Reading Time: 3 minutesHerdwick and Swaledale Yarn; local yarn for local cloth. Actually this isn’t local yarn to me, but it’s locally distinctive yarn. It’s shorn from sheep able to weather windy hilltops and cold winters of northern England. With their slightly kempy (hairy) woolly coat, they produce a durable, hardy yarn that’s more likely to make it into […]
Wool
What’s the Softest British Wool? Could It Be Ryeland?
Reading Time: 10 minutesAs I drove up the track, I saw Helen. She waved at me from behind a full-sized skip bag of, what could be, the softest British wool – Ryeland wool. Fifteen Ryeland fleeces in a big sack. We exchanged talk about the journey over, then she said ‘I decided I might as well add in […]
A Return to Sheets and Blankets: Out With the Duvet
Reading Time: 5 minutesI’ve gone back to sheets and blankets (traditional bedding) since we’ve redecorated and carpeted two bedrooms. Call me old-fashioned but I see many good points in what we’ve discarded and left at the back of linen cupboards. What started me off on this was that we were one set of bedding down for our newly […]
Plastic-free Sportswear: Make, Mend, Buy
Reading Time: 5 minutesI’ve mentioned plastic-free sportswear, outdoor and underwear in my last post Plastic microfibre pollution: Zero Waste Week solutions because I believe they’re the hardest clothes to find plastic-free. Synthetics are generally quick drying, can keep us warm or cool, and are easy to wash, so it’s not surprising that they are increasingly the go-to fabric for this […]
Sustainable Life: Everything Has to Come From Somewhere
Reading Time: 9 minutesWhen I see advice on how to live a sustainable life, the words everything has to come from somewhere always come to mind. It’s something I find I keep saying to myself. We can so easily be seduced by a new ‘sustainable’ product, forgetting that it still has to come from somewhere. Perhaps sometimes there […]
Craftivism, Activism, and Why We Must Keep Speaking Out
Reading Time: 8 minutesCraftivism is getting attention. If there are issues that you feel you must speak out about, but taking to the streets with a placard fills you with dread, this may be for you. If you’re a crafter (or are prepared to buy the skills of a crafter) you may be able to influence people with […]
