How is your sunday going? I am relaxing after a rather intense and busy week, in which I completed work on our new book, Colour at Work, which I’m co-editing with my good friend Felix. This in-the-round exploration of all matters chromatic is a book that will really help makers of all creative disciplines to learn more about, to freely play with, and to really be inspired by, COLOUR! I am very excited to have finished this lovely collaborative book, and even more excited to tell you all about it . . . more very soon.
In the meantime, here’s a trio of colourful things to inspire you on this, the last Sunday in January
If you have not already seen it, I cannot recommend this short film compiled by the V&A about master dyer, Sachio Yoshioka, highly enough. Exploring the traditional materials and practices of working with plant dyes in Japan, this film is a meditative exploration – and celebration of – pure process which anyone who works with their hands will find highly satisfying.
And to continue the colourful theme, those of you who are interested in the complex debates that surround the property of colour might enjoy Wayne Hemmingway’s entertaining BBC radio 4 series Owning Colour, which explores chromatic matters cultural, legal, and commercial over five deftly-edited fifteen minute episodes.
I sat down to knit yesterday, and was completely gripped by the new series of Jon Ronson’s Things Fell Apart, which I listened to all in one go. Combining Ronson’s wonderfully humane and non-combative interview style with some truly jaw-dropping narrative twists and turns, it’s urgent and necessary listening for 2024, this year of elections. Available on BBC sounds or Apple podcasts.
Have a lovely, colourful sunday, everyone! Perhaps I’ll be able to tell you a bit more about what I’m knitting next week.
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I’m so looking forward to the book, and it made me think of a Radiolab episode on colour. I’ve listened to this a number of times, and love the part where a choir sings harmonies to represent the number of colours detectable to various species. Such a wonderful way to present this information:
The coloured papers are inspiring for my woodcuts and prints.
Thank you, they are gorgeous!
I’m excited to hear what you’re knitting, Kate! And I’m also excited for Colour at Work! I recently visited our Museum of Nature and Science in Denver, where they had an exhibit on colors in nature. It was surprisingly emotional and wonderful to see the exquisite range of hues in nature.
Hello Kate,
I wanted to let you know how much I loved all your links this week. They were all so informative and interesting. I always look forward to your newsletters as you just never know what wonderful information they will contain! Thank you for sharing everything with us.
Oh the colours and now not forgotten. Took my breath away. So clean and pure. Thank you.
Thank you for todays links. I just watched “In search of forgotten colours” and suddenly remembered an exhibition I saw decades ago by another Japanese textile artist. Itchiku Kubota was a kimono dyer, who made the most wonderful paintings. His “Symphony of Light” is a collection of kimonos showing the same landscape in the different light of changing seasons. He can paint white snowflakes falling in a white winterey landscape and you can almost hear them fall silently. These kimonos where the most wonderful things I have ever seen.
Hi Kate. I have been wanting to tell you for the longest time ( years ) how very much I enjoy and appreciate your news letters. Your writing skills are wonderful and your research is always amazing. You are an inspiration in so many ways. Thank you for your dedication to sharing your knitting knowledge and so very much more with everyone. I recommend your website and newsletter to all of my friends.
Another fascinating and thought provoking read. Thank you