News
Corn Dollies
Last week we made corn dollies and then we had a go at nalbinding last night. The latter was a bit more challenging.
Nevertheless everyone had a good try at it.
13 November 2024
Blog
News
Christmas Rag Wreaths at Cloughey Heritage Group
I spent the most lovely afternoon with the ladies of the Cloughey Heritage Group making Christmas rag wreaths.
We started with a plain, woven ring, a variety of ribbons, beads, bows, strips of material, artificial berries and greenery.
4 November 2024
News
Sock Puppets
We made the cutest sock puppets at Ards and North Down Borough Council last night.
There were some great ideas and we had a lot of fun coming up with them.
30 October 2024
News
Dorset Buttons at Ards Arts Centre
This evening we made Dorset buttons at Ards and North Down Borough Council.
Some of these turned out to be quite big Dorset buttons! Most had a Halloween theme too.
22 October 2024
News
Working with Wool – Lucet
Over the last couple of weeks I have run the first two in a series of 10 ‘Working with Wool’ craft workshops for Ards and North Down Borough Council on 24 September and 1 October.
We used a lucet to create a woollen braid at the first workshop and then stitched the braid into a placemat at the second one.
21 October 2024
News
Broomstick Making at The Walled Garden
Today I treated myself to a wonderful workshop at The Walled Garden at Helens Bay, where I learned how to make a broomstick.
19 October 2024
News
Working with Wool – Week 3
This was Week 3 of Ards and North Down’s ‘Working with Wool’ program. This week it was about weaving paper plate flowers.
Well done ladies on the creativity, energy and craic that are so evident in the finished flowers!
19 October 2024
News
Castle Espie
Today I spent a peaceful morning at Castle Espie with Inspiring Yarns demonstrating spinning to visitors.
There were lots of the other interesting crafts to watch and ‘have a go’ at, and plenty of craft supplies and various kits to buy.
13 October 2024
News
Farm to Fabric at Glenside Farm
I was delighted this morning to have been part of the first stage of a 13 month project run by Inspiring Yarns and Glenside Farm social enterprises ‘Farm to Fabric ‘ project.
15 lovely people came along this morning to learn the first step in processing raw fleece on its journey towards the finished product – how to skirt and wash it. Complete with large trugs, water, detergent and optional disposable gloves, within 3 hours 5 fleeces – blue texel and Suffolk – had gone through this initial step, and laid out to dry.
The next step will take place on 2 November which will look at how to card or comb the washed fleece, ready to spin.
5 October 2024
News
August Soda Bread at Cockle Row Cottages
This was my view from my ‘office’ today! I was baking soda bread on the griddle at Cockle Row Cottages again. I love my visits here and really enjoy the atmosphere in Groomsport and look forward to visiting.
25 August 2024
News
Learn To Crochet at Kiri Cottage
As part of Ards & North Down Council’s Creative Peninsula season I ran a ‘learn to crochet’ workshop today. The four ladies who participated had never crocheted before. They did really well, picking up the basics, and learning how to include beads into their work.
8 August 2024
News
Kiri Cottage Hosts Karyn for Fairy Bells Workshop
We spent the morning drinking coffee, eating home made scones and soda bread, and making Fairy Bell charms (also known as Witch Bells), historically used for keeping good energy in and bad energy out of our houses. They were hung on window and door handles, and the bells chimed when there was danger or negative energy in the area.
6 August 2024
News
Kiri Cottage Nalbinding Workshop
On the evening of Monday 5th August, I ran a Nalbinding workshop in Ards Arts Centre, a great venue for workshops. Five lovely ladies came along and got to grips with Nalbinding very quickly and plan to keep practicing at home.
5 August 2024
News
Peg Loom Workshop at Kiri Cottage
Kiri Cottage had a very busy day today, with our normal every second Tuesday Craft Club, soda bread and scones this morning, and then a peg loom workshop this afternoon with Janet, Kim and Joanne.
30 July 2024
News
Gentleman’s Favour Straw Dollies at Kiri Cottage
Kiri Cottage was visited by another lovely family from Florida, visiting Belfast, the North Coast and Ards Peninsula. I was very fortunate to meet them at my workshop as part of their peninsula travels with tour guide Lizzie Charley.
24 July 2024
News
Kiri Cottage Hosts Bobby and Hal from Florida
It was lovely to meet Bobby and Hal this afternoon, over for a visit to Northern Ireland from Tampa Florida.
We swapped tales of Linenopolis and our linen ancestry for stories of growing pineapples in back gardens, and how to tell if they are ripe (by getting down on the ground and smelling the base of the pineapple – smells sweet and pineappley when ripe!).
We spent some interesting time in my workshop and I hope they went home to Florida with fond memories of the Ards Peninsula.
20 July 2024
News
Preparation for American Visitors at Kiri Cottage
I have been preparing the workshop for a group of American visitors later this afternoon. I have laid out the machinery I use to prepare wool for spinning to demonstrate to them and thought I would share a video of this, as well as some items ‘I made earlier!’
18 July 2024
News
Peg Loom Birthday Surprise at Kiri Cottage
Kiri Cottage hosted a lovely peg loom workshop this afternoon.
This was arranged as a surprise birthday party and we had some good fun with these very creative ladies.
17 July 2024
News
Dorset Buttons with Kiri Cottage Craft Club
Kiri Cottage Crafts Club was hosted by Jen today at her premises. We made Dorset Buttons from rings, wool and threads.
16 July 2024
News
Visit to the Isle of Man
I’m just back from a few days in the Isle of Man with my sister. We visited the lovely Pink Seaweed Gallery in Ramsey.
The owner showed us the contents of some old suitcases that she had been given, following the sad passing of their owner.
17 June 2024
News
Nalbinding – Success at Turnip House
I ran a Nalbinding workshop at Turnip House on Saturday and had 6 talented and enthusiastic students.
All picked up the technique really quickly, and between tea, coffee and Turnip House special soup, scones and cake we made great progress.
One lovely lady took her project home and finished it, and now has a nalbinded ear warmer for walking her dogs in the cold weather.
26 May 2024
Media Mentions
Kiri Cottage Business Video
Ards and North Down Tourism made a video about Kiri Cottage Crafts. I love how it has turned out.
23 October 2022
Kircubbin – The Ards Peninsula: An Ulster-Scots Heartland
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.
5 August 2022
Lucy Weaves with Nature
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.
29 June 2022
Spinning with Dog Hair
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.
1 March 2022