Spinning Summer School

This last week I attended the association of guilds of weavers, spinners and dyers held in Carmarthen, Wales.  What an amazing week I had. The event was held in the University there. 

We stayed in the single study rooms on campus, which took me back over thirty years to when I was a student nurse. Classes were held on site. I attended the "spinning beyond the basics" course run by Alison  Daykin.

We learned loads during the week long course. My prejudices about yarn were challenged and my inspiration well and truly awoken by what I saw, read and did. Alison was the driver for this change in me, and my fellow course students added to this.

I have now learned to get more out of the tools I use, spin better and different yarns, as well as attempt things which scared me previously. (See photo below).

(Yarn above is mohair spun singly, core spun with the red carded batt, then bound and plied again in kid mohair)

We also spent a little leisure time at the National Wool Museum of Wales, looking at commercial yarn spinning from the past, some of Kaffe Fassett's work and the exhibition from the Welsh Guilds. 

Our week ended yesterday with a brief goodbye to our wonderful tutor, followed by an exhibition of our samples and small pieces and then a great conference dinner to round it all off. 

All I can add, is roll on 2015 and the next summer school. This one was so good, I'll be coming back for more. Thanks to everyone who played a part, no matter how small - you made it an incredible learning event.