one day, a neighbour (she lived in the attic-flat above my abode), with whom i often drank an espresso when ever we met, discovered that i knit. she said “hold on, i’ll go upstairs and get you some wool i had hand-spun many years ago when i was living in the mountains in switzerland milking cows and making cheese.”

anyways she came down with a carrier bag full of this wool she had spun herself. thin i tell you. she had dyed a few tiny skeins with her own plant-dyes. and this is what you see here.

i had grand plans for the undyed-skeins she gave me but nothing for these colours. but times and tastes change and years later her colours reminded me of my mother, grandmother and all of my aunts and sisters and of Heidi as well. this is what was i was thinking

hier is a trailer for a documentary about this wonderful profession -

alpine herdswoman and dairymaid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1J1akh5TwQ