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 […]
Beginners weaving is full of surprises such as this bag by Kathy. Her first weaving. She decided to turn it into this bag and needle felted some decorative bits on it. Just lovely. An astonishingly fine piece of work for a beginner. We warped up the loom together – she had beginners weaving pack as a birthday […]
Dyeing, dyeing, dyeing. Its difficult to stop once you start. Had a great time on Tuesday at Loddington with Ashford dyes, using different colours in the same dye pot. People brought their own hand spun yarn as well as using mohair locks, and merino/bamboo mix. The acid dyes don’t work on plant fibres so the […]
Great Spinning Wheel Party Great Spinning Wheel party for all sort of spinning wheels, not just great wheels – bring your wheel and party with people who like what you like. Bring your spinning wheel, great or small it doesn’t matter, and treat yourself to a day at the lovely Knuston Hall […]
Joy is a varident reed. This wall hanging called ‘Seashore’ by one of my recently bereaved pupils is pure joy. The colours, textures, fibres are all chosen and woven with complete freedom – weaving on a Knitters loom and vari-dent reed gives so much scope- you can weave nearly anything. Anything that doesn’t give me joy and […]
This new sock yarn is just off my Joy wheel. Know why it is called Joy now. An absolute joy to spin on. This is the singles, it is a mix of hand dyed merino and bamboo, silk, and dyed corriedale. Was spun from rolags and will be plyed with a thinnish polyamide thread which is […]
In case you were wondering why no posts for a year it is because of sad loss of my dear husband Bob, last November and my dear friend Paul, who died suddenly a year ago this week. My mother also died last year she was 87. I haven’t felt very ‘outgoing’ or wanting to share posts […]
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. […]
Jenny raises > £500 for Cancer Research when she completed a 26 mile overnight walk recently. I’m very proud of her. My grandsons Nathan – who lives in London, and Ben – at uni in Portsmouth met her at the finishing post on the Sunday morning with flowers and fizz and they all went for […]
Gotland pullover – pupil news from Jane who completed this cosy pullover for her husband. Jane learned to weave this time last year and subsequently learned to spin – so she has not been spinning for a year yet. What an achievement! It was prepared with hand carders and spun on her Ashford traditional.
This is a BIG THANK YOU to you all at Summer School! Val and I found these beautiful feathers in one of my fields = inspiration! We acquired a Jacob fleece at the Summer School and I had an intro to flick carding at Knuston Hall, so my half of the Jacob got flick carded […]
Socks out for inspection at the Falcon, Uppingham is not what one expects to see but when two spinners, sock knitting addicts get together for coffee and a catch up it is inevitable. Luckily Kate and I didn’t get thrown out for putting our feet on the table. Knit socks toe up two at a […]
Double weave book took just two days to complete – including the weaving. It is woven on a Knitters Loom with 2nd heddle on 7.5 reeds. Half the warp and all of the weft is in my yarn in spun on a drop spindle on the river Nene last year – see Water Yarn blog […]
Handspun bag for Joy. Fine spinning and artistic skills were on display at Woolly Day last Saturday. There were so many talents at Woolly day it was mind boggling. Dawn brought her Handspun Bag for Joy Wheel, with lovely square buttons, a real ‘How Did you Do That?’ teaser. It is in Jacob with other […]
Summer school, last day exhibition of work – great fun – great week, inspiration, fellowship and something to look forward to next year
Summer school on Thursday was about structure in spinning and weaving. We made boucle yarn, and did lots of weaving on knitters looms.
Summer school on Wednesday was all about Colour, yesterday was about Fibre, tomorrow Stucture. Rachel showed everyone how to use acid dyes. We used specially prepared Dye Bags each containing merino/bamboo roving, wool roving and goat angor locks (£5 each). Also dyed silk hankies of the type we learned how to spin the day before. […]
Summer school started with spinning long draw and worsted techniques followed by practice on Silk, Suri Alpaca and Mohair locks on Monday and Tuesday – when over twenty people attended. It has been the happiest time, lots of photos taken and even paintings in a little book – absolute joy. Everyone seemed so happy and […]
Niddy Noddy these quirky Niddy Geese flew off the shelf at Fibre East. The are hand made in spalted wood, £30 each and exceptionally tactile They are shown here accompanied by two other products which are only available through Spinningschool: hand painted Ashford bobbins (£10) useful if you spin with other people who use the same […]