The last two days saw two major textile related milestones.
1) Our washing machine was installed. Folks, we have been without a washing machine since we moved into our apartment at the end of May. Unlike in the states, where apartments come with a washing machine, a shared laundry room, or the assumption you’ll visit a nearby laundry mat, in Germany most apartments come with an empty space and a water hook up. It’s all part of the assumption that most people rent for most of their lives and will want to kit out their apartment to their tastes. A great idea, unless you’re the expat who owns nothing.
We have been hand washing critical items to get by in a bucket, but I have been cringing a bit thinking about how long some of my clothing has been sitting around dirty. I care about my fibers and fabrics. It has hurt. I have never been so glad to do laundry as I was today. The Laundry Recovery effort continues tomorrow.
2) I finally finally got my Navajo rug hung up! My husband tends to spoil me just a wee bit each year for my birthday and/or Christmas (these are really close together) and last year it was a Navajo rug he purchased in Colorado the summer before. It has been patiently waiting until this week to be properly displayed. First, it sat in our cedar chest until December, patiently waiting for Christmas day. Then we forgot to bring it with us on our Christmas travels. And after that we were getting ready to move, so hanging it up in an apartment I was supposed to be packing up made no sense.
So voila! It’s now proudly hanging in my home office.
Is that a spindle hanging out on the dresser top? Yes. I’m not quite sure why it’s there but it looks like it belongs. the grey silk and brown wood match the hanging, so it gets to stay for now.