Fernhill Fibre

Verified Regenerative Fibres from the Source of the Resource

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WOOL SCHOOL II - 13th - 16th October
Oct
13
to Oct 16

WOOL SCHOOL II - 13th - 16th October

Fernhill Fibre WOOL SCHOOL II

Progress your skills with a multitude of craft activities that include advanced spinning, art yarns, various weaving options, French knitting, 3D needle felting with wires etc

Tuition is provided by the expert team we lovingly invite here that includes Christine Rice and Lesley Hill and Brenda Hamblin. All are incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of wool textile crafts and are here the entire time to assist, encourage and listen to everyone as you all progress through the wool school at your own pace - everyone is welcome at any stage of their understanding of working with a natural fibre

WOOL SCHOOL ii will run alongside our original wool school, in the saloon room with areas divided up to offer a communal learning experience whatever level everyone finds themselves at - this allows those new and familiar with our setting to join in and enjoy a weekend together

Session 1: Introduction to WOOL SCHOOL (Friday 13th from 2pm)

French Knit a chunky snood or cowl using Fernhill Farm style giant French Knitting Looms - this session is designed to enable a gentle welcome for participants to enjoy using various yarns, that include lopi, pencil rovings and is a great way to use up bits and bobs of home spun yarns, bringing colour to the classroom. This is an easy start whilst we chat about personal wool journeys, where we can prepare you all for the next few days ahead. These create your own personalised warm and cosy warm neck warmers, ideal for the Mendip Chilly winds here. Can also be booked as an individual workshop - please select Snood Workshop at checkout

Session 2 - Advanced Spinning - (Saturday 14th from 9.30am)

This is a follow-on session from WOOL SCHOOL for those wishing to explore a new range of spinning styles

  • Please do let us know what you wish to learn here and we can grow your own styles

  • This session can also be used as additional time for practice plying, skeining etc

Session 3 - Art Yarns (Saturday 14th from 2pm)

  • Please do let us know what you wish to learn here and we can grow your own styles

  • This session can also be used as additional time for practice plying, skeining etc

(Saturdays only is now fully booked, to allow those wanting to book the full wool school)

Session 4 Weaving (Sunday 15th from 9.30am) - Yarns can then be woven - tuition and commercial spun yarns provided as requested - details of Looms coming soon

Session 5 Weaving (Sunday 15th from 2pm) - as above

Session 6 (Monday 16th from 9.30am) - Needle felting 3D shapes with wires - optional 2D picture - as this is the final session, can also be used to finish up any spinning, plying, skeining etc. Can also be booked as an individual workshop - please select Needle Felt Wire Workshop at checkout

Start and End dates:

Friday 13th @ noon to Monday 16th @ noon

Day(s) of the week: Week days and Weekend options

Times: Arrival and departure days allow travel in daylight hours, starting / finishing at lunchtime

Full days are 9am - 4.00 pm with practice session in the evenings

Location: Fernhill Farm in the Saloon – ground floor heated workshop space with ample parking, kitchen-diner and lots of space for workshop activities

Price / day: £40pp/session - Includes room hire, hot drinks, together with wool ingredients, use of appropriate kit hire and tuition – please BYO lunch - please note some specialist materials may be extra should you wish to purchase these when here onsite

What to bring along etc: No previous skills required – welcome to bring own materials, wheels, spindles etc if you wish but not necessary – dress warm for a farm with sensible shoes - your own food provisions for each day

Maximum number we can accept / day: 9/day – spaces are limited and booked on a first come first served basis

How To Book WOOL SCHOOL II:

Available to book the 4 day package - see WOOL SCHOOL II option

Available to book Saturday 14th sessions 2 and 3 - see WSii Advanced spinning option

Available to book Sunday 15th - flexible sessions - see WSii - weaving option

Available to book Snood Workshop - Friday 13th @ 2pm session 1 - see Snood workshop option

Available to book Wet Felt Wire Workshop - Sunday 15th @ 2pm session 5 - see Wet Felt Wire option

We have cosy onsite accommodation here with various glamping options to choose from - accommodation can be pre-booked - please see www.fernhill-farm.co.uk for details

If you are willing to share - please select Bunk Bed option at £42/n at checkout

Some have requested to BYO campervan, so we have added this as an option - please select Van option at £20/n/van at checkout

TBC - Mutton Club - social Saturday Night dinners - please select these using this link thanks MUTTON CLUB

BOOK HERE

Extra materials can be purchased on site - have a look what we have here www.fernhillfibre.co.uk/shop

For more details please email jen@fernhill-farm.co.uk

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WOOL SCHOOL - 13th - 16th October
Oct
13
to Oct 16

WOOL SCHOOL - 13th - 16th October

Fernhill Fibre WOOL SCHOOL

Understand the basics with harvesting, selecting, prepping and washing raw sheep fleece ready for a multitude of craft activities that include spinning, weaving, knitting, wet felting, needle felting etc

Tuition is provided by the expert team we lovingly invite here known as Christine Rice and Lesley Hill. Both are incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of wool textile crafts and are here the entire time to assist, encourage and listen to every one as you all progress through the wool school at your own pace - everyone is welcome at any stage of their understanding of working with a natural fibre

Session 1: Introduction to WOOL SCHOOL

Weaving a chunky tuffet seat pad using Fernhill Style Peg Looms - this session is designed to enable a gentle welcome to allow time for participants to see and feel fleece parts, whilst chatting about their own wool journey, ready for the next few days ahead. These create your own personalised warm and cosy seat pad ready for all your next sessions. Can also be booked as an individual workshop - please select Tuffet Workshop at checkout

Session 2 - topics covered include

What is kemp, microns and fibre diameter - effect on finished yarns

  • Native colours and markings from the Shetland and Coloured BFL and Romney Rams

  • Fibre length, fibre strength, fibre weaknesses - when selecting fleece

  • Sheep fleece parts and their subsequent qualities

  • Using seconds and waste wool

    Session 3 - topics covered include:

  • Ways of washing wool, lanolin removal, lanolin rich fleece

  • Drying fleece

  • Picking, carding, making rolags using hand carders and carding machine

  • Spinning rolags, yarn onto bobbins using variety of spinning wheels

  • Plying into hanks, skeins and balls

  • Storage of yarns

Session 4 - Yarns can then be knitted or woven - tuition provided as requested - this session can also be used as additional time for spinning practice, plying, skeining etc

Session 5 - Felting - wet felting technique to make a bowl shape - this session can also be used as additional spinning practice, plying, skeining etc. Can also be booked as an individual workshop - please select Wet Felt Workshop at checkout

Session 6 - Needle felting 3D shapes - optional 2D pictures - as this is the final session, can also be used to finish up any spinning, plying, skeining etc. Can also be booked as an individual workshop - please select Needle Felt Workshop at checkout

Start and End dates:

Friday 13th @ noon to Monday 16th @ noon

Day(s) of the week: Week days and Weekend options

Times: Arrival and departure days allow travel in daylight hours, starting / finishing at lunchtime

Full days are 9am - 4.00 pm with practice session in the evenings

Location: Fernhill Farm in the Saloon – ground floor heated workshop space with ample parking, kitchen-diner and lots of space for workshop activities

Price / day: £40pp/session - Includes room hire, hot drinks, together with wool ingredients, use of appropriate kit hire and tuition – please BYO lunch - please note some specialist materials may be extra should you wish to purchase these when here onsite

What to bring along etc: No previous skills required – welcome to bring own materials, wheels, spindles etc if you wish but not necessary – dress warm for a farm with sensible shoes - your own food provisions for each day

Maximum number we can accept / day: 6-9/day – spaces are limited and booked on a first come first served basis

How To Book:

Available to book the 4 day package - see 4 day options - Block 1 or Block 2

Available to book 1/2 day to suit your own schedule - see 1/2 day option

Available to book 1 day or multiples of 1 one to suit your own schedule - see 1 day option

Available to book Needle Felt Workshop - am or pm session Saturday 12th - see Felt workshop option

Available to book Tuffet Workshop - am or pm session - see Tuffet workshop option

Full list of workshops with dates and times - see timetable - contact us with your preferences thanks 

Accommodation can be also be pre-booked - please see www.fernhill-farm.co.uk for details of farm accommodation options

(please note - dates showing as booked online as all beds are now reserved for the wool school participants - even though we shall only have 10 spread out across the 30 bed options)

We have cosy accommodation here with lots of beds to choose from - these are mostly double bunk beds in shared rooms / glamping arcs

It’s highly likely you shall have your own space and toilet and shower in a big barn on a self catering basis with plenty of social spaces for everyone - please select Bunk Bed option at £42/n at checkout

Also as some have requested to BYO camper van, we have added this as an option too - please select Van option at £20/n/van at checkout

BOOK HERE

Extra materials can be purchased on site - have a look what we have here www.fernhillfibre.co.uk/shop

For more details please email jen@fernhill-farm.co.uk

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Adding value to fleece - bridging the gap between farm and yarn with Jen Hunter - Groundswell
Jun
23
4:00 PM16:00

Adding value to fleece - bridging the gap between farm and yarn with Jen Hunter - Groundswell

Adding Value To Fleece - Bridging The Gap Between Farm & Yarn With Jen Hunter - Groundswell (groundswellag.com)

A pioneering farmer’s daughter with a genuine respect for rural sciences, Jen was fortunate to find a good shepherd and future husband Andrew Wear in 2004. Together we have created the opportunity to grow our family business as the ‘Fernhill Farm Experience’, offering 15000 visitors/annum the opportunity to visit and stay on our multi-purpose livestock farm focusing on ‘regenerative agricultural’ practices.

Jen says – “Wool has been my passion and concern since 2009 when the devaluation of natural fibres and promotion of synthetics left behind an excellent base material suitable for many industries. As a 2014 Nuffield Farming Scholar I researched global wool industry trends and we strive to reposition wool in society as a primary product rather than by-product from the sheep meat industry”.

This demonstration will take place at Fibreshed stand B8B

@ 4.00pm Wednesday 23rd June 2022

Jen Hunter offers a practical demonstration of gathering and throwing fleece from the shearer onto the grading tables, so it’s in the right position to be graded. You’ll learn about strength testing, grading to include skirting, removal of damaged, contaminated, and felted fibres, and how to select a fleece for processing to spin or felt. Dividing the fleece into its various qualities enables us to find a use for all parts and knowing what to look for when creating yarn batches determines what to use for yarn, what can still be used for felting, stuffing, mulching and much more!

Adding Value To Fleece - Bridging The Gap Between Farm & Yarn With Jen Hunter - Groundswell (groundswellag.com)

Groundswell takes place over two days – Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd June 2022 at Lannock Manor Farm, a working no-till farm in North Hertfordshire, just off Junction 9 of the A1(M). The postcode is SG4 7EE.

To be kept updated on Groundswell 2022 sign up to their newsletter

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WOOL SCHOOL - February 2022
Feb
9
to Feb 15

WOOL SCHOOL - February 2022

Fernhill Fibre WOOL SCHOOL

Understand the basics with harvesting, selecting, prepping and washing raw sheep fleece ready for a multitude of craft activities that include spinning, weaving, knitting, wet felting, needle felting etc

Tuition is provided by the expert team we lovingly invite here known as Christine Rice and Lesley Hill. Both are incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of wool textile crafts and are here the entire time to assist, encourage and listen to every one as you all progress through the wool school at your own pace - everyone is welcome at any stage of their understanding of working with a natural fibre

Session 1 - topics covered include:

  • Sheep breed qualities and Hybrid Vigour - supporting literature available

  • What is kemp, microns and fibre diameter - effect on finished yarns

  • Native colours and markings from the Shetland and Coloured BFL and Romney Rams

  • Fibre length, fibre strength, fibre weaknesses - when selecting fleece

  • Sheep fleece parts and their subsequent qualities

  • Using seconds and waste wool

    Session 2 - topics covered include:

  • Ways of washing wool, lanolin removal, lanolin rich fleece

  • Drying fleece

  • Picking, carding, making rolags using hand carders and carding machine

  • Spinning rolags, yarn onto bobbins using variety of spinning wheels

  • Plying into hanks, skeins and balls

  • Storage of yarns

Session 3 - Yarns can then be knitted or woven - tuition provided as requested - this session can also be used as additional spinning practice, plying, skeining etc

Session 4 - Weaving a chunky tuffet seat pad - using Fernhill Style Peg Looms or natural or acid dye workshop if requested - this session can also be used as additional spinning practice, plying, skeining etc

Session 5 - Felting - ways of wet felting, using part felted fleeces to make rugs or making a bowl shape - this session can also be used as additional spinning practice, plying, skeining etc

Session 6 - Needle felting 3D shapes - optional 2D pictures - this session can also be used as additional spinning practice, plying, skeining etc

Start and End dates:

Block 1 - Wednesday 9th @ noon to Saturday 12th @ noon - see orange timetable

Block 2 - Saturday 12th @ 1pm to Tuesday 15th @ noon - see green timetable

Day(s) of the week: Week days and Weekend options

Times: Arrival and departure days allow travel in daylight hours, starting / finishing at lunchtime

Full days are 9am - 4.00 pm with practice session in the evenings

Location: Fernhill Farm in the Saloon – ground floor heated workshop space with ample parking, kitchen-diner and lots of space for workshop activities

Price / day: £40pp/session - Includes room hire, hot drinks, together with wool ingredients, use of appropriate kit hire and tuition – please BYO lunch - please note some specialist materials may be extra should you wish to purchase these when here onsite

What to bring along etc: No previous skills required – welcome to bring own materials, wheels, spindles etc if you wish but not necessary – dress warm for a farm with sensible shoes - your own food provisions for each day

Maximum number we can accept / day: 6-9/day – spaces are limited and booked on a first come first served basis

How To Book:

Available to book the 4 day package - see 4 day options - Block 1 or Block 2

Available to book 1/2 day to suit your own schedule - see 1/2 day option

Available to book 1 day or multiples of 1 one to suit your own schedule - see 1 day option

Available to book Needle Felt Workshop - am or pm session Saturday 12th - see Felt workshop option

Available to book Tuffet Workshop - am or pm session - see Tuffet workshop option

Full list of workshops with dates and times - see timetable - contact us with your preferences thanks 

Accommodation can be also be pre-booked - please see www.fernhill-farm.co.uk for details of farm accommodation options

(please note - dates showing as booked online as all beds are now reserved for the wool school participants - even though we shall only have 10 spread out across the 30 bed options)

We have cosy accommodation here with 30 beds to choose from - these are mostly double bunk beds in shared rooms / glamping arcs

It’s highly likely you shall have your own space and toilet and shower in a big barn on a self catering basis with plenty of social spaces for everyone - please select Bunk Bed option at £42/n at checkout

Also as some have requested to BYO camper van, we have added this as an option too - please select Van option at £20/n/van at checkout

BOOK HERE

WOOL SCHOOL

Extra materials can be purchased on site - have a look what we have here www.fernhillfibre.co.uk/shop

For more details please email jen@fernhill-farm.co.uk

View Event →