Monday, February 25, 2019

the ultimate marrakech trip

marrakech october 2018

The ultimate Marrakech trip.

Do you want to join us us in October?

Perfect when you want to travel alone, but also a great trip to make with your friend, mother or sister.

Marvelous Marrakech! Seven days in Marrakech with a distinctive workshop program.

Explore Marrakech every day in a different way. We have combined new places and topics with the best from our programs from previous years.

What's new about the Marrakech travel workshops program? We have a different theme every day, to explore the authentic Marrakech in a special and unique way.

Off the beaten tracks with workshops and exciting adventures while discovering Marrakech and surroundings. Where everyone else goes to the right we go to the left. By showing you the real beauty of Marrakech, your visit to the Red City will be a much more precious experience!

Price € 777,00 per person (excl. tourist tax € 2,50 pppn)

The price is based on a shared twin bedroom and excluding flight tickets.

INCLUDED:
- transfer from airport Marrakech to Riad Chambres d'Amis (v.v.)
- shared twin bedroom (6 nights) including breakfast in Chambres d'amis.
- 2 dinners & 5 lunches (drinks are not included)
- 5 workshops

CRAFT-WORKSHOP
Buying wool, cotton and yarns in the souk. Moroccan craft class in the open on the colourful Place des Epices, where Aisha will teach you different characteristic Moroccan craft techniques (materials are included). After lunch we will continue the Moroccan craft class with Aisha and practice different crochet and embroidery techniques in The Secret Garden. (Needless to say, I will give a crochet class aswell.) At the end of the afternoon we will visit the Carpet auction in the souk, an unforgettable and colorful experience.

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

INSTAGRAM-PHOTO WORKSHOP
Street photography in the medina. Learn how to anticipate the moment, to identify locations with suitable subjects and develop confidence in photographing on the street. Learn to select and frame a moving subject and explore colour to create impact. A visit and lunch at Maison de la Photographie.

VEGGIE COOKING WORKSHOP & BICYCLE TOUR
Vegetable shopping in the Medina and souk. Cooking class by Moroccan women under the banana trees at Chambres d'Amis. Early home cooked lunch on the rooftop terrace. In the afternoon a bicycle tour to discover the beauty of Marrakech in the most fun way. Together with a young, native tour guide, you will discover the mysteries of Marrakech. On the bicycle we bring you beyond the tourist districts to show you the hidden jewels of Marrakech that usually remain secret to visitors!

COUNTRYSIDE & BERBER CARPETS
A trip to a Berber village in the country side with a lunch at Berberlodge. We will visit an atelier where you can buy carpets directly from the Berber women, who make the carpets, so they will earn more money with their crafts, instead of the carpet dealers.

DAY OFF
Halfway the week we have planned a day off! We can suggest a visit to the luxurious Beldi Club, a visit to Jardin Majorelle or you can use the day for shopping in the souk (optionally with personal shopper).

This week is a real treat for travellers, who would like to discover the real and authentic Marrakech. An adventurous journey, you can make on your own, while you will be 'pampered' and only have to enjoy and relax.

Arrival : Wednesday 2nd of October 2019 leaving : Tuesday 8th of October 2019

The workshop will start with a welcome dinner on the rooftop of Chambres d'Amis at 7PM on Wednesday. For early arrivals Chambres d'Amis can offer you a small program on the first day.

If you would like to join the workshop in October, please send an e-mail info@woodwoolstool.com
I will send you an application form and more information about the travel workshop.

The Marrakech travel workshops 2019 are a collaboration with Ank van der Pluijm, my friend and owner of hotel CHAMBRES D'AMIS, oasis in the Medina of Marrakech and our wonderful green 'basecamp' during the workshops week. You will, of course, be overloaded with impressions in Marrakesh, and Hotel Chambres d’Amis will be your quiet home to return to. Our street Derb Moulay Abdelkader is located in a very quiet and safe residential area, and very easy to find.

It's always possible to book extra nights, before or after the workshop

Saturday, February 23, 2019

spring fever in sunny february

spring in february spring in february spring in february

Henk brought me a huge bunch of yellow tulips from the market this morning.

The florist told him the Victorian interpretation of yellow tulips; there’s sunshine in your smile!

I have arranged the tulips in the big yellow mustard tin, which I bought on the berber market near the Atlas Mountains on my latest workshop trip in October.

On this sun-drenched Saturday in February it looks even more like spring.

The appreciation and joy in 'the little things' in life.

Cheers to the weekend!

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

layout

woodwoolstool harlequin blanket atelier - harlequin blanket layout

On my studio floor: harlequins!

I'm working on a maternity gift project for my baby niece. I have a few months to finish the harlequin baby blanket, so no rush to put it together. I will first define a layout and then start slowly to make the parts into a blanket.

Making a babyblanket is so much fun! All harlequins are simple small projects and when you just make one or a few a day, you finally have enough harlequins to make a unique blanket.

I've been working on a brightly colored version with neon pink and orange lately. Neon is back. The catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris are proving that the neon trend is going to be sticking around for quite some time.
You can make this multicolored blanket with wool leftovers or you can also make a very natural colored version if you prefer.

The harlequin blanket can be made with all types of yarn and in any size you want.

The harlequin p a t t e r n is available in my ETSY SHOP.

Monday, February 18, 2019

studio tour

atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier atelier

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...

Friday, February 15, 2019

light light light

hand knitted blanket - 100% wool

Wow, it feels like it is spring already.

Mid February and the temperatures are rising to serious spring level.

The next few days are filled with sunshine and what I like most about it; the light!

Although we have a rather light living room with white walls and light furniture, it can be quite dark during the winter months. The daybed space evokes the fresh feeling in the afternoon when the shadows of the plant are playing on the wall.

The hand knitted blanket is now for sale in my ETSY SHOP.

Size: 230 x 150 centimeter

Material: 100% New Zealand Wool, hand knitted in Nepal (fairtrade)

Thursday, February 14, 2019

slashes

woodwoolstool pillow rotterdam january 2019

You can look anywhere and find inspiration. (Frank Gehry)

...and sometimes the inspiration for the backside of a handmade harlequin pillow comes from a parking.

woodwoolstool handmade pillow

At the moment I was preparing this post, the harlequin/striped pillow was still for sale in my Etsy shop. In the meantime it's sold! (wanted to share my inspiration for the slashes anyway...)

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

ahoy

rotterdam steamship rotterdam rotterdam rotterdam steamship rotterdam rotterdam

Rotterdam - 13th of February - spring-like weather

Today we had lunch on a cruise liner.

The Steamship Rotterdam is the biggest ocean-going steamer ever built in the Netherlands.
As the former flagship of the Holland-America Line, this cruise liner has sailed many of the world’s seas since 1959. The ship is now moored permanently in the Maashaven in Rotterdam.
The 1950s interior and the many artworks are restored to the closest possible approximation of their former glory.

After lunch, Pippa and I even had a spring-is-in-the-air experience at the pool ;-)