on ‘This was taken at dusk near Voe, Shetland. It’s the veiw from Colin Johnston’s farm and I was struck by the shoreline. It looks just like the edges of a Hap Shawl. Maybe I’ve spent too much time staring at knitting!’ – Jeni Reid And for comparison, an actual hap shawl blocking in the Shetland… Continue Reading Hap Shawl Landscape
on When I was small I was fascinated by a packaged cake of soap in a friend’s loo. I went home to say that next door that had soap made from “fat wool”. Wool fat soap is actually lanolin, the natural wax (not fat) in sheep’s wool, which waterproofs our woolly friends and provides anti-fungal protection.… Continue Reading Wovember Words: Wool fat 'recipe'
on Continuing from today’s WOVEMBER WORDS, this evening we have a wonderful piece by Ella Gordon on the joys of using a traditional Shetland jumper board. This piece was originally published here on Ella’s blog. If WOVEMBER readers do not already read Ella’s blog it is really an amazing treasure trove of woolly lore. She writes… Continue Reading Boarding
on ‘Naturally dyed BFL fibre. This was dyed with elderberries which changed colour from pink to green when I added an alkaline modifier.’ – Jeni Reid
on Yesterday we featured a film from the 1950s produced by the Whirlpool Corporation which really pushed the idea that wool is impossible to care for. However with the right information, caring for WOOL need not be a horrible chore and is the best way to extend its lifespan. In today’s WOVEMBER WORDS we share an… Continue Reading Wovember Words: tips for blocking stranded colourwork YOKES
on It is Friday night, folks, and we thought we would share some extraordinary archival footage detailing the complex relationship between WOOL and PETROL. These films are both from the 1950s and were found in the amazing Prelinger Archives. They are each very interesting when viewed from a certain critical perspective. The first film is called… Continue Reading Friday Night Vi-EWE-ing with WOVEMBER!
on ‘In the far north west of mainland Scotland is a tiny place called Stoer. This is a brown cheviot fleece that I was given when I happened to walk past the shearers as they worked. The white fleeces all go to the Wool Board and coloured fleeces are generally discarded. What a waste.’
on Today we reflect on why and when wondrous WOOL began to be blended with, or supplanted by, man-made fibres. We delve into K.G. Ponting’s important tome – ‘The Wool Trade’ – to find the key roles that cost and rayon-viscose played in these developments. During the nineteenth century attempts were first made to cheapen wool… Continue Reading Wovember Words: The Advent of Man-made Fibres
on Chrissie Day is a textile artist who runs Teesdale Fibres. She has made it her mission to source local wool and her pedigree Teeswater and BFL yarns have been dyed by Yarn Garden , proving hugely popular at the wool shows this year. As well as finding time to run her wool production she is… Continue Reading British from Fleece to Finish
on ‘Combing fibre in the back garden. These are Louet mini combs and as they are my only combs they have to work very hard indeed. The fibre, I think, is a Texel X from Strathearn Fleece and Fibre in Perthshire. It makes great jumper yarn. Dutch knitters used to make Ganseys from Texel yarn, it… Continue Reading Combing fibre in the back garden