MY JOURNEY - SPINNING, DYEING for WEAVING

 

My new blog is about my journey with spinning, dyeing and weaving at Orange Cottages.

A few weeks ago we decided to buy one of our granddaughters an Ashford Heddle Loom 24" for her ninth birthday. That triggered my interest in weaving and I intend to borrow the loom to try weaving myself. Meanwhile I started to research weaving in order to support my Granddaughter. 

There is a wealth of information on Facebook groups and on you tube videos. However as a prolific knitter and having recently returned to crochet, I have always been disappointed at the lack of good British wool products at reasonable prices.

I was shocked to find that farmers get about £1 a fleece from the wool marketing board which goes no way into even paying for the shearing and many fleece end up being burnt or going into landfill.

One Facebook group Weaving and spinning for beginners has been invaluable https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeavingandSpinningforbeginners 

I learnt how to source fleece sometimes through ebay but also groups on UK facebook sites and joined a spinning group UK spin-a-holics https://www.facebook.com/groups/1590818151231693 

Mike bought me this lovely Ashford Traditional spinning wheel from George Weil https://www.georgeweil.com/

I bought two fleece one a Black Nosed Valais from Stewart's Valais Scotland https://www.facebook.com/Stewarts-Valais-Blacknose-Scotland-2151099458443743/ and another from Ebay a Blue Faced Leicester for £10 plus postage.
I learnt to scour, card and am now learning to spin.