visiting Argyll

In the context of Galgael's developments at Loch Awe, Anneruth visited Argyll this weekend. It was glorious weather and so good to get out of the city. Coincidentally, in the nearby Kilmartin heritage centre, Jae Ferguson, a local spinner and woolcrafter, held a 2 day spinning workshop. Anneruth was allowed to peek in in the last hour and admire the skills 8 or so local women had gained over the weekend, thanks to the very good tuition received. It was a great athmosphere there amongst the women in Kilmartin house, with all the wool and all the spinning wheels! The wool came from Jae's sheep, Jacob / Shetland crossbreeds, which leads to a longer stapled wool than pure Shetland and is thus easier for beginners. It was good to see that everyone spun straight from the unwashed raw fleece! Jae gave Anneruth a wee bag full of that wool - which is now being spun here in Penicuik into some fine dark moorit knitting wool. The rest will be used for felting.

It seems that the women there met through a felting workshop by Liz Brown in Kilmartin, and that they are now meeting regularily to further explore felting.

It was very inspiring to make contact with the crafters and also later to pass through Ford where one of the women keeps her Alpacas, which just this weekend won first prizes.



That is just it, isn't it... to laze in the sun embedded in green and watched by the ancient hills....
Like here in ancient times, like in the Himalayas in ancient times where these gentle creatures come from, and taking like a duck to the water in Alba..