I was playing with the Brother Drum Carder this afternoon, blending hand dyed batts with silk (including sari silk), linen and some sparkle.
Suitable for spinning and felting. It is quite textured with the other fibres added in.
Three hanks of quite textured long wool x Bichon Freise.
Spun with a very short draft and a lot of twist (which is very evident in the finished yarn).
This is where I finished up yesterday evening – one full bobbin, and one nearly full,
Will definitely be a ‘textured’ yarn when finished.
There was about 600gm Bichon Freise, and 200g washed, carded long wool (can’t remember which breed). It’s all been through the Brother Drum Carder twice, and that has helped to blend the dog hair more consistently through the fleece. Now to the spinning whee
I have taken on an interesting commission – to spin Bichon Freise hair for a lady. Sadly her little dog passed over the rainbow bridge a few months ago and she wants to have a memory of her.
Beautiful, soft, black alpaca on the Brother Drum Carder this evening. This will spin really fine and is destined to be woven by a client.
Some teeswater fleece, spun and piled with some linen yarn, rescued by my friends Hermann and Marion from an old linen mill some time after it closed.
If you are free Saturday 4 October, head over to Glenside Farm, just outside Comber,, and support this very worthy social enterprise. Great coffee and maybe get a head start on your Christmas shopping.
Mum and daughter day today, learning to spin. The lovely Ruth and Sophie were quick learners, and went home with a ball of wool each.
Enrolments for the Autumn Term of Creative Classes and Workshops at Ards Arts Centre is currently open! So if you have ever wanted to try your hand at a new artistic skill, and meet like minded people, then check out the classes available.
I recently knit a friend an ’emotional support chicken’. I posted it over to her, as she is in England and I am in Northern Ireland.
These have been showcased across Facebook and Instagram over the last few months.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟳 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝟮-𝟰𝗽𝗺
𝗡𝗜 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗿𝘆 returns with their wonderful birds of prey,
Christine of Kiri Cottage Crafts will be sharing her baking skills with 𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗮 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 for sharing.
And, the entertaining 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 will be bringing the past alive
Inspiring Yarns in Newtownards has a lovely selection of wool, and plenty of other craft supplies. Well worth a visit!
As part of Ards and North Down Council’s Creative Peninsula, craft demonstrations were set up in the North Down Museum in Bangor on Sunday 3 August.
I brought several lucets, a Scandinavian braiding tool, for demonstration. Lots of chat with interested visitors, and a few who tried it out Lucets were used to create decorative braids and trimmings for clothings and household, and also to make more practical cordage and fine rope.
Ards and North Down Council kicked off Creative Peninsula on Friday 1 August in the square in newtownards. A number of us did some demonstrations in the Arts Centre, offering opportunities for the visitors to have a go at the crafts on display.
I had brought a number of peg looms and had plenty of customers, aged from under 10 to over 80.
Peg loom weaving is fun, easy to learn and provides an opportunity for creativity.
I had a lovely morning on Thursday with Molly, over from England and staying with her daughter Zoe for a couple of weeks.
An experienced knitter, Molly was interested in the Scandinavian craft of nalbinding. So we spent a couple of hours nalbinding, between cups of coffee and homemade cherry and lemon scones, and soda bread.
I was given about 20 fleeces this morning from a local farmer – a very welcome gift.
The first job to do is to ‘skirt’ the fleeces which involves removing both the very dirty fleece, and the shorter and weathered parts of the fleece as using these would create a poorer quality yarn once spun.
I was up at Equine Halfway House, a charity that I support, (and a number of my crafting friends also support it) this morning with a friend who is looking to adopt a pony as companion for her horse. Her old horse had passed on recently.
Discover art at its finest in 𝗔𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 – Our Borough is well known for its many resident Artists and Makers and during the Creative Peninsula visitors can view their work, make a purchase or a commission or try their hand at making something unique!
The Walled Garden in Helen’s Bay said: I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the wonderful Christine Casey, a fellow champion of sustainable practices, listening to the gentle rhythm of flax fibres being spun once again the Walled Garden
Ards and North Down Tourism made a video about Kiri Cottage Crafts. I love how it has turned out.
We meet Christine Casey, owner of Kiri Cottage Crafts and a traditional hand spinner and weaver who is keeping the skills alive which have flourished here for generations. Produced with the support of Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, over this series the Virtual Visit team are going to be tracing the legacy of Ulster-Scots settlers in this area and giving you a guided “in-person” virtual tour of the local heritage, history, stories and culture, accompanied by a local tour guide. The series has been shot using a 360° camera.
Christine was extremely welcoming and provided delicious homemade scones and cake, as well as tea and coffee. We started off with weaving outside, using all natural materials, this was very interesting and fun.
Here is a blast from the past! This is one of my all-time favourite commissions – creating a one-of-a-kind jersey for the lovely Martin – owner of the Southern Ireland Dulux dog.
