Many of us are looking forward no doubt to a quiet family time next week, the nights are at their longest in the northern hemisphere and it is time to draw the curtains and hopefully relax. In our family we always look forward to the lights that shine indoors at this time of year but this year there is an extra bit of colour radiating through the superb Renaissance Stripes shawl created by Kieran Foley. It represents the natural dyeing work we do in a truly beautiful artist form.

Beaucoup d'entre nous sont impatients à un temps de famille ...

Here is the finished Renaissance Stripes. / Voici Renaissance Stripes, c'est fini!

The pattern and kit will be on the web-site very soon. / Le modèle et le kit sera disponible très bientôt.

A wonderful working together with colour wizard Kieran Foley

Un résultat merveilleux de travailler ensemble avec le magicien de la couleur Kieran Foley.

I have had the enormous pleasure of the last weeks to watch the fine lace-weight growing as if by magic into something magnificent.

Je ai eu l'immense plaisir de regarder les dernières semaines la laine dentelle transformer comme par magie en quelque chose de magnifique.

Take wool of merino sheep, add a little oak galls, indigo, weld, madder and cochineal and let it loose in the talented hands of Kieran Foley of Knit/Lab and voila you have Renaissance Stripes!

Prenez laine de mouton mérinos, ajouter un peu de noix de galles, l'indigo, le réséda, la garance et ...

Bon de voir certains d'entre vous à Montbrun Bocage. Le temps était terrible, mais la participation a été bonne. Merci pour la photo du stand, Nicole.

Voici comme promis un blog sur les billets gratuits pour AEF.

Nous avons cinq billets à donner pour les journées et 10 pour 2 personnes le vendredi soir.

Mettez un commentaire pertinent sur ce blog et / ou sur l'article de billets AEF sur la page facebook-Renaissance Dyeing et nous allons tirer les gagnants le 21 décembre.

Bonne chance à tous.

It was such a pleasure to spend last week-end dyeing with my good friends at the WoolBox. The first day is always slow as well as hard work, Winding skeins, mordanting, soaking wool and dyes for the next day and of course catching up with the news.

Le premier jour est toujours lente et beaucoup de travail, Enrouler les écheveaux, mordançage, tremper la laine et les colorants pour le lendemain et naturellement entendre toutes les nouvelles.

Lots of grinding went into preparing the cochineal with all hands to the pestles. But we decided in the end that Susi was the ...

I haven't quite got used to the fact that the harvest is ready earlier here in the south of France, even in the most mountainous department. Back in England one waited until the first frost had visited the sloe berries before picking them. Here you have to get in there in early September or they are gone.

I was worried that I was too late, the berries are small and some are beginning to shrivel, their bloom gone, washed off by the summer of rain, dried by the fierce September sun. Then I realise that they are drying like ...

Before autumn is fully upon us here is a pictorial glimpse at our summer. / Un aperçu de notre été

I know I have always maintained that our wools are very versatile but I didn't expect this. J'ai toujours soutenu que nos laines sont très polyvalents, mais je ne m'attendais pas à cela.

Thank you Bruce for sending me these beautiful fishing flies.

La Toison D'Art market at Dieulefit.. it wasn't raining! __ Marché de La Toison D'Art à Dieulefit .. il ne pleuvait pas!

There we are, proudly in the row! / Il nous sommes fiers ...

Natural dyes are not all that the plant world has to give us. These small plants have made it possible for us to take our stand on the road next week-end. I have had a badly sprained arm for nearly 3 weeks and a strong solar oil of helichrysum and mentha have nearly completely healed it - - almost over night.

Les teintures naturelles ne sont pas tout ce que le monde végétal a à nous donner. Ces petites plantes nous ont permis de prendre notre stande de marché sur la route ce week-end. J'ai eu un bras mal entorse pendant ...

June is the month when the wool starts on its way from the sheep and shepherds' to the spinning mills. Sheila's Poll Dorsets have already been shorn and the message has arrived that the wool is beautiful. It is waiting for us to collect and drive it over the Alps.

En Juin la laine commence sur son chemin des moutons et des bergers pour les filatures. La laine Poll Dorset de Sheila a déjà été tondue et le message est arrivé que la laine est belle. Il est en attente pour nous de recueillir et roulons sur les Alpes ...

The woad has come to seed. Le pastel est venu semer.

Ce moment de gouttes de larmes pourpres qui sont uniquement pastel est arrivé. That moment of purple tear drops that are uniquely woad has arrived.

It is also the time of year to start making the bunting for July 14th with the village children. Some will be plant 'printed' using the hapa-zome method and the rest will be woad dyed .

C'est aussi le moment de l'année pour commencer à faire les fanions pour le 14 Juillet avec les enfants du village. Certains sera plante «imprimé» avec la ...