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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!’
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.
Kiri Cottage Crafts Club was hosted by Jen today at her premises. We made Dorset Buttons from rings, wool and threads.
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.
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.
Kiri Cottage Crafts is partnering with Turnip House to offer a Nalbinding with lunch workshop. This is a form of early Scandinavian knitting, often associated with the vikings.
Limited to 6 participants. Book now!
I’m away for a couple of days in Winchester for a wee holiday, and of course I found a craft workshop to go to!
It was about making a copper bowl, at The Colour Factory in Winchester.
Today I spun some of my own hand-dyed wool. This was dyed using Kraftcolour Landscape dye in both Teal and Fern.
This afternoon I took part in a Dorset Button workshop at the Craft Room, Newtownards, with Karen, Sharon, Sarah and Ethna.
Here is a brand new Nalbinding workshop at Kiri Cottage Crafts. This is a form of early Scandinavian knitting, often associated with the vikings. This is Oslo stitch, one of many Nalbinding stitches.
I’ve been working on two art batts today, created on my Brother Drum Carder.
I’m looking forward to spinning these later today.
These are a mixture of wool, bamboo, tencel, recycled sari silk and trilobal for a bit of sparkle. Pretty!
I have recently completed a couple of commissions. One for two pet sheep (spun and dyed) and one for alpacas.
Great fun today with two lovely ladies, Ciara and Joanne. They came for a therapeutic, social, craft day, and both learned to spin. And we developed knitting skills in the afternoon, mastering plain, purl and rib.
This was a visit to Cockle Row Cottages this afternoon for another soda bread making demo.
I shared the cottage with Santa and one of his elves. There were also two visiting alpacas and a lovely group of flautists playing Christmas songs.
The soda bread was very popular with visitors and I hope to be back again very soon.
Merry Christmas to all at Cockle Row Cottages!
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.
