Kiri Cottage with Ciara and Joanne
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.
Category: Workshops
Workshops carried out at Kiri Cottage, Loughdoo Road, Kircubbin
Crochet for Wellness
Hats off to Clive from from Welig Heritage Crafts, Portaferry, as he guided four of us through the process of weaving a hare from willow.
Barr Hall Residential Home Christmas Tree Decorations
We did some Christmas crafting this morning at Barrhall Residential Home when the residents created some lovely tree decorations.
Such creative people! Merry Christmas to all the residents and staff of Barr Hall!
Final Session with Portavogie Seniors
I ran my final craft session of the year with the Portavogie Seniors Club this week. We made some simple ribbon Christmas wreaths.
It never ceases to amaze me how many creative people there are, and how everyone sees a project in a different way. I provided an example (one I made earlier…), and a box full of material strips, ribbons, charms and wooden Christmas decorations on each table, and off everyone went to create their own wreath.
I’d say this was a very successful session and I wish all of the seniors a very Merry Christmas!
Ballywalter Seniors Craft Session 4
The very creative ladies and gentleman of Ballywalter Seniors Club made a herd of alpacas at their meeting last Monday.
Armed with felt, beads, ribbon and a rainbow of embroidery threads, they stitched their way through the session, most not even stopping to have their tea and sandwiches (well, until the pineapple delights arrived…).
Great, enthusiastic bunch – thank you all for an entertaining afternoon!
Donkey Harness Weaving
I hosted a donkey harness weaving workshop for Finnigan Tools.
Paddy has engineered a unique, sustainable and welfare focussed method of making harness for donkeys, and we were privileged to learn the method and make some parts for the harness here at Kiri Cottage Crafts on the Ards Peninsula. They will be sent out to his working partner in Africa.
Willow Hare Workshop
Hats off to Clive from from Welig Heritage Crafts, Portaferry, as he guided four of us through the process of weaving a hare from willow.
Another Session with Portavogie Seniors
The very creative ladies and gentleman of Ballywalter Seniors Club made a herd of alpacas at their meeting last Monday.
Armed with felt, beads, ribbon and a rainbow of embroidery threads, they stitched their way through the session, most not even stopping to have their tea and sandwiches (well, until the pineapple delights arrived…).
Great, enthusiastic bunch – thank you all for an entertaining afternoon!
Ballywalter Seniors Craft Session 3
The very creative ladies and gentleman of Ballywalter Seniors Club made a herd of alpacas at their meeting last Monday.
Armed with felt, beads, ribbon and a rainbow of embroidery threads, they stitched their way through the session, most not even stopping to have their tea and sandwiches (well, until the pineapple delights arrived…).
Great, enthusiastic bunch – thank you all for an entertaining afternoon!
Creative Peninsula Beads and Bracelets
After a spinning and a peg loom workshop the third of my creative peninsula workshops was all about making bracelets with beads, using a number of different techniques.
Creative Peninsula Craic
As part of the Ards and North Down Council run Creative Peninsula, I ran a spinning and a peg loom weaving workshop.
Creative Peninsula 2023
Kiri Cottage Crafts is very happy to announce we are participating in the hugely popular Creative Peninsula again this year!
This is happening up and down the Peninsula between 27 July – 13 August 2023
Mourne Alpacas
I ran a couple of craft sessions in collaboration with Mourne Alpacas, Dromara this month, with groups of students from local schools.
The teenagers spent the mornings being introduced to the alpacas (and all the other animals on the farm), learning about alpacas, about their fleeces and all the things that can be made from it.
I ran beaded bracelets sessions with them, using pony beads and alpaca charms, and was amazed at their creativity and how engaged they were with the craft.
Mother and Daughter Craft Trail
My wool spinning workshop last month was one stop on a craft trail that a daughter had put together for her mother’s 75th birthday.
Mum didn’t know what she was coming to do until they arrived with me on a lovely sunny bank holiday afternoon.
The two ladies had visited a number of places and attended other craft related talks and workshops during their travels, and it was great to hear their experiences. They were visiting from where they lived in Devon, and have been over to Ireland a few times, following family connections and locations.
Neither had spun on a spinning wheel before, but both picked it up very quickly and went home with a ball each of their own hand spun wool.
Ballywalter Seniors
The very creative ladies and gentleman of Ballywalter Seniors Club made a herd of alpacas at their meeting last Monday.
Armed with felt, beads, ribbon and a rainbow of embroidery threads, they stitched their way through the session, most not even stopping to have their tea and sandwiches (well, until the pineapple delights arrived…).
Great, enthusiastic bunch – thank you all for an entertaining afternoon!
Rag Rug Workshop
This Rag Rug workshop take two, with Portavogie seniors a couple of weeks, ago saw us making rag rugs on Hessian sacking with crochet hooks and rug latch tools.
There was lots of chat, and hard work helped with the creativity. A cup of tea and a biscuit was very welcome!
Crafts from the Lower Ards
This workshop offered an insight into traditional craft industries that provided an income for women on the Ards Peninsula in the 1800s.
Portavogie and Ballywalter Senior Clubs
I have been commissioned to provide a number of craft sessions for both Portavogie and Ballywalter senior clubs. The first of these workshops ran this week with a lovely group of ladies in Portavogie.
Make Along Week 1
I decided to make something for myself for a change, and came across a ‘Make Along’ from the Danish wool sales company Hobbii:
https://hobbii.co.uk/noshadesofgrey-make-along-for-knitters
Interestingly, they don’t let you see the final garment, but release parts of the pattern every week over a six week period. There is both a knitted and a crochet option, and you can buy a kit from them, or buy your own wool and access the pattern for free.
Valentine’s at Barr Hall Residential Home
The residents in Barr Hall Residential Home were gearing up for Valentine’s day this morning, by colouring in hearts, and decorating them with crystals, ribbons and beads.
Working with Alpaca Wool
I have been working with alpaca wool for many years now, but, a number of clients asked me to spin their own alpaca’s fleeces for them over the last few months.
Spinning and Dyeing
I have been spinning and dyeing wool for many years for my weaver friend, Marion. This weekend I completed another 10kgs for her.
Barr Hall Residential Home
I ran a craft session with the residents of Barr Hall Residential Home to make a New Year Banner.
Knit for Nowt!
‘Worry Monsters’ are used by therapists to help children deal with their worries and concerns. They have a big pouch in their tummies where children can put their worries, written on paper, and the monster eats them.
Christmas Tree Weaving Workshop
Christmas Tree weaving for the residents of Maryland Healthcare.
Peg Looms at Spinning Yarns
Participants enjoyed my Peg Loom Workshop at the busy Spinning Yarn Festival at Mossley Mill Complex.
Spinning Yarns Festival 2022
I had a lovely day today at the Spinning Yarns Festival at the Mossley Mill Complex. I ran Peg Loom Weaving workshops and taught a few ladies how to spin as well. There was a fantastic atmosphere at this year’s festival and I really hope to be involved again next year. See you there? Spinning […]
Friendship Bracelets on a Beading Loom
Once you have mastered a bracelet, you can use your imagination for other uses for a piece of beaded trimming, making it into a longer strap or edging for other projects or clothing.
Glastonbury Workshop
Spinning and peg loom weaving in an impromptu one day workshop in the glorious Somerset sun-shine with friends, old and new!
Weaving with Nature
Hand dyed sheep and alpaca fleece, flax, linen yarn, foliage and flowers from our own gardens made very individual wall hangings, and we embellished them with beads and charms.
Craft Workshops
Craft workshops can make great opportunities to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, even just friendships. Large range of workshops available all year round.
Aran Knitting
Aran Knitting Workshop at Kiri Cottage