The Spinning Weal is to be found on the very lovely Hill Road, home to many unique, independent shops and businesses. It is a specialist shop offering a vast array of materials and equipment for knitters, quilters, spinners, embroiderers and felt makers. If you’re looking to be creative, it’s the perfect place to start because Sarah and David who have years of experience in the business are extremely friendly, and knowledgeable. Whatever you want to make, whatever your skill level, they will help you. They also run a great range of classes, courses, workshops, talks and presentations – it really is a hive of activity. More of that later!
When you enter the shop, you are hit by a tsunami of colour and textures from the bundles of dyed wool waiting to be spun, the embroidery threads, the lace, the yarn cakes, the felts, the ribbons and trims, the fabrics, the beads, the buttons and embellishments of all sizes, shapes and colours. If by some very remote possibility David and Sarah do not stock what you are searching for then they will help you find it. They are always prepared to go the extra mile; nothing is too much bother.
A word about the courses! Wonderful as they are and they really are, they get booked up very fast. As I go to print these are the courses where there are still places:
Rope Bowls with Pam Martin Monday 22nd October 10:00-3:30 £35.00
Learn now to stitch a textile rope bowl on a sewing machine. With or without lids, rope bowls are a fun and creative stitch project and are brilliant for using up cotton fabric designs that you no longer love as much as the day you purchased! A small rope bowl can be completed in a day.
Advent Calendars with Sarah Harris Saturday 17th November 10:00-3:30 £35.00
Use your sewing machine to make a fabric advent calendar, with pockets for small gifts. Choose from a selection of printed panels in advance of the day, then stitch, assemble and embellish your own Christmas countdown wall hanging, all ready for 1st December.
Sock Knitting with David Harris Saturday 24th November 10:00-3:30 £30.00
Learn how to knit a sock in the round, including the use of double-pointed needles, turning the heel and grafting the toe. Bring along a set of 2.5mm double-pointed needles and a ball of 4-ply sock wool.
Learn to Spin with Sarah Harris Sunday 25th November 10:00-3:30 £35.00
Spin and ply a ball of yarn. The day covers carding, and spinning on a spindle, great wheel and treadle-driven flyer wheel. Bring your own wheel or use one of ours. Materials provided.
Needle Felted Christmas Reindeer with Kirsten Hill-Nixon Saturday 8th December 10:00-3:30 £35.00
Needle felted fun reindeer for Christmas, using specialist felting needles we will sculpt wool fibres that we will then felt into tweed and wool fabrics, making your reindeer that is easy to frame in a hoop. All materials provided.
I’m sure there will be lots more available in the New Year, and if one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to start a new hobby, then Spinning Weal is an ideal place to go. In the meantime, you might well like to mooch around for Christmas presents you’ll be surprised by what you find there; it’s a real treasure trove!
Find out more about Spinning Weal here: