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The word Neblina (fog in Spanish) as a name for my natural dye project comes, as the dyes themselves do, from my environment. This sense of place is important to me: I use Chilean wool and locally foraged colors whenever possible, and also consider my own contributions as a person who lives and works here, in Viña del Mar, at this moment in time, and my relationship with this place. I work with the rhythm of the seasons here, collecting rainwater in winter and wildflowers in spring, dyeing on my balcony on long summer afternoons and knitting samples while piled under wool shawls and blankets in my unheated apartment in winter, when the difference between inside and outside air feels particularly meaningless. Through all of this is the fog.
Much of Chile’s coastline is defined by fog. Chileans know this as the vaguada costera. I live close to the beach, and in summer my neighborhood fills with tourists dressed for a beach day, shivering in the damp, chilly air that envelops the city, contemplating whether to dive into the frigid Pacific waves despite the lack of ideal beach conditions. As a resident, I know to always leave the house prepared with layers: a light jacket, a lacy shawl, a pair of fingerless gloves. It’s really the perfect place for an all seasons knitter and wool lover.
The fog shapes my daily routines. I don’t own a clothes dryer, so on days when the fog is absent I rush to do a load of laundry and set up the drying rack on my balcony, taking advantage of every minute of sun, then setting a reminder to take everything back inside before the sun sets, wiping down the rack in a doomed attempt to prevent rust. Some weeks, especially in winter, the fog hangs around for days on end and I watch the laundry pile up, wondering how I’ll ever manage to dry our sheets and towels. Last minute dyeing for yarn shows is often out of the question, unless I want to end up standing on my balcony swinging skeins above my head in an attempt to physically force the moisture out of them. If all else fails, I bring the rack into the living room and put on our portable gas stove, trying not to think about the fumes.
But even as it complicates my chores and my dye practice, I’m grateful for the fog. While even a few kilometers into the interior of the country, the summer sun and an increasingly desertlike climate create an oppressive dry heat in the summer, Viña del Mar is mostly spared temperatures above 30°C (86°F). A cool sea breeze tempers the climate and keeps moisture in the air. Cloudy skies are common in all seasons. Even though it doesn’t rain in summer, we’ll often have foggy, misty days that cover my glasses in condensation. I’ve grown increasingly sensitive to the sun during my years in Chile, and it helps that the fog gives way to hot, sunny days only in limited doses.
Neblina, then, feels like my place, my life here in Chile. I work by the rhythms of neblina, appreciating the possibilities of both sunny and foggy days.
Fog, it turns out, plays an important role in our coastal ecosystem. It can be an important source of water in regions with little rainfall, and where drought is becoming more common due to climate change. Unfortunately, climate change may also be affecting the fog, making the water droplets in clouds smaller or changing the areas where fog is most prevalent. Scientists are still working to understand how climate change will affect fog and how that will affect the ecosystems where it is prevalent.
Inspired by this article about San Francisco’s fog and Jason Logan’s beautiful newsletter Of Dew I did a little research and found that there are a few fog catching projects in northern Chile that supply rural communities there with water and even a beer made with water from the fog catcher. So maybe my dream of someday dyeing Neblina Wool yarn with Chilean fog is not so unrealistic. But even while I’m not currently able to dye with fog, its influence is always there, setting the rhythms of my practice, reminding me of the uniqueness of this place, its wool and its colors.
News
I’m excited to share that I have two events coming up in December! First, Tejedoras Navideñas at Rey Pudú in Santiago and then the next week in Valparaíso at the Expo Raíz Lanera. I’m working on making more naturally dyed speckles and bundle dyed silk scarves as well as dyeing some new solid colors of my Merino fingering. I’ll have photos of everything to share soon! Plus, I’ll bring some of my Christmas cookies to share at the Expo Lanera which are truly the best Christmas cookies (not bragging, ask anyone who’s tried them!). Don’t miss out, come visit Valparaíso’s premier yarn show.
If you can’t make it to Santiago or Valparaíso, I also have my online store shipping to all of Chile. US shipping can also be arranged if you have some patience, just reach out to me directly at neblina.wool@gmail.com.
If you’re in the US, I hope you’re enjoying the holiday (I celebrated last weekend with friends). I’m thankful for everyone who subscribes and reads this newsletter, I appreciate your support of my work!
