WOOLNESS & THE LAND: Rob Wolton on ecology and balance

This evening Paula Wolton has enlisted the help of her husband Rob Wolton – an experienced ecologist and environmentalist. Paula has worked alongside him as her partner in life and farming for 30 odd years which has led to heated discussion and interesting compromise from which she feels both have learnt and grown. In curating… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & THE LAND: Rob Wolton on ecology and balance

WOOLNESS & ME: Liddy the Lamb

Today’s Woolness & Me post was written by longterm Wovember supporter and contributor Sara Dunham of Punkin’s Patch, who has written about the incredible bedside manner of one of the lambs in her flock. Liddy’s mom didn’t love her. She’d feed the lamb if forced but after a couple days we gave up. We tried… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & ME: Liddy the Lamb

WOOLNESS & THE LAND: Sally Vergette on healing from the foot & mouth crisis of 2001

This post was curated by Paula Wolton for our Woolness and the Land theme and features the voice of Sally Vergette. She explores the pain of the Foot & Mouth crisis of the early 00s, and the role that working with wool played in aiding her recovery from this devastation. Both this post and the… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & THE LAND: Sally Vergette on healing from the foot & mouth crisis of 2001

WOOLNESS & ME: The Woolly Pedlar

Today’s Woolness & Me post was written by Sue Reed, aka The Woolly Pedlar, who is here to talk about ‘woolness’ in the context of the profound effect that working with wool has had on her outlook. The sustainable and recycling aspects of her practice also speak to our theme this week of Woolness and… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & ME: The Woolly Pedlar

WOOLNESS & THE LAND: Introducing Paula Wolton

This week we are exploring the topic Woolness & The Land and our guest curator is Paula Wolton – the passionate farmer and creative force behind One Hut Full and One Change. One Hut Full is a touring shepherd’s hut with a multimedia installation celebrating the wool farming year in Dartmoor. Conceived to engage, inspire… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & THE LAND: Introducing Paula Wolton

WOOLNESS & ME…And the land, the sheep, and the knitter too

Today’s Woolness & Me post was written by Pauline MacPherson from Midlothian, who has been so inspired by the good that wool can do, that she’s recently started her own wool business. As it slides through our fingers, as it warms our bodies, as it soothes our minds, we know the ways in which wool… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & ME…And the land, the sheep, and the knitter too

Crochet, Community and Wellbeing

Earlier this year I stumbled across a lovely instagram account @coastalcrochet run by the equally lovely Eleonora. Eleonora lives a few miles to the east of me on the Sussex coast where the South Down cliffs meet the sea. Not only is she an avid crocheter, she has also been supporting some rather special wellbeing… Continue Reading Crochet, Community and Wellbeing

WOOLNESS & ME: Alison is making…

For today’s Woolness & Me post, Alison Mayne, maker and doctoral researcher, is here today to discuss how wool, wellbeing and an online community gave her support and structure and shaped the adventure that followed.  Reflecting now, ‘woolness’ has both saved me and become my future: In 2013, the depression that I had struggled to… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & ME: Alison is making…

Sheepwrecked to Resc(ewe)d

How a grazing scheme run by Sussex Wildlife Trust is helping to restore chalk grassland habitats, with Mark, Gary and Chase the dog   I’m not sure what I was doing in 2013 when George Monbiot published his essay ‘Sheepwrecked: How Britain has been shagged by the white plague.’ Whatever I was up to I missed… Continue Reading Sheepwrecked to Resc(ewe)d

WOOLNESS & ME: Escapism

Today’s Woolness & Me post was written by Beverley Dott, whose post – like yesterday’s – touches on the therapeutic qualities of playing with different coloured wools and the ways in which wool work can help when navigating long-term health problems. Woolness for me is all about texture, colour, warmth and comfort: knitting with wool is… Continue Reading WOOLNESS & ME: Escapism