Whilst there is still a couple a months to go before TOTE – The Oamaru Textile Emporium begins year fourteen it has made me think about how the co-operative shop I and my two fellow directors have run has evolved over the last decade. It’s been a roller coaster ride from day one. I’m notContinue reading “Anniversary “
Author Archives: doespins
Becoming an even slower maker?
Looking more and making less. I’m continually questioning whether I need to make more stuff, dye more yarn, weave more fabric. Should I be selling anything at all? If the Covid19 epidemic has taught me anything it is that being totally physically isolated from your friends, family and people in general makes life seem fairlyContinue reading “Becoming an even slower maker?”
Where did the last year go?
I can’t believe it’s been so long. I’ve missed writing and using this site. Seduced I guess by the immediacy of Facebook and Instagram. This is much more my own space. Sometimes the others are just a cacophony of sound and sadly have many loud discordant voices. so I’ve crept away and left the noiseContinue reading “Where did the last year go?”
My new online shop
It’s taken me a while but I’ve finally got a new website which incorporates a fully functioning shop too. It’s one I feel relatively competent to update and handle. I invite you to go and have a look. Doespins shop I’m looking forward to doing more sales online.
Local wool from the Maniototo.
The reality of most home grown New Zealand wool is that it is a raw commodity to export, where processing happens overseas and a small proportion may be bought back as finished goods. This includes clothing made for the big brands such as Icebreaker. So our wool mills have largely shut down and the equipmentContinue reading “Local wool from the Maniototo.”
Weaving a story
‘Antler Wrap’ NZ wool, alpaca and silk. For much of my fabric there is a local and personal story attached which is the underlying structure of how the yarn came about. Each section of yarn has not only been through my hands several times but comes from living creatures. It gets harder to buy ColouredContinue reading “Weaving a story”
Woolwitch
I have two commission pieces to make soon both include working with very local to me wool from flocks of sheep that have lived for many years close to my home. Now I need to turn those raw fleeces into long lasting textiles for the recipients. The cleaning and spinning of the wool will involveContinue reading “Woolwitch”
Local fleece
Is there anything more alluring to a handspinner than a naturally pigmented fleece. Or even the unpigmented cream. My great love has been fibre preparation and spinning. For years I chased the elusive goal of spinning smooth regular yarns but now I want to put the texture back into my yarns. for a few yearsContinue reading “Local fleece”
Weaving blankets
So part of my stock in the physical shop has always included a few blankets which are usually the size of a cosy sofa throw because that suits the size of my big loom. My favourite ones always involve hand spinning the warp and then using a locally commercial spun yarn. I rarely use ultraContinue reading “Weaving blankets”
New Beginnings
This is the excerpt for your very first post.
