Not all fleece is worthy of a handspinner’s skill. It is a great joy to spin fleece as it comes off the sheep while it is still warm and the best parts easy to locate – but no joy in trying to spin fleece that is matted, smelly, dirty or tangled with thorns or straw. […]
This Fowey Woods art yarn, by Jane Heynes, epitomises Art Yarn. It was inspired by a photo taken from the yacht “Steady’ while anchored in Fowey, Cornwall last month. The yarn includes my hand dyed Angora goat locks (mohair) that bring colour and texture reminiscent of the fresh new leaves just opening up in Fowey […]
What Joy to spin. Moved my wheel into the sitting room and will spend the weekend spinning by the fire; unless it dries up enough to dig over the asparagus bed that is…Hopefully it will be a weekend filled with Joy whatever the weather!
Cop26 – time to shake up the Woolsack. As politicians and campaigners prepare for Cop26 might someone consider the tragic waste of British wool? There are over 15 million breeding ewes in the UK ergo at least 15,000 tonnes of the most exquisitely, versatile, useful, and bio-degradable, environmentally friendly fibre known to man. What is […]
Need or want – in these tricky times I have come to realise the difference between Need and want. Wilbarston Shop has everything I need. So do supermarkets, but there, the things I need are not as obvious. On display are things I might want, but dont need: e.g. orchids, out of season fruit and […]
My first pupil from Japan has earned her Long Draw Spinner rosette after only two lessons. A tremendous achievement for a pupil whose first lesson took place just three weeks ago. She has also made the felted fox who My first pupil from Japan has earned her Long draw Spinner Rosette after only two lessons. A tremendous achievement […]
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 […]
This fabulous work reminds me of sunrise straking out across an imaginary landscape. It is worked by my Knitting Advisor, Erica. Also in the picture is Val who teaches long draw spinning in the Leicester area. Erica told me The pattern for the shawl is called ‘the Doodler’ and is byStephen West – it is […]
Long draw spinning and Joy to the World as another star pupil makes it onto my ever-growing list of acclaimed Long Draw Spinners – all accredited with specially commissioned rosettes. This happy lady recently received her rosette – a tremendous achievement in only five weeks and three lessons: Lesson 1 – long draw technique, Lesson […]
Spinning lessons make happy smiles as well as sumptuous yarn as this photo of my happy pupil shows. She is holding her first spinning which turned out much better than she expected – as I find it always does! First spinning is very important as it is the benchmark upon which to assess progress. Lesson […]
Knitting on the Nene. No better place to be than this lovely little backwater where I stayed overnight on Saturday evening – in spite of the weather forecast which was for rain. No rain fell until Sunday morning. And early in the morning I sat out in the cockpit with my knitting and some fresh […]
Successful spinning lessons are a great joy to me. Another promising pupil is my neighbour who has her own sheep – she learned to spin on her first lesson. Like all my pupils, she learned to spin on Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) prepared tops. I always start beginners off on BFL as it is the […]
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 […]
Long draw spinning in 2 days is a remarkable achievement, especially when you consider Ann had no previous experience when she started her two day course last Tuesday. The following day she had become so skilful I awarded her one of my Long Draw Spinner rosettes. It was all very, very pleasing. Even her first […]
Spinning wheels – do they find people? I begin to think that some might have their own agenda. The wheel being used here is a flax wheel, they are not very popular with modern spinners as the orifice is so small that only very fine yarn can be spun on them. They are great for […]
Spinning locks for my workshop on Wednesday at Knuston Hall – huge fun. Some is spun to show the yarn structure, and some spun just for the joy of spinning it. The mohair is from one of my pupils who keeps Angora goats and sells the fleece to order. It is such a joy to […]