What a fantastic Gaelic Wool Festival in Benderloch/Oban

What an amazing 3 days we had at the Gaelic Wool Festival, Feis Cothlam at the Kintaline farm and in Benderloch from Thursday, the 17th to Saturday the 19th of July. We were so lucky to have sunshine most of the time. It was my first time at the Kintaline farm, a beautiful place in Argyll, not far from the sea. On Thursday lots of folk enjoyed a visit to the farmers market with additional stalls all about sheep, wool and wool craft and some other crafts. 

Not to forget Sgioba Luaidh, the waulking women, who sang gaelic waulking songs while waulking a handwoven tweed cloth. The waulking or fulling makes the hand woven fabric thicker, matts the fibers together, so the cloth becomes stronger and more water proof. This cloth was soaked in soapy water over night. 

The hand woven tweed during the walking process

I had a go at waulking and many others too. The waulking and the songs were a beautiful addition to the market. 

Beautiful spinning wheels for sale

Heartfelt by Liz's colourful wool and all you need for felting, spinning etc. stall.

I had a stall that day, demonstrating needle felting.

My creative fiber craft stall with all the needle felted creations

In the afternoon I walked through the farm's colourful garden to see the shearing of a sheep's fleece. A couple of Shetland sheep in different colour shades from beige to almost black where there to be sheared. 

I love the wool from the Shetland sheep

The shearer was shearing a small dark sheep, quietly and concentrated, alert of possible movements of the sheep and trying to keep it in a still position, using a pair of shearing clippers or scissors to shear the fleece off the sheep. I was impressed how quick and focused he worked, holding the sheep and moving it to the one or other side as needed. We, the observers watched silently full of aw and a little tense too, as we were aware of the difficult task, which had to be finished in one go. 

Eventually the fleece was sheared, a very dark brown wool, soft and still warm from the sheep's body temperature. 

Freshly sheared Shetland wool fleece

The next day, Friday we had workshops running and fiber craft skill sharing. I was facilitating a needle felt workshop in the morning and one in the afternoon. That was good fun! The participants enjoyed learning a new skill and being creative. 

Participants response:  

- "Enjoyed the whole experience. Thank you for giving the opportunity to try something new."  

- "I really enjoyed the workshop and the skills taught to me by Laryna. It has inspired me to take up felting and to try other creative ways of using wool."
Participants needle felt creations:

     

 

The Friday fiber craft day finished with an interesting and informative talk and a demonstration about Bedouin weaving in Kuwait. 
 


On Saturday we enjoyed a craft market with a wide range of fiber craft stalls, fleeces, fibers, tools and all you need to get creative with wool. 

Made a couple of mini gnomes

My stall

Fairy friends

What a fantastic event we had, with lots of interested visitors and participants. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers, who made this colourful and inspiring event possible to happen.

Feis Cothlam: Gaelic Wool Festival 2014

Looking forward to a weekend of all woolly things!

 

On Thursday you can find me at the market demonstrating needle felting and displaying my needle felted fairies, dwarfs and more felted goodies. Friday morning and afternoon I'll facilitate a 2,5h needle felt workshops. You'll learn to needle felt a gnome, or a fairy or other nature related items. On Saturday 10am - 4pm there will be a market with all wool- and wool craft related items and stalls where you can see and buy all the goodies around wool, sheep & textile craft. You can find me there at a stall with my felted fiber craft goodies.

Here you can find out more about the event:

lorn.org.uk/woolfeis2014 
Here's a link to an article about the event: 

Needle felted ornaments

Needle felting a leaf

The dwarfs say "Hello"

Inkle loom weaving

The inkle loom got a new warp, so we could use it at the Royal Highland Show. When I started to plan a warp for the inkle loom, I remembered that I was given some coloured cotton yarn a little while ago. It was actually perfect for a pretty warp in 6 different vibrant colours: Royal blue, purplish red, pink, lilac, light pink and bright yellow cotton yarn. I had a vague idea how I wanted the strap to look like. So I started winding the warp thread after thread on the inkle loom. I wanted the warp to be symmetrical. After 23 threads I decided that's the centre thread and mirrored the warp symmetrical to what I had warped already.   

Warped loom

After the the inkle loom was warped I had to make the leashes. I used a strong fine white cotton thread for the leashes. The distance between the two top pegs was just perfect to make the leashes, winding the thread around the pegs and tie the ends with a double knot together. That's how I made 23 leashes for every second thread.      

I then wound the leashes around every thread wish went over the upper front peg, leaving always a thread witch went over the upper back peg in - between. The leashes make it possible to have two different sheds. The method wish is used here to build a shed is simple and unique to inkle loom weaving. 

Inkle loom warped and I had started with weaving

For the weft I wound royal blue cotton yarn around a wooden shuttle. The shuttle is also used to push the weft into place. 

 

That's how it looks like after the first couple of shots

I used the same royal blue yarn for the weft as for the outer threads. That makes it easier to weave a proper selvedge. It is a warp faced strap and you see the weft only at the edges.

Almost finished strap

When we went to the Royal Highland Show the vibrant colours attracted the attention of visitors. Many children and adults had a few shots to try out the weaving on this special and quite simple loom.

...and here it is!

The finished strap has a length of 2m and is 5,5cm wide. It can be used as a guitar strap, a strap for a bag or as a belt.

At the Royal Highland Show

Royal Highland Show in Ingliston/Edinburgh

Galgael's wood craft and wool craft stall at the RHS

From the 19th to the 22nd of June I was enjoying fantastic times at the Royal Highland Show. I was part of a team of volunteers at GalGael. As Galgael is a place of people mainly working with wood, we wool crafters, Gillian and myself had the opportunity to demonstrate wool craft beside the wood carvers. We practiced, demonstrated and supervised weaving at different kinds of looms: 
1.Rag rug weaving on an upright floor loom. 

Floor loom

2. Warping and weaving a scarf, using a table loom.

Making a warp in a very simple way with 3 stakes

Finished warp ready to go on the hand loom 

We had 2 spinning wheels, a couple of drop spindles, hand carders and a drum carder for use. 
Those visitors, who wished could try their luck at weaving and spinning and were supervised by Gillian and myself. We had interesting, inspiring and fun conversations with visitors of the show and were a great team together with the wood carvers. I hope we did Galgael proud! Really enjoyed these days at the show!

Spinning at my scottish spinning wheel

Various Felt Workhops

 

Get creative with colourful sheep’s wool! Felt making is fun for all ages!

  "In the magical natural realm” Needle felt workshop for adults on Tuesday, the 17th of June 2014, 7-9pm  Skill level: Beginners Price: £12/£10    

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  Fortnightly needle felt workshops on Wednesday mornings 10-11.30am; Wed. 25^th of June, 9th and 23^rd of July.  All skill levels. Price: £6. We like it relaxed & love to have a bit of a chat too. 

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  Adults and Children needle felt workshop (Children from ~7 years onwards, accompanied by an adult) on Wednesday, 2^nd of July 2.30-4pm. All skill levels. Price: £6 per person. 

 

These workshops will take place in Glasgow/Bishopbriggs, 63 Crowhill Road G64 1QY

Included in the workshop price are all the materials you will need, tea and coffee plus delicious biscuits. 

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Adults & children wet felt workshop at GalGael/Ibrox (Children from ~7 years onwards, accompanied by an adult) on Thursday, 10th of July 4-5.30pm. Skill level: Beginners and improver Price: £6/£5 per person. Included in the workshop price are all the materials you will need & a cup of tea/coffee. 

Venue for this workshop: Galgael, Glasgow/Ibrox 15 Fairley Street, G51 2SN

For all felt workshops: Please book per email or phone: 07503210416.

For more information about felt making and workshops, please contact me.

Please make your payment at the beginning of the workshop. 

I look forward to welcome you to a felt workshop!

~ Really enjoyed felting for the first time Thanks for the great teaching. You were very patient and fun. Katie ~

~ Thank you for a lovely day, making felt. My hat is lovely. It’s amazing! Nuria ~