Spinning & weaving.

Lesley Nugent.

Over the Winter months, there has been a revival of interest in traditional crafts, particularly spinning and weaving.

A group of six ladies, one of whom had a spinning wheel and one a weaving frame, met occasionally to pool skills and knowledge.

After meeting a couple of times, two of the group were sufficiently inspired to get their own spinning wheel; one had hers custom made by her husband, a table-top electric wheel with adjustable speed. Another member of the group developed an enthusiasm for weaving and commissioned the aforementioned inventor to construct a frame loom for weaving rugs.

Most of the wool used for spinning is home produced and over the Winter months, a great deal of wool has been spun ready for knitting. The wool used in weaving rugs is washed but unspun and receives only a simple hand twist, the finished rugs having an interesting depth and texture.

The group are planning to stage an Exhibition of Spinning, Weaving and Dying, with all the processes involved, at the Coll Show, August 1991. Anyone interested in learning these skills are welcome to come along.