Blog
Spinning wool with D.Benta
On one of my trips to Salto, with the purpose of visiting the Pisão de Tabuadela (The Tabuadela Wool Stomping Facilities), where the last burel blankets made by the Women of Bucos were felted, I had the chance of meeting D. Benta.
Pisão of Tabuadela
Yesterday was my first visit to the Pisão of Tabuadela and to a pisão all together. I met Mr.Francisco, who is a “pisoeiro” and owner of the “pisão” he inherited from his father, who explained to me a couple of things about how it works and a few more about wool and “burel” - the traditional portuguese fabric made of woven felted wool.
The flock of Casa da Lã
Last monday we went to see the sheep where the wool spun by the Women of Bucos come from. Over there, the women have only two terms to differentiate the wool they work with: the “lã brava” (something like wild wool) and the “lã meirinha”.
D.Ilídia’s wool blankets
Before I went on vacation and while the Casa da Lã was closed, I went to Bucos to visit Ilídia at her house. It felt nice to have a slow afternoon just talking about everything. She was willing to tell me new things and I was eager to listen.
How a Fulling Mill Works
A technical drawing and a precise description of the mechanics and operation of a fulling mill, from a chapter titled “os pisões de Barroso”, written by Joaquim Fernandes Figueira, in volume XIII of the publications of the Congress of the Portuguese World.
Women of Bucos
At the Casa da Lã (house of wool), the wool is still transformed through artisanal processes by a group of women that gets together every thursday to work and talk – the Women of Bucos.
Casa do Trabalho do Nordeste
As time went by, wool has become my favourite material to work with. Although I don’t use it in all its varieties (I don’t knit, for example), I have come to discover many of its possibilities, qualities and beauty.