CONTENTED, CALM, CREATIVITY
at your fingertips in Kiri Cottage
Kiri cottage is located close to Kircubbin on the Ards Peninsula. This area of outstanding natural beauty has always been a home to women who crafted an income and independence from their sitting rooms. With this area’s strong history of flax spinning, embroidery and bonnet making, learning to craft at Kiri Cottage weaves the past into the present.
MEET CHRISTINE CASEY
Carding
WEAVING
DYEING WOOL
KNITTING
SPINNING
CROCHETING
WARM INSIDE
AND OUT
Part of the pleasure of working with 100% natural wool is that it’s a genuinely sustainable resource. Although the process, starting with raw fleece straight from the sheep, carding, spinning, washing and dyeing it into a unique one of a kind item is long, the reward is a breathable, flame resistant, beautiful fabric with a carbon footprint of zero
SOFT WOOL SPUN FROM SURPRISING SOURCES
SPINNING STORIES TO A NEW GENERATION
Across the generations
WEAVE THE PAST
INTO THE PRESENT
Christine first learned to knit at the age of 5, taught by her mother, grandmother and aunt. Knitting arans, making Irish crochet and drawn thread work, they sold these items throughout Ireland and the USA. Christine then developed her skills in the 1980s, when she learned to spin, weave and dye at the Women’s College in Belfast, now sadly closed.
She has created her own unique approach to her craft over the years, commissioning spinning for niche markets, designing, spinning and knitting bespoke garments from other fibres like dog or cat’s hair. By passing this information onto as many people as she can, Christine is hoping that new generations of families can reignite the spirit of independent creation that makes Co Down so unique.