I am usually not the kind who jumps to buy things that other people are buying. But there was something that Tokuko has, that I have been admiring and wanting to buy. A shawl made by Niime Tamaki.
She is fairly well known in Japan, amongst those people who love textile and spend money on well-made clothes. The problem is, you have to search for a shop that sells her products, and most online shops are always out of stock. Well, you have to get to her atelier-shop, which is not very conveniently located. It’s about an hour by car from Kobe or Osaka, when the traffic is good. But if you manage to get there, well, you will find yourself in heaven – full of colors, patterns and textures.
I was extremely fortunate that, one of my new friends in Kyoto does freelancing for the artist, and it turned out that they were looking for a translator. So, I had a great excuse to get down there (with a ride) and spend an entire day wondering around their shop, factory and office, even their back yard.
Long story short, I got me a new shawl! It’s 100% wool, woven in Harima weaving technique, and both sides have different colors. In fact, there is no two same shawls – each one has different colors, pattern, combination. In mine, one side has more blue, and the other side mostly grey. It is nothing like you’ve ever felt before. I am a lucky girl!
京都で新しくできたお友達のひとり、編集者の女性がお仕事をしている玉木新雌さんの工房兼ショップにお邪魔するチャンスがありました。ちょっとしたお仕事をいただけることになり、この機会を逃すものか、と打ち合わせに付いて行きました。
神戸に引っ越してからすぐ、兵庫の奥地にある玉木さんのショップに出かけて行ったトクコさん。その緑のショールを羨望の眼差しで見つめ続けていた私は、ついにお気に入りの１枚を見つけました。幸せ！
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Sparkles*United 