Dyeing for new cushions. ‘Time for a change’ I think so dye some merino rovings to match the chairs. All that needs to be done now is card it into rolags, spin it, ply it, skein, wash and finish it, roll into balls, warp up a loom to fit exiting feather cushion pads, weave it, […]
Today is Lady Day, traditionally the day peasants were hired and tenants paid their rent. Also, in Medieval times, no-one was ever allowed to leave their parish; absconders were pursued and punished. Travel was never an option in those days. But the same sun shone then as it is doing now on this, the world’s […]
The joy of socks is all-embracing. Someone asked me the other day if I ever wear anything I have spun? Well Yes,I do. And so do lots of other people too. Mostly it is socks; from the joy of spinning, through knitting and wearing them or, better still, giving them to someone I love to […]
Dyeing for summer school is priority with only four days to go. Bundles such as this are to help and inspire spinners dyeing their own fibre for sock yarn next weekend. Amazing the difference what a little pot of Ashford dye (£6.40) and some vinegar can make. Knit socks. We will be making luscious socks […]
Summer School at Knuston Hall for all who love wool – any skill level. Two, three day summer breaks that will feel like heaven. Saturday 27-Monday 29 July and, Wednesday 31 July – Friday 2nd August Three days in which to Learn to Knit from scratch, or Knit socks. Learn to spin Long draw from […]
Dear Pam, I thought you’d be pleased to know that I’m still spinning and creating things from my yarns. Below are some of my recently completed projects. The cardigan is made from the yarn we dyed during my last lesson, supplemented with considerably more white. The bag is made from Navajo plied yarn from the […]
I Wanted to Learn to Spin My Own Yarn A couple of years ago, I attended a drop spindle spinning workshop at my local yarn store. In eager anticipation of learning to spin I had purchased a Jacob sheep fleece, without a clue what I was doing, so I was lucky that it turned out […]
Toadstool art yarn is named after some fungi that appeared this week in my stable yard. When Mary arrived for knitting yesterday she would not drive over the fungi to park in her usual place: ‘It’s so beautiful – I can’t bear to drive over, and spoil it’ she said. The colour of the fungi […]
Beginner spinning to bouclè in five lessons is all it took for Helen to become proficient with her hand spinning. Lesson 1-beginner spinning (long draw), 2-pying, 3- dyeing, 4-quality yarn from rolags, 5-bouclè. The purpose of each lesson was clearly defined in advance. Yesterday’s lesson was to make bouclè from hand dyed BFL top. The […]
Rewards of teaching the young are not financial as I consider it an investment – as well as a lot of pleasure of course… I recently received this letter… Dear Pam, Tabitha [daughter]wanted me to write a note to you to thank you for teaching her how to felt. She really enjoys it and decided […]
Dyeing fleece, an essential technical and creative skill, along with fibre choice, colour skills, spinning technique and yarn architecture, is a basic element of yarn design and a sure way to lift the spirits! Dyeing is with Ashford Dye and the technique is called rainbow dyeing and described in the book. The curly fleece is […]
Dye workshop in my studio came up with a whole range of fibres in toning colours to be spun into yarn for a Shetland Hap. My pupil dyed all these colours in the studio workshop – a one to one learning zone where mistakes are not failure or wrong, simply part of the learning experience. […]
Yarn to dye for is worth the trouble – even if it is a two-stage process – when the colours feel as classy and sophisticated as these feel to me. I did a lot of dyeing this winter and will be demonstrating how to do this at the First Wednesday workshop at Knuston Hall next […]
Dyeing with complementary colours a new workshop Dyeing with complementary colours a new workshop takes place at Knuston Hall on Wednesday this week. Dyeing is always fun and doing something different even more fun. This new workshop is a chance to find or discover a few things for yourself. – see Events If you can’t […]
Mohair locks and blue faced leicester top went into this yarn made by Jane who attended my lBeginners Long Draw day at Knuston on 6th September. “Inspired by your session at Knuston last week, I made a skein using the lovely dyed curls carded into some blue faced Leicester top. After spinning, I plied using […]
Art yarn is a spinners response to fibre and colour and texture, in the same way as any art is a personal response to something. Art yarn is yarn made for the purpose of art. Not designed for a project, but created as a result of the will or personal response. The fibre for this lovely yarn was dyed […]
Dyeing for a weekend is a development of my workshops at Loddington. See Events page .A day is just not enough, so I am currently planning my first weekend SpinAway Retreat there from 10-12th February for spinners, weavers, felters and dyers. Although you may be DYING for a weekend away, you don’t have to DYE all the […]
Dyeing and spinning silk workshop had an interesting event when a candidate who had never spun before spun this silk and an Ashford traditional wheel. She watched the demonstration about how to spin a long worsted draw – yes, a long worsted draw, not two inches but a satisfying long arms length worsted draw! – and […]
Rainbow Dyeing Workshop The Rainbow dyeing workshop at Knuston was a diverse event last week – there were weavers, felters, knitters as well as some first spinning off the bobbin – this lady wants a Joy wheel – preferably used if anyone knows of one. The workshop is repeated at Knuston tomorrow – it’s not too […]
Colour in Spinning and weaving was the theme for Wednesday’s Summer School this year. I love colour. If I’m feeling a bit low I turn to my dye box – its far healthier than popping a pill. The results of our dye were so luscious one wanted to eat them…still better than popping a pill. […]