palme d’or

To ignore the freezing cold outside, I went for a golden palm this morning...
(after my weekly run; unfeasible! despite wearing double running trousers and thermo shirts, woolen gloves and a beanie)

A chic version of the palm I made last week, the c c p p, that is to say cool crochet palmtree pattern or cool crochet petit projet

Still a bit of testing for the cool crochet workshop, which is coming up in April.

rotterdam

Katendrecht, Rotterdam - winter city walk on Saturday.

Once Rotterdam's Chinatown, Katendrecht is now home to the hip and happening.
Over the past few years, this district has become one of the liveliest parts of the city without losing its rougher edges.
Cute little eateries, restaurants and bars are around every corner these days. It's a dream destination for foodies.
We had lunch at Posse, a restaurant & shop, where you can find vintage, bicycles and books.

One of the old Fenixloodsen quayside warehouse, now accommodates the Fenix Food Factory. It's an indoor market with fresh foods, where you can shop for authentic and traditional products and nice to wander around on this very cold winter day.

nomad travel workshops in marrakech

An adventurous way to explore Marrakech.

The 'Nomad' travel workshops are a perfect way to discover the city of Marrakech and it's surroundings in an alternitive and authentic way.
In April and October we will organize two different workshops;
The well known Cool Crochet workshops for the 9th and 10th edition.
The Green Gardens workshops are also on repeat this year and we will show you the abundant green side of Marrakech during your stay in the Red City.

A lot of former participants enjoyed this way to travel 'alone' to Marrakech and discover the unknown with a group of international women.

For some women it's a huge adventure to travel to Nothern Africa by themselves and this is a perfect opportunity to face this adventure.

We have a few places available for adventurous women.
Below you can find more information about the nomad workshops.

GREEN GARDENS WORKSHOP 2018

SPRING GREEN GARDENS WORKSHOP
arrival: Thursday 19th of April 2018 - leaving: Tuesday 24th of April 2018
AUTUMN GREEN GARDENS WORKSHOP
arrival: Thursday 11th of October 2018 - leaving: Tuesday 16th of October 2018

In the last few years I've visited quite some stunning gardens and oases in the medina and fell in love with the amazing green gardens of Marrakech. For those out there, who can't or rather don't want to crochet, we will arrange an opportunity to discover Marrakech in an alternative way. It's a great way to explore Marrakech and surroundings in a very authentic atmosphere!

PROGRAMME:

During the workshop we will visit and explore all kinds of gardens in and around Marrakech; An Arabic garden, a rose garden, botanical gardens, secret city gardens, city parks, hidden courtyards, an art garden, museum gardens and vegetable- and herb gardens.

To make the green theme complete, we will also organize a veggie cooking workshop under the banana trees (including vegetables & herbes shopping in de souk). We will make an adventurous bike ride to the gigantic palm grove and a roadtrip to the Atlas Mountains. All the participants will get an herbarium notebook, in which they can make daily sketches and collect green memories, such as leaves and seeds.

You will be surprised how green the Red City actually is. Urban jungle adventures with guided tours and delicious moroccan food, make this green travel-workshop unforgettable!

Six days in Marrakech! Green is the theme. Price € 725,00 per person.
The price is based on a shared twin bedroom and excluding flight ticket.
It's always possible to book extra nights, before or after the workshop (info@chambresdamis.com)

INCLUDED:

- transfer from airport Marrakech to Riad Chambres d'amis (v.v.)
- shared twin bedroom (5 nights) including breakfast in Chambres d'Amis.
- 3 dinners & 4 lunches (drinks are not included)
- veggie cooking workshop
- collecting green memories in a herbarium
- all excursions in and around Marrakech

This workshop is a real treat for nature-loving enthusiasts. An adventurous journey to Marrakech, you can make on your own, while you will be 'pampered' and only have to enjoy and relax.

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COOL CROCHET WORKSHOPS 2018

SPRING COOL CROCHET WORKSHOP
arrival: Wednesday 11th of April 2018 - leaving: Monday 16th of April 2018
AUTUMN COOL CROCHET WORKSHOP
arrival: Wednesday 3rd of October 2018 - leaving: Monday 8th of October 2018 (FULLY BOOKED)

Six days in Marrakech! Crochet while discovering Marrakech and surroundings in a very special and unique way. Price € 725,00 per person. The price is based on a shared twin bedroom and excluding flight ticket. It's always possible to book extra nights, before or after the workshop (info@chambresdamis.com)

PROGRAMME:

Buying wool, cotton and yarns in the souk. Urban jungle crochet at Jardin Majorelle. Crochet in the desert. Moroccan crochet in the open on the colourful Place des Epices. A daytrip to the Atlas mountains. Crochet on the roof of Maison de Photographie with it's wonderful view of the town... Delicious moroccan food and adventures in and around Marrakech make this travel-workshop never-to-be-forgotten!

INCLUDED:

- transfer from airport Marrakech to Riad Chambres d'Amis (v.v.)
- shared twin bedroom (5 nights) including breakfast in Chambres d'amis.
- 3 dinners & 4 lunches (drinks are not included)
- a daily crochet project with yarns, hooks and patterns
- all excursions in and around Marrakech

This workshop is a real treat for yarn lovers. An adventurous journey, you can make on your own, while you will be 'pampered' and only have to enjoy and relax.

If you would like to join one of the workshops, please send me an e-mail; info@woodwoolstool.com

The CC and GG workshops are a collaboration with my friend Ank van der Pluijm, owner of hotel CHAMBRES D'AMIS, green oasis in the Medina of Marrakech and our 'basecamp' during the workshops.

We start both workshops with a welcome dinner on the rooftop of Chambres d'Amis on the first night of the workshops.

c c p p

c c p p

cool crochet palmtree pattern

and moreover

cool crochet petit projet

I'm working on some crochet projects & patterns for the cool crochet workshop in April.

Every day a new project, a new crochet technique and a new place to explore in Marrakech.

I drew a palm tree on graph paper, slightly smaller than the palmtree I designed last year. Remember this one?

Simply because it's nice to finish a small daily project, so we have a lots of time for other pursuits, such as having a delicious Moroccan lunch, enjoy the surroundings and relax.

This afternoon I nestled myself with hook and yarn on the daybed, to check how long it takes to make this project. Well piece of cake, the cute palmtree is cool crochet project approved.

captivating corner

While I am washing my hands, my eye catches the natural colors of the simple utensils and the light, in the corner of the sink.

I'm very visual and can be overwhelmed by a feeling of bliss all of a sudden, by the appeal of 'something simple'.

Our kitchen, an easy, real life space with stuff collected over time.
Kitchen utensils with functionality and personality;
The simplicity of two cutting boards against the kitchen wall.
A small twig, in a soda bottle, because it was just too small to join the magnolia bouquet.
and the shades of the tiles, which seem to change every moment of the day...

and I realise, I'm glad to enjoy the simple things.
(even though it is sometimes exhausting to see 'everything' and to capture the moment afterwards with my camera, haha..)

in bloom

Magnolia in bloom!

The massive magnolia branch, my friend Rosa brought from the market last week, was big and beautiful! and top-heavy...
Even the largest jug in the house, couldn't handle the weight. So I decided to cut off the side branches and make a magnolia bouquet.

The flower-buds opened up one by one in the past days. Today the magnolia is in full bloom and is shining on my home-made plant stand.

medina life

A trip to Marrakech on your travel bucket list?

But you rather not travel alone? This is your chance!
With a group of super nice participants from all over the world, you will have the time of your life!
During the Cool Crochet workshop, you stay in the green oasis, hotel Chambres d'Amis, in the middle of the Medina in Marrakech.
You will discover the colorful city in a very special, authentic and adventurous way.
We will bring you to the most wonderful places and yes, we will crochet 'in between' in the coolest places.
How about a daytrip to the Atlas Mountains? Or crochet a bikini top in the middle of the desert?
Furthermore we take you to wool heaven in the Souk (don't forget to save some space in your suitcase, to bring wool from the Souk)

Click H E R E for more information and send me a mail, if you think this is about you.

We'll be back in Marrakech, 8 weeks from now...

retro woodwoolstool

At the moment I'm working on a pair of 'good old' traditional woodwoolstools.

Have not been making them for a long, long time in this 'old-fashioned' way (it's how I started more than 10 years ago), until a request came last week.

I still have to make the scrap wood stools, so I tested the handmade woolen case on another stool.
...and where would the color inspiration come from?

cool crochet project in green & pink

Working on a new cool crochet project in green & pink.

This wool mixture with bright color spots, coming from an old local wool wholesale in the medina, where we always buy our wool supplies for the cool crochet workshop, is by far my favorite yarn to work with. It's soft and has a tweed effect and the colors are gorgeous.

Currently I'm working on a new project for the workshop in Marrakech in April. It's a herringbone pattern.

I made a pillow in the same pattern (white & golden yellow) a while ago and now I'm trying to crochet and write the pattern at the same time. The herringbone effect is super nice, seems more complicated than it is and I also love the wrong side of the work. Somehow it looks more appealing and interesting.

I often like the wrong side of crochet fabric... Is it a deviation or do you think so too?

broom branch & cotton caftan

A handmade broom from my last visit to Yves' garden in Marrakech.

Way too big to stick in my herbarium, during the Green Gardens workshop.

The dried date palm branch, is still used everywhere in Marrakech to sweep the streets.
Although it is not a practical object to bring home in your suitcase, I did it anyway.
The broom was twice as thick, but I left half of it with my dear friend Ank at Chambres d'Amis in Marrakech.
My half is a cool decoration in the hallway and sometimes I even use it to remove the leaves, that sneak in through the front door in the hallway.

I also brought some kaftans from Morocco last October, for those who need a kaftan in their lives...

The black striped cotton kaftan on the coat rack, is for sale in my S H O P (the last ones)
During the colder months, it's comfortable to wear at home and perfect stylish loungewear after a bath or shower.

marrakech calling

Can't wait to feel the sun and experience spring in Marrakech!

The colors in April are so fresh and green! And besides, the view of the snowy Atlas Mountains will be spectacular this time, because there is a lot of snow in the mountains.

Treat yourself (and your friend, sister, soulmate) to a magical Marrakech spring journey!

COOL CROCHET WORKSHOP from Wednesday 11th of April 2018 - Monday 16th of April 2018

Six days in Marrakech! Crochet while discovering Marrakech and surroundings in a very special and unique way. Price € 725,00 per person.
The price is based on a shared twin bedroom and excluding flight ticket.
It's always possible to book extra nights, before or after the workshop (info@chambresdamis.com)
INCLUDED:
- transfer from airport Marrakech to Riad Chambres d'Amis (v.v.)
- shared twin bedroom (5 nights) including breakfast in Chambres d'amis. (no single rooms available)
- 3 dinners & 4 lunches (drinks are not included)
- a daily crochet project with yarns, hooks and patterns
- all excursions in and around Marrakech

PROGRAMME:
Buying wool, cotton and yarns in the souk. Urban jungle crochet at Jardin Majorelle. Crochet in the desert. Moroccan crochet in the open on the colourful Place des Epices. A daytrip to the Atlas mountains. Crochet on the roof of Maison de Photographie with it's wonderful view of the town... Delicious moroccan food and adventures in and around Marrakech make this travel-workshop never-to-be-forgotten!

This workshop is a real treat for yarn lovers. An adventurous journey, you can make on your own, while you will be 'pampered' and only have to enjoy and relax.

SPRING COOL CROCHET WORKSHOP arrival: Wednesday 11th of April 2018 - leaving: Monday 16th of April 2018
AUTUMN COOL CROCHET WORKSHOP arrival: Wednesday 3rd of October 2018 - leaving: Monday 8th of October 2018 (fully booked)

We start with a welcome dinner on the rooftop of Chambres d'Amis on the first night of the workshops.

If you would like to join one of the workshops, please send me an e-mail (info@woodwoolstool.com)

Both workshops are a collaboration with my friend Ank van der Pluijm, owner of hotel CHAMBRES D'AMIS, oasis in the Medina of Marrakech and our wonderful green 'basecamp' during the workshops.

(Besides the Cool Crochet Marrakech workshops, we also organize two Green Gardens workshops in April and October 2018