The beauty and warmth of crocheted fique fibres

Let’s Pause crochets the fibres of the fique plant of the Andes in order to create a collection of warm and organic lamps, that celebrate the age old crafts and skilled labour of the women that make them.

It all starts with this succulent plant with its fleshy stalks, fique (Furcraea andina) from which a hardy fibre can be extracted, the refined and glistening plant with which traditionally hammocks, nets and coffee bags have been manufactured over the years.

During the process the expert hands of the women weave the fibrous thread of the fique using the crochet technique, following the elegant lamp designs of Let’s Pause. The series of lamp shades NUS softly illuminate through a mesh, that retains its original natural essence and tells the story.

AN HOMAGE TO THE OLD AGE CRAFT

The new collection of NUS lamps by Let’s Pause is an homage to the old age craft and evokes simplicity: a single thread and crochet stitch are enough to create the magic of a vegetable weave that allows the nuanced diffusion of light throwing suggestive shadows. NUS is available in six colors: white, light brown, copper, anthracite grey, nude pink and English green. All of them combine the strength of the vegetable fibre with the light organic weave of the crocheting work. In the style of a mesh, the shade falls like a skirt which is delicately held by an aluminium structure.

The word NUS means knot, reflecting the knotting of the fique fibre in a manufacturing process that seeks to join cultures, bring women together, as well as looking for a way to breathe new life into age old crafts and techniques. Since the very beginning the motivation behind Let’s Pause involvement has been a love and passion for things made over time by the human hand with materials that respect natural cycles and the people who make them. Each of the pieces is created with care and has a unique character reflecting the lamp’s attractive and imperfect expression. The subtle irregularity of the crochet stitches frees the lamp from any rigid formality, lending it in fact movement and life.

Fique is extracted from the plant of the same name using a combing process that eliminates the external part of the leaf just leaving the fibres. Without any treatment this fibre is naturally white when sourced from the higher leaves, which are normally more tender while the lower leaves are light brown because they are more mature, almost touching the ground. The NUS lamps are expressed in these two organic colours as well as a copper shade like wet sand or recently ploughed earth together with an anthracite dark grey hue, that evokes a volcanic stone. The latter colours are obtained by dying the white fibre.

The other feature of this collection is the range of sizes with three different options for the lamps. The largest shade has a diameter of 60 cm and a height of 75 cm; the middle size is of 42 cm in diameter and 58 cm in height; while the smallest is 27 cm in diameter and 31 cm in height.

The combination of raw and natural materials crafted with contemporary designs, ensures that the NUS lamps are equally suitable for entrance halls of hotels and reception spaces as well as architectural houses, such as dining areas and other rooms, where their warm and valuable message regarding returning to nature can be appreciated.

For the crocheting process the women require between 12 hours and two days, depending on the size. The option of working from home is given to each of them if that makes it easier to hold the family together, a coordinator looks after deliveries and supervises the work carried out.

To get rid of any wrinkles that may appear we recommend disassembling the lamps and using a steam iron with a cotton cloth between. For day to day cleaning all that’s needed is a damp cloth to wipe. Then just let dry with a steam iron. Each lamp shade is delivered with a black textile cable of 2.5 meters, a black lamp holder and a black aluminium canopy for ceiling installation.

LET’S FEEL THE LIFE

Nus

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