Local Wools and Natural Colours...

I started off knitting as a child, which became a business in my 20s and now 40 years later I’ve slowed down a bit and take time to spin and weave.

I saw an exhibition in Chicago thirty years ago of Islamic prayer rugs and thought, “I want to make my own prayer rugs!” It took another 20 years but I trained with Jason Collingwood and went back in 2013 when I had more help from him. The prayer rugs are woven on a 4 shaft loom and at the moment I’m hoping to do something original with humble twill. I dye all my wools with natural dyes and grow my own woad and madder. All my wool is locally sourced, and I am a passionate spindle spinner.

The plan was originally to spin all the yarn, but now I’m buying 25 fleeces at a time, taking them to a small mill in Cardigan and letting them spin it. It may take me 6 months otherwise to spin enough wool for a rug. I then dye the wool and weave.

I buy soft fleece in many different natural colours: greys, fawns, and browns in maybe 30 different shades and love to knit and weave with these.