Cley Woolly Workshop 20th July 2013

Each year Cley Contemporary Art holds an exhibition on the north Norfolk Coast in the beautiful church to promote exceptional contemporary art by national and local artists in varying disciplines: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, collage, textiles, sculpture, mixed media and installation.
One of the project's key aims is to make contemporary art more accessible, the exhibition is accompanied by complementary workshops and events. The workshops encourage members of the public to participate actively in art making and the evnts bring in a wider range of arts related subjects including poetry, storytelling and music. Events and workshops draw on local artists and performers who offer art-related activities and cultural experiences to all.
This year, we held a Woolly Workshop-
WOOLLY WORKSHOP THIS WORKSHOP IS FULLY BOOKED
Saturday 20 July, 10am-4pm
Tutors: Kally Davidson & Kim Marangon
Ever wanted to be more experimental with your yarn? Come and experience the freestyle inventiveness of a woolly workshop, with new twists on old techniques:
- learn to spin with a twig
- create giant yarns on spinning wheels
- try freestyle Saori weaving on foldable floor looms
- sculpt giant freeform crochet
- play with mini and interactive body knitting
Materials provided but please bring fabric, yarns, memorabilia and messages/poems that you’d like to incorporate into your work to create a personalised, multi-dimensional textile piece.
Passion essential, experience not necessary.

Spinning new jumbo extreme yarns on spinning wheels

Freestyle weaving on Saori looms

 Giant extreme knitting :) Great fun day had by all many thanks :)

Woolfest, Cockermouth, Cumbria - 28th 29th June 2013

The Saori Shed went up to Woolfest in Cumbria. We set up 2 Saori weaving looms for everyone to have a try at some freestyle weaving.We had an amazingly fun weekend! A massive thank you to all the people who organised such a brilliant event and to all the lovely people we met who came for a weave - for those of you who have never been, Woolfest is one of the largest fibre festivals in the UK and is complete heaven! I could have happily moved in :)

 Weavers of all ages and abilities had a fun on the looms.

 Over the 2 days visitors wove a 3.75 metre Saori banner on the Piccolo loom and a 3 meter banner on the SX60. 
We raffled the Piccolo banner at the end of the weekend and it has been sent to the winning ticket holder :)

 

The Saori Shed was awarded a crocheted red rossette for being the best demonstration stall :) This is lovely, we had a great time! The rossette and banner from the SX60 are on display now in the studio.

Handmade crochet hooks by WoollenWood -

Elsewhere at Woolfest - Beautifull weaving with nature by Elizabeth Cadd - encouraging visitors to make woven panels with seasonal materials, flowers, leaves, fleece. There was some really beautiful, unique pieces all made of natural materials.

 The Materialistics - Once upon a time. Fantastic knitted, crocheted scenes from childrens books, I loved the very hungry caterpillar.

Woolfest also held the first Woollycultural show - visitors created vegetables, fruit, flowers and miniature gardens that were judged in the show. I can not put into words how much I love the fun, unique, inspiring ideas and creations that come from the 'woolly community', that puts a smile on everyones faces :)
There was an overwhelming amount of fibres to choose from different suppliers, yarns, equipment and beautiful things that talented people have made.
There was a brilliant turn out of rare breed sheeps that were gorgeous to see, here are some of my favourites -

 North Ronaldsy - lovely horns!!

 Teeswater                                               Gotland

 Jacobs

Cashmere goat
A fantasticly exciting, inspiring fibre festival - Woolfest is fibre heaven!

Sheep have been shorn! June

The sheep have been shorn for the first time!
We have 3 llanwenwogs and 2 Ryeands living here that we got as lambs last year. 

 The shearer came to give them theit first hair cut :)

 30 seconds later :

Now 5 bags of lovely fleece that I am going to wash and dye for people to use in the studio and 5 very happy, cooler sheep :)

Weaving Session @ the studio - June 13, 14

Ruth came to the studio for a two day weaving session. 
For the last three years Ruth has had trouble with here hands which mean that repetitive movements can be painful and difficult. She had to give up using her large floor loom but can still weave on her table looms and is waiting for a new computerised loom to arrive. She was taught in a 'traditional' way and was excited by the freeing concept of Saori weaving.

 We had a very exciting couple of days where the boundaries of 'traditional' weaving were definately pushed to their outer limits! Freeing the straight selvedge, embracing all the bumps and letting the yarn direct us to where it likes to be :)

 Ruth did some wild things, focussing on sections of warps to make patterned windows, gorgeous!

The beautyful finished piece that Ruth wove, showing many different techniques to remind her when shes at her loom at home :) We had breaks so that her hands could rest but the general feeling was that using a Saori loom, with light shuttles, was definately easier and more comfortable. An exciting couple of days with a fantastically inspiring and talented weaver, many thanks Ruth :)

Weaving Workhop at The Vauxhall Centre, Norwich - 11 June 2013

The Saori Shed took a Saori weaving loom and lots of 'lap looms' along to the Vauxhall centre for a morning of freestyle weaving with no restrictions!
We had a group of 20 ladies wildly weaving all morning. Many found it joyfull, one lady found it stressfull but great, as it gave her something different to be frustrated with - away from the other stresses in life.

There was lots of quiet concentration for a while as the weavings took their shape.
The Vauxhall Centre is a day centre for people with physical disabilities in the centre of Norwich. They have regular 'ladies' mornings where all the ladies get a chance to catch up and try new things - crafts, games etc. 
Thanks for a fanastic weaving, morning.

Faraway Tree Festival - 18 May 2013

A fantastic, festival at Ringsfield Hall, Suffolk.
Enchanted woods with magical things around every corner. Great fun for all :) More info about The Faraway Tree is at https://www.facebook.com/events/205384879600696/?fref=ts

We were in the Woolly tent for the day, showing the joyfull art of Saori weaving on the Piccolo loom. 



 
The giant crochet hooks and 
knitting needles were out so 
everyone could have a go at 
some extreme crafting! 


 Giant yarns by WoollenWood.