You may have heard about the red alert storm warnings in north Spain yesterday, 27 February 2010. Well, Xynthia, as the storm was called in Galicia, raged all around us yesterday afternoon and evening. We battened down the hatches – well, closed the shutters on our stone workshops – and weathered the storm. here in north Spain we have escaped much of the snow affecting more northerly European countries but we have had torential rains which have led to severe flooding in some areas. Here in the Ribeira Sacra, at 600m up, it is the wind which affects us most, and not least during Xynthia, where winds of up to 200 km/h were recorded. In fact, I was so carried away with my weaving during hurricane Xynthia that the constant roar of the wind and the flickering on-and-off of the electric lighting and the radio didn´t really affect me, except when the light began to fade and I had to go and get a candle. Such is the excitement of weaving fine singles silk, linen and 52/2 overspun wool into a gorgeously-textured scarf.
I´m going to take it with me when I demonstrate next week at Xantar (= “Lunch”) the 5 day food festival in Ourense, the city 40 minutes away from Anna Champeney Textile Studio.
Bye for now!
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Your scarf looks fabulous. I just started reading Anne Field’s book ‘collapse weave’ and want to start a weave myself. So now seeing your scarf makes it better and better.
I came straight over from the OGWSD list to have a look! I didn’t know about your blog, or if I did I have forgotten. I could picture you there in the shuttered-in casa, candle flickering and shuttles shuttling. I love the weaving…
Are you in Galicia next November? Still at planning stage but we are hoping to drive down to Portugal for the DHA conference on 11th / 12th. I hope to present another paper about my orchil obsessions and we might divert for a day or so to see you if you are both in situ – or in casa. ¡! Love to you and him. Orchisella
Hello Orchisella,´
We´d love to see you so when you know get in touch again. Anna x
Marion, do have a go at collapse weave – it´s amazing to see how the cloth becomes transformed when you wash it. You don´t need to use such fine yarns as I did though – I´ve had results using 12/2 linen. I was inspired by Lotte Dalgaard´s book “Magical Materials” which has really wonderful projects – she works with a Copenhagen fashion designer, Ann Schmidt, who turns her fabrics into dresses and tops. I´m very lucky as Lotte is coming to teach in Spain at my studio in September. It´s always nicer to learn with someone…