Trunk or Treat, a New York collector’s apartment, Kaffe Fassett, Farrow and Ball color stories, Harris Tweed, and Scottish cashmere
Good morning, friends.
Happy Halloween. I will admit this is not my favorite holiday, and I think I know why. Growing up, the scariest thing in the neighborhood was an ethereal ghost made from a sheet and a skeleton or two. Haunted houses existed, yes, but I never went to them, I do not like scary things. Now there are skeletons the size of a T-rex sitting in people’s front yards alongh with other scary creatures that will give you nightmares for years. Everything is a little over the top, creepy, and frightening.
But the kids in their costumes. That will never grow old. The joy and smiles of a little kid in a lion suit or a witch hat is infectious, and I would stand in the driveway handing out Reese’s pumpkins until the last little ghost rings the bell. My personal favorite, by the way. What is yours?
We are doing Trunk or Treat this year, which so many towns and neighborhoods have moved to, and honestly I think it is a good idea. It is more contained, more supervised, and much safer for kids who would otherwise be darting in and out of traffic on dark streets. We have very few streetlights here, so Trunk or Treat makes sense.
My mom is here for the week, and we have already had a full two days at the pool (yes in October), a visit to the botanical gardens, family dinners and more.
Don’t forget to change your clocks before you go to bed. You get an extra hour of sleep.
Let’s meander.
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A New York Life — Thomas McKean’s East Village Apartment
Thomas McKean is an artist and author who has spent nearly four decades filling his East Village apartment with the stories, objects, and memories of a life lived in New York. He is perhaps best known for transforming discarded MetroCards into works of art, but his home itself is a work of art in the same way: layered with family history, decades of collecting, and the unmistakable character of someone who has truly looked at this city and loved it. Brownstones, water towers, subway stations, everyday details. All of it has made its way into his work and onto his walls. This is one of those home tours where you want to pause every few seconds to look more closely at what is in the background.
Kaffe Fassett — A Life in Color and Needlepoint
Kaffe Fassett is one of the most influential textile artists of the last half century, and this film gives you a glimpse into the larger needlepoint commissions that have shaped his career. Filmed at his London studio for Ehrman Tapestry, he talks through the scale and ambition of pieces that required an extraordinary level of patience and vision. If you have never watched him work or heard him talk about it, this is a very good place to start.
Lessons in Color — Farrow and Ball
Joa Studholme has been Farrow and Ball’s color curator for years, and she is one of those people who makes you see the world differently in about four minutes. In this short film, she takes six of Farrow and Ball’s original shades and tells you their stories: where they came from, what they were made to do, and how to use them in a room today. Eighty years of color and craft, distilled into something you can actually use. Whether you are thinking about repainting a room or simply want to understand why certain colors feel the way they do, this one is worth your time.
‘Tis the Season of Cashmere and Tweed
Harris Tweed — The Outer Hebrides
This documentary from Sartorial Talks follows Harris Tweed to the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides, where it is still woven by hand at home by a community that has been doing this for generations. Harris Tweed is the only fabric in the world protected by an Act of Parliament, and the Orb label you see on a piece of it is a legal guarantee: this cloth was made here, by these people, in this way. Watching the looms and the weavers and the landscape they work within is one of the most fascinating things I have seen.
Scottish Cashmere — William Lockie
Step inside a traditional cashmere mill and watch what it actually takes to produce a fine cashmere garment. William Lockie has been doing this in the Scottish Borders for well over a century, and the process is more beautiful and more labor-intensive than most people realize. If you have ever wondered why a good cashmere sweater costs what it costs, this is the five-minute explanation.
In Case You Missed It
This week’s Monday Musings and Friday Favorites are both up. Come and have a look if you missed them.
Have a wonderful Halloween, friends. Do not forget to visit Juliet at Make Mine a Spritzer and Kim at Northern California Style. We always have something worth sharing.
Tell me: what is your Halloween candy of choice? And are you a Trunk or Treat household or a doorbell household?
Find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more during the week.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Friday Favorites from Ben Pentreath, Calling it Home, Cupcakes and Cashmere and More
Charlie MacKesy, Phoebe Hollond, Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost, and more on Weekend Meanderings.
Advent Calendars, Sentimental Value, Jenni Murphy, and lots more on Weekend Meanderings.
On My Radar
Reese’s peanut butter cups are my favorite, no question. Those are the last ones I give out to the kids, in hopes that there are some left over! Love all those f your video recommendations today.