Sue Blacker on Shearing Wool

We are always honoured and delighted to include articles from honorary Team Wovember member, Sue Blacker. This year we asked if we may re-publish a recent blog post that Sue wrote at her own blog, part of a series there on the journey that wool takes from sheep to skein.  You may have seen the recent… Continue Reading Sue Blacker on Shearing Wool

The Journey of Wool Yarn #1

During Wovember we always try to celebrate wool from the field to the finished object and to introduce you to some of the people involved in all aspects of wool work through that process. This year we thought that it would be really interesting to follow one particular story through that journey. Joy McMillan hand-dyes… Continue Reading The Journey of Wool Yarn #1

The Finnsheep of Finland

Continuing our EU tour, today we are in Finland exploring the fleece of the Finnsheep. In Finland the word for sheep is lammas and the word for wool is villa – the proximity of these words to the words explored yesterday from Estonia perhaps points to the closeness of these two countries facing one another… Continue Reading The Finnsheep of Finland

Wool Labelling: Deciphering EU Legislation

This evening we’re thrilled to bring you a post by John Arbon who runs a wool mill in North Devon. As well as producing textile products – socks, fibres, hand-knitting yarns – John Arbon creates custom spun yarns for customers like Rachel Atkinson with her wondrous Daughter of a Shepherd Yarn. He’s also developed textile… Continue Reading Wool Labelling: Deciphering EU Legislation

Estonian Native Sheep

For Wovember Words today we are in Estonia! When team Wovember member Felix traveled there in 2012 for a residency, she discovered the wondrous organisation Hea Villa Selts (Facebook link) which translates loosely as The Good Wool Society. This is a coalition of shepherds and wool-workers working to understand and teach the best ways to… Continue Reading Estonian Native Sheep

Between Producers and Consumers of WOOL…

Today we wanted to try something out here on the WOVEMBER blog and share a conversation between a Producer of Yarn (Jane Dryden of Home Farm Wensleydales) and a Consumer of Yarn (me, Felix, TEAM WOVEMBER MEMBER and WOOLFAN). Jane sent me some of her different hand knitting yarns and I swatched with them, noting… Continue Reading Between Producers and Consumers of WOOL…

Tarndwarncoort: birthplace of the Polwarth

We are sure you will agree that today’s posts have given a lot of food for thought.  We have one final bonus post tonight from natural dyer and knitter Julia Billings, AKA Woollenflower. This summer Jules was back in her homeland of Australia to teach natural dyeing workshops at Tarndwarncoort, Western Victoria. This is where the Polwarth… Continue Reading Tarndwarncoort: birthplace of the Polwarth

Wovember Words: KnitLocal

Today’s WOVEMBER WORDS post was written by one of our long term WOVEMBER supporters, Nadine Haarich, who writes about her own discovery of local wool. Nadine lives in Germany and was inspired to explore her local breeds for knitting her Shetland Wool Week Baa-ble hat. She has extended this adventure by swatching wool from breeds… Continue Reading Wovember Words: KnitLocal

Clara Parkes on Describing Wool

Earlier today we heard some of the words that participants in the KnitBritish Breed Swatch KAL have found for describing wool from different sheep breeds. This evening we continue that theme in an article by seasoned swatcher and yarn critic, Clara Parkes. Author of many treasured tomes and the wondrous Knitter’s Review newsletter, Clara is… Continue Reading Clara Parkes on Describing Wool

Wovember words: Breed swatch-along – the feel of the ball of wool

Louise is here with some fabulously descriptive words from the Breed swatch-along.  I am just loving the Breed Swatch-along and really enjoying watching how everyone taking part is exploring wool is a slightly new and different way. Of course, one of the main reasons I wanted to host the Swatch-along was to get people thinking beyond words like… Continue Reading Wovember words: Breed swatch-along – the feel of the ball of wool