little one for inbetween...Socks perhaps..or a little lace shawl..or... Spring has started in our garden. The bulbs I planted in Autumn (after clearing the garden)are peeping out of the ground. It

Yesterday I had to go to Amsterdam to visit a trainee who worked for the fashion Designer Mattijs van Bergen. My student Rick is very good in embroidery, so many of the pieces were embroided by him as this blue skirt with gold 3 dimensional stars. It is always funny to see glamour on stage and all garments hanging in his studio which is the opposite of glamour. It was cold in Amsterdam. But I decided to walk among "De Amstel" to visit: Museum "De Hermitage" . I passed the posh Amstel Hotel, Theatre Carre, and after that there was the Museum waiting to show me beautiful Flemish Paintings from the 17th Century which all came from The Hermitage in St. Petersbrug. 1 painting, made in 1619 by Anthonie van Dyck really touched me. Guess it is the way they look at you..She is very direct in the way looking at you, and he is kind of "into another world" with his mind... or perhaps staring..dreaming...The little girl is lively.. Nothing is known about this fa

Last Thursday -after visisting trainees- I had some time left over to go to the Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem Arnhem is the City I was born 53 years ago, and where I visited Art School. It is not my favourite museum, but sometimes there are great exhibitions and the one on Vlisco Fabrics has just openened and is really worth a visit. The title of the Exhibition is "Six Yards" , because the fabric is only sold in Six Yards. Vlisco .....perhaps not a name that rings a bell immmediately. My first encounter with Vlisco fabrics was when I had to design 1 outfit for my first Fashion Show at ArtSchool. We had to use left over fabrics from Vlisco and make something out of it. The fabric was OverPrinted in many layers, but after bleeching and dyeing and some embroidery out came this outfit based on the MiddleAges. But back now to the Exhibition. Vlisco Fabrics are also well known under the name "Real Dutch Wax". The fabric is designed and printed in Helmond in the Nether

And Finally the temperature has dropped under freezing point..so Winter finally has arrived. Time to wear my own handknitted gloves, hat and shawl. And...May I present my latest sweater. My gorgeous, beautiful coloured Lopapeysa...knitted in Icelandic Lopi yarn. Took me a little more than 1 Month. A sweater which looks good on me and fitts perfect. Just in time ready before the cold has started.. My own.......Riddari The pictures are taken by a young students from the Photograpy Department in my school. My colleague Annemiek also came with me, and because I gave her a knitted shawl we decided also to go together on a photo. So this sweater is done. I am sure I will knit another Lopapeysa in the future, or maybe I design one myself. But with plenty of stash and a waiting Fair-Isle project I decided to start another project (Yes, I am a very Promiscues Knitter). While on holiday on Shetland I bought a great Blue Arran yarn from Jamieson & Smith. The idea was to knit a cardiga