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 […]
International Space Station and my Spinning retreat coincided at Launde Abbey last week. It was a lovely time – three days spinning and relaxing with people who love what I love. Launde is a magical place. The monastics knew a thing or two 900 years ago when they chose the location in which to build […]
Spinning flax is a craft not often seen, and I have never taught it until Dani asked if she could learn last week. It was a painful experience. Nothing to do with the pupil – the teacher trapped her forefinger between the crank and the wheel hub- How to look a chump in one easy lesson! […]
Weaving in school with sixty Year 5s sounded a bit of a challenge. Thought they might get bored and misbehave, but no, couldn’t have asked for 60 more delightful ten year olds who all helped weave two mufflers in natural wool. The children each made a card to take home by weaving punis – so they completed […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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.
Woolfest was at its most wonderful and best. Although I did 2007, 8, 9, and 2010 as chair of Guild of long draw spinners, this was my first time as a visitor. I was never happier than this last weekend, lovely place, inspired and talented people doing lovely things with wool, and all serenaded by local musicians […]
Be inspired at Priddy Essentials – if this display of Jane Heynes’ work doesn’t get you weaving nothing will. . It is an amazing voyage of design – all from an innocent looking holiday photograph of a fisherman’s hut in the Scottish Highlands. First the photo, then a sketch, then a colour breakdown – with a […]
Colour skills at Leicester Guild was a happy day yesterday. I did a mini workshop called ‘Tints, Tones and Shades – a module of my Manage-Colour-before-it-Manages-You Workshop which take place in June. Tints Tones and Shades (TTS) is a basic colour skill that is useful when you have fibre or singles that is too Vibrant, too Dull, […]
Makitfair on Sunday will be my first exhibition at Peterborough Showground. A great place for fibre and textile artists of all sorts, lacemakers, knitters, weavers, as well as spinners. Try the Superflyer for Big Yarn and my unique new Table Carder from Golden Fleece, for easy carding and blending. I’ll be showing my range of […]
Inspired by Churro is becoming a catchphrase as more spinners are using it. Jane put together this lovely page for her projects book. She has an affinity with owls which have inspired many of her yarns – particularly in Blue-faced Leicester. The Great grey owl comes from the Navajo region and there is a saying […]
Helping and inspiring others is how see my role as a teacher and share my passion for spinning and woolly things. But….I don’t feel inspired at the moment so have cancelled Barnsdale on 3rd Feb and Spinning School on 10th Feb. My mother died last night – she was 87 and worn out, and it comes […]
A Spinning Shop – Uppingham High Street is my long term plan. And I’ve taken the first step – shop window with Ashford Joy and drop spindles, fabulous hand prepared fleece from fleecybusiness, one of my Shetland Hap shawls and big blending board from Golden Fleece carders. Hopefully this will inspire people – the display […]
Knitters loom samples are like a magnet – the colours and textures mingling into scrumptious bags, table runners, scarves and cushions – you can never resist looking at them. These are by Frances Francis; I took the picture when her son Michael came to collect them from my studio. Frances was due to help at […]
Knitters loom weaver Tina took delivery of her new 28 inch loom and stand on Tuesday at Spinning School – within three hours she had assembled, warped up and made this impressive start on her new chair covers. She warped up with some commercially spun Shetland yarn which I sell and used her own handspun for the […]
Weaving on Knitters Loom is easy to learn – and you can see the result at Woolly Day on Saturday 22n November. Jane produced this accomplished-looking piece using natural local yarns she had bought when visiting the north and Scottish Highlands and Islands. With only one day’s experience she carefully colour matched each yarn to a […]
this happy weaver is very pleased with her new Knitters Loom – the scarf in Rowan Yarn in colours that really ‘sing’ is just waiting for the fringe to be done – all you need is an Ashford fringe twister – it does the job for you. She had just one weekend’s tuition with me at Knuston Hall […]