This post is about a sheep, a very special sheep called HRH or Old Leader. HRH, photo by Nan Bray, used with her permission In 2016, I had the great fortune to encounter a very lovely fleece from White Gum Wool whilst studying for the Spinning Certificate run by the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of […]
This is a wonderful, fascinating book. The patterns are extraordinary and require lots of gazing upon and wondering at. But this is the bit that truly amazes me. Have a look at these knitting symbols. Now consider these words from the introduction. Unlike other stitch pattern charts you may have seen, Japanese charts do not […]
Dear Readers, The Artisans Textile Festival, part of the Australian Sheep and Wool Show extravaganza was almost two weeks ago now and it was a great success! The Bendigo Bowls Club was packed to the rafters, warm as toast and buzzing with energy. I was there on the Saturday, staffing the My Spin on Things […]
Thank you dear readers for your enthusiastic support of the latest endeavours at Needle and Spindle, and now…a little more news. Along with the Natural Gradient Alpaca Shawl Kits, I will have also been preparing English Leicester locks for sale at the Artisans Textile Festival next weekend in Bendigo. For a long time, I have […]
For some time now, quietly and slowly, I’ve been developing a series of spinning kits that I hope will make local fibres more accessible to spinners. I will be releasing my first kit at the Artisans Textile Festival in Bendigo 20-22 July. The Natural Gradient Alpaca Shawl Kit celebrates the wonderful natural colours of local alpaca. This […]
Thank you so very much for the marvellous response to my post last week. As I said, it wasn’t a post I expected to write and now I am so glad I did, as you really got me thinking and I am grateful for that. Over the last week, I’ve been tending to our knitwear. […]
Well, I am back dear readers…well, sort of. My children have been taking turns in being home sick and between that and a few family administration sagas, my limited energy has prevented me from returning to this place as regularly as I would wish. One of the most frustrating things about ME/CFS is the limitations […]
The doldrums: an equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with calms, sudden storms, and light unpredictable winds that has come to mean a period of stagnation or depression. Sometimes we get stuck, the wind goes out of our sails and we lose impetus and direction in our crafting. I often feel like this during a long […]
Dearest readers, I want to let you know about some crafty events coming up in my home state. Many of you will know about The Craft Sessions retreat that happens every September in the Yarra Valley. Felicia Semple has connected with many sewists and knitters with her thoughtful reflections on skill and creativity and her ongoing […]
And here it is, a sock knitted in Shropshire yarn. Today’s post is one in a series called Tuff Socks Naturally, an open, collaborative project exploring more sustainable alternatives to superwash and nylon in sock yarn. You can join in on the discussion, share pics and projects on this blog or Local and Bespoke or on instagram using […]
