Here in Herefordshire, England, we are currently in the last days of the summer holidays. With the long expanse of summer behind us, I am counting down the four days left until the kids go back to school. This time of year always brings me feelings of restlessness and a conflict of emotions. Eager joy at the thought of claiming back a little more time to myself pushing against the ever present ‘mum-guilt’, have I made the most of the summer? Have we done enough together? While the summer is a time for connection and making memories, it often leaves me exhausted and craving routine (and brainspace!).
I’ve been trying to write a post here for a good few weeks now. In the moments I actually do get to sit and open my drafts on Substack, I can’t seem to form a coherent sentence. Certainly not about textiles, cloth or thoughts on making. I haven’t had time to weave over the summer and it makes me feel disconnected from my craft. I know that as soon as I get back to the loom, these feelings will subside but patience has never been my strong point! Being a perfectionist, I have held back from posting anything here outside of textiles and making. But the reality is that is just a small portion of my life and my work. My other roles: mother, partner, cook, cleaner, shop assistant, all take large amounts of my energy and time, especially in the school holidays.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, I have had a good summer. While I haven’t been weaving, I have been visiting places, seen new things and even bought some yarn - hooray! Back at the end of July, I went to Cumbria, which is one of my favourite places. It has such a rich textile heritage and provenance. Cumbria is the home of Herdwick sheep, a rather hardy breed which produces a coarse grey wool. Genetically, these sheep are a close relation to breeds such as Soay, Manx Loughtan and North Ronaldsey. They have been bred to live on the fells, withstanding the harsh and unpredictable weather.
Herdwick wool is quite coarse and possibly not everyones first choice for a yarn. It is used mainly in carpets, insulation and uses away from the body. Like the majority of the wool market in the UK, the wool has been viewed as more of a burden than a resource since the boom of imported wool. However there are companies and people out there trying to boost it’s value, such as Herdy. They create products such as Herdwick wool bedding as well as spreading awareness of the value of the breed and of the benefit of using local wool. Herdy are boosting income for local farmers and securing a future for Herdwick sheep, while protecting a material heritage.
While in Cumbria, I also visited one of my favourite textile shops - The Woolclip. A collective of local makers, who create the most beautiful yarns, fibres and wool goodies! It’s tucked away in the north of the Lake District, in the sweet village of Caldbeck. A true treasure trove for anyone who loves wool, yarn and handcrafted items!
I picked up some gorgeous hand dyed Bluefaced Leicester and Gotland mix yarn. I did have a hard time choosing, as there were so many beautiful colour choices, but I settled on a colour blend that will work well in my next collection. As soon as I get back to the loom, this will be the first yarn I use!
The good news is, they also sell online!
So there we have it, my scrambled thoughts on the summer. Roll on Autumn and that fresh back to school energy!
Millie x