Craft activities

While you are staying in Dove Cottage why not try your hand at learning to spin or weave. I offer the following craft activities by arrangement:

The sessions are held in my wool workshop, a converted mill. Equipment is available for hire during your stay. The activities are suitable for older children under supervision. Sessions will take one or two hours and cost £5 per hour plus materials.

Beginners spinning

You will learn how to make yarn out of wool fibres using a drop spindle and a spinning wheel. You will learn how to wash and prepare wool for spinning using hand carders and a drumcarder.

Crazy carding and spinning art yarns

You will have fun carding different fibres and colours including scraps of fabric. You will use the resulting batts to produce one of a kind art yarns. Have a go at spinning thick and thin yarn, making coils, fancy plying...

Spinning not just wool

Once you have mastered the basics of spinning you can have a go spinning other fibres such as silk, cotton or alpaca.

Weaving narrow bands on an inkle loom

Have a go at using a simple loom to produce a narrow band, which you can use for example as a bookmark or as a strap for a bag.