on After hearing from Sally yesterday about the work that goes into producing wool at the breeding and farming stage, we thought it would be nice to move along the chain to learn how that wool is then turned into a yarn. Sue Blacker of Blacker Yarns and the Natural Fibre Company joins us to talk… Continue Reading Designing a Yarn, Part 1
on ‘Two safe pairs of hands. Ella Gordon and Sandra Manson from Jamieson and Smith, the Woolbrokers in Lerwick, admiring a cobweb lace shawl.’ – Jeni Reid
on Today’s Wovember Words come from an amazing Victorian publication entitled Strawbridge & Clothier’s Quarterly and describe a type of open-weave and delicate fabric made from worsted-spun wool. You can still buy this fabric today, and it is very interesting to discover its use in Summer Costumes for Victorian ladies. I think it’s especially interesting because… Continue Reading Wovember Words: Nun's Veiling
on In week one of WOVEMBER we met Sally Antill who discussed the unique fleeces of the Soft Fell sheep that she and her husband, Michael, breed and their involvement in a fantastic community ‘sheep to shawl’ event, in Northumberland. Today Sally is here again to discuss the evolution of the breed, one which produces a… Continue Reading Sally Antill: Evolution of the Soft Fell sheep #2
on ‘How to use up small scraps of handspun yarn – make a very thin scarf. The purple yarn was dyed with logwood. I may have bought the green yarn.’ – Jeni Reid
on Last week TEAM WOVEMBER featured sheep bells in Wovember Words. This prompted Louise to look into something touched on in Stella Sutherland’s poem (also last week) with the Shetland Ewe wearing her “hard triangle of sticks”. As a small child I was often surrounded by sheep on our croft on Bressay and was quite familiar with their… Continue Reading Wovember Words: branks, yokes, pokes or bjoags?
on Continuing from the wool care posts we did last week, this evening we are joined by Freyalyn who is the amazing force of life and WOOL behind Freyalyn’s Fibres, who shares her method for washing raw fleece. How *I* wash a fleece. There are as many ways to wash a fleece as there are breeds… Continue Reading Washing Fleece with Freyalyn
on ‘Ronnie Eunson’s Rams. Ronnie is one of the members of Shetland Organics, an organisation promoting organic fleece and wool from the Shetland islands.’ – Jeni Reid
on Here at WOVEMBER we have already looked at some of the actions and words which have historically been associated with shepherding. Here we have another action associated with wool working, which has it’s own unique method and measure. The ends of a length of newly woven cloth are sewn together to make a circle, and… Continue Reading Wovember Words: Waulking
on One reason for posting here about yarn production, the origins of wool in the landscape and so on is that these articles help recall what wool is and why it is special. However they also reconnect the textiles that we use and wear in daily life to the daily lives of shepherds, shearers, spinners, mill… Continue Reading A story about turning into yourself and coming full circle