I have been really attentive to the colors of the landscape and the colors of my newfound memories, in my focus on natural dyeing. I got really inspired by the lines of connection that formed in my mind between the colors of the sky and those coming from the ground.
I was lucky enough to be awake at night in moments when the sky donned hues that brought tears to my eyes. Being very connected to the night sky at home, the midnight sun is bringing a whole new perspective to my connection to it. I realized that I don’t need to see the stars to feel small under them.
My impression of this experience is very colorful on all fronts.
The landscapes, the striking pink-orange skies, purple lupins dancing with the wind alongside yellow marsh marigolds or dandelions. A rainbow crossing a sky split between pink and blue.
The classes, the wool, the textiles. A joyous multicolored sprawl of wool skeins on the table, waiting to be picked to be used in our tapestries. The skeins drying on the wall still dripping cochineal purples and lupin leaves, yellow after the natural dye workshop.
The very bright yellow shirt that Vika, from Reykjavik, was wearing when she taught me to knit. She was proud to say that she knitted with multiple types of yarn, because “there are no rules for knitting”.
The butter yellow of the Ömmukaffi, and its very charismatic owner, who serves delicious rhubarb waffles with a smile.
The blue of the pool on a sunny day, doing laps to start the day.
The green of the tall grasses we sat in to weave, to snack, to gaze out at the sea.
The red roofs. House 35 and the happy, creative impromptu meetings we have every night in the living room. The now familiar and comforting assortments of crafts living on the table.
All of that a very vibrant rainbow of creative moments with peers, new skills, breathtaking views, and new connections.
Émilie Valiquette