studio tour

All the walls in my studio are white now.

I've been painting the only colored wall in my atelier white too last week and it looks so much brighter. Moreover, the sun is shining for days now!

I love white walls! It's the perfect base for all the colorful items in the room.
The wool cabinet, moroccan carpets, framed photos, 'green table' with plants and my handmade pillows in the workspace are making the interior pretty bright and colorful.

It is wonderful to be here and so cool I do not always have to clean up all my stuff...

instant inspiration

Inspiration comes instantly when I enter my new workspace.

The wool from the B A Z A R seem to call; pick me, pick me...

The newly designed spencers I knitted recently turned out so cool! I'm writing the pattern and will show the new knitted spencers soon.

In the meantime my new 'atelier' is beginning to take shape. So far it's already so much fun to be here and I get loads of inspiration in this space...

color story

Color story

... from my new studio under construction.

A sneak peek in the vintage sorter cabinet with sixty-four compartments.

The former wool cupboard was stored in the attic for years, to finally be reused in my new workspace.


photo: June 2012

instant inspiration

First Monday morning in March and I'm in the middle of all kinds of preparations for next month's workshops in Marrakech.

I am working on another new design for a daily cool crochet project.

Spring sun is on turn now (after a harsh winter week) and as soon as I open the wool locker, inspiration comes naturally.

mr easter bunny is in da house

Pippa brought a chocolate Mister Easter Bunny for her brother Minne yesterday.

Happy Easter to you all from the wool cabinet!

wool from south africa

Although it is already a few weeks ago since I returned from the Cool Crochet workshop, I'm still standing with one foot in Marrakech.
I've told you several times what a fantastic time we had up there; great adventures with a super group, a blissful happening!

During the farewell dinner on the rooftop terrace of Chambres d'Amis on our last night in Marrakech, the crocheteers surprised Ank and me with a handmade Cool Crochet basket, made with help from Aisha in the souk. We both got a basket with embroidered text COOL CROCHET OCT 2015. There we were standing with the baskets, a little shy and with tears in our eyes, because of this super sweet gesture. Reading the beautiful black & white postcard with a personal thanks from everyone, we were getting even more emotional. Tears of joy! An amazing time, never-to-be-forgotten!

Cornel brought me a bag full of the most awesome yarns from South Africa as a surprise (understatement of the year). So I brought home a custommade basket with wool from South Africa, plus quite some wool from the souk, thereby half my suitcase was already packed with yarns...

Last weekend I was figuring out, where I should start and what I could make with the south african treats. I arranged them by color and type in the sorting cabinet on my desk. I've picked the Vinnis Colours Tori to start with, made of 50% Bamboo viscose and 50% Cotton, in beautiful hand-dyed blues. I'm making a harlequin pillow, because I know Cornel loves it.

You should have a look at her awesome blog, Hello Hart, where you also can read the wonderful reports of our first two days in and around Marrakech. Couldn't have done it better myself.

Thanks again sweeties! I'm grateful and I will bring the basket to Marrakech every time and will always remember october 2015. Xx

PS: the postcard has a special place on my desk too!

carpet on the cabinet

We've got a new woven rug, I found it in the carpet souk in Marrakech two weeks ago.
It was love at first sight and it's so different from the boucherouites I've bought in Marrakech before.
The new carpet is handwoven, herringbone, harlequin, ethnic and modern at the same time, also the colors are bright and gorgeous. (I'll show it soon, no doubt.)
It's exactly as long as our sofa and it suits in the livingroom so well. Thing is, the other carpet had to go...
We found a proper solution, the colorful harlequin boucherouite now is lying on top of the wool cabinet. Perhaps a bit unusual, but it looks great!
We can still look at it and change the carpets any time we want to.

One can never have too many carpets.

locker love

One of our favorite pieces of furniture undoubtedly is this locker.

What's your favorite piece in tha house?

100% wool

Dille & Kamille (dill & chamomile) is one of my favorite Dutch concept stores.
The wonderful mix of sustainable products, all with a natural simplicity, are timeless.

It's simply impossible for me to leave the Dille & Kamille shop without buying anything.

I've bought some 100% wool balls in their shop in Rotterdam some weeks ago.
I chose the nude colors, but they are all very pretty.

Although I'm still working on the black knitted sweater dress, I started a 100% wool crochet-side-project today.
The balls were calling, from the cupboard on my desk, when I was working ;)

to be continued...

wood & wool office

Welcome to my wood & wool office.

Here's my desk, an old French table that we already have for more than 20 years.
I've cleaned up the office a bit, before I took the photo. The vintage sorting cabinet (once wool cabinet) is a bit tidier than usual.
You can just see the white Jieldé desk lamp.
On my Bertoia chair, I write my blog posts and do most of my wood & wool 'office' work.

It's a bright spot in the middle of our living room. I'm not complaining...

cool wool locker

the Whites

the Pinks

the Yellows

the Greys

the Blues

the Greens

the Neons

the Reds

All the yarn moved from a tiny white cabinet to the middle section of the locker.

New year, new round, new storage!
Yesterday evening I suddenly felt like reorganizing my wool stock.
Starting with the Whites on top - felt a strong Instagram need by then - I was already over the moon.

I am absolutely satisfied with the result!
The two outer sections of the locker are packed with books, maps, postcards, records, stuff and things. Potential storage for 'attic' wool & moroccan yarn strands...
...and yet always hungry for more yarn.

Fortunately it's a harmless addiction.

spool stock

Wool addict stock.

Spools of wool and yarn, it all doesn't fit into one cabinet anymore.

Happy New Yarn!

socks & tights

Nowadays the wool cabinet is used as socks & tights cabinet on the attic.