Tag: #spinning

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Helmshore Cotton Mill – Video Diary

A trip to Rossendale in Lancashire means many things to me.  It’s a place where I feel at ‘Home’. I catch up with my family and now and again I revisit aspects of the industrial heritage and it’s textiles stories that had sparked my love of textiles, many years ago.  I remember family tales from the Cotton Mills – of clogs sparking on cobbles, the Mee Mawing Language of Weavers and my great-aunt explaining how she used to thread a shuttle.  Helmshore Cotton Mill is one of the last remaining Mills in the Rossendale  Valley where you can truly experience the full glory of original machinery in working order.

Helmshore Cotton Mill is one of the last remaining Mills in the Rossendale Valley
Helmshore Cotton Mill is one of the last remaining Mills in the Rossendale Valley

This video is from a recent visit and shows some beautiful working Carding, Roving  & Spinning machines. It’s noisier than you might think!

A little bonus for you are the fabulous Fulling Machines showing how Military Wool Cloth was made.

If you have memories or family stories from the Mills, I’d love to hear them. Please share them below.
Continue reading “Helmshore Cotton Mill – Video Diary”

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Working with Wool – Green Dragon Eco Farm

On Bank Holiday Monday, I was invited along with my fellow Feltmakers to Green Dragon Eco Farm.   It’s was a joy to be part of Working with Wool.

Green Dragon Eco Farm Working With Wool Poster

Working with Wool

The venue had a huge hall filled to bursting with lots of spinning wheels, wet felting, a table loom and lots of beautiful wool art pieces (many of the artists will be participating soon in Bucks Arts Week).
As part of the Feltmakers ‘team’, I was kept busy, setting up our stand and teaching wet felting ‘make-n-takes’, however, it wasn’t long before long I was distracted and started chatting to the other exhibitors – easily done! Continue reading “Working with Wool – Green Dragon Eco Farm”

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Washing the Alpaca Fleece

Most people are happy with a pet goldfish, cat or dog but my younger sister has an alpaca or three. They have a wonderful temperament and keep the weeds down in her meadow and also produce wonderful fleece…. which she gives to me !

A Pet Alpaca

Most people are happy with a goldfish, cat or dog as a pet. My younger sister has some Suri alpacas. They have a wonderful temperament, keep the weeds down in her meadow and produce wonderful fleece, which she gives to me !

Alpaca fleece

Continue reading “Washing the Alpaca Fleece”