Jen Hunter
Jen and her partner Andy are the owners of Fernhill Farm, running a large flock of sheep, an Aberdeen Angus Cattle herd, woodland pigs and kitchen garden. They are both teachers and open up their farm for educational courses and events, hosting workshops to help share knowledge and fund the rebuilding of this ancient farmstead.
Workshops: French knit a snood, weaving on a peg loom, weave a poncho
Marina Blackburn
Marina lives in Bath and runs Marina Skua, an independent yarn and knit brand. She dyes and spins yarn, as well as being a perpetual knitter and occasional weaver. Her work is centred around an obsession with colour, sustainable craft, and valuing the time that goes into handmade items.
A love of wool and natural fibres is at the core of her work – and it’s even better if she knows the farm where the fibre comes from. Incidentally, she also works part-time on Fernhill Fibre helping with behind-the-scenes support – and sometimes appearing front of house at events!
Workshops: Dyeing, knitting
Lesley Hill
Lesley is a Textiles Artist based in Somerset. Happily retired from working in an Art, Textiles & Design Technology Department in secondary education, she is thrilled to have the time to create work using some of the many techniques and materials she was lucky enough to come across.
She currently sells work through a local gallery, from Dabu block printed tunics and jersey harems for toddlers to free motion embroidered pictures – and of course, items made from her most favourite fibre: wool!
Lesley loves the versatility of wool fibre and has learnt to spin and weave, but specialises in felt making. Unusually, she loves both wet felting and needle felting. When wet felting she enjoys making 3D landscape themed vessels, carpet bags and hats. Her 3D needle-felted animals are particularly popular in the gallery.
Workshops: Needle felting, wet felting
Christine Rice
Christine has been a hand spinner for many years and uses many types of fibres – but much prefers to use fleece straight from the sheep. She sources these from local farms and washes, cards, combs, dyes and spins yarns at home. When spinning she uses her English handmade oak wheel, which is by far her favourite – although she does own many spinning wheels of various kinds.
Having spent her entire working life in the food industry, she now finds much enjoyment in working with these lovely unique yarns, spinning different styles of yarn for creating hand-knits with individual character.
Spinning gives so much freedom to knitters and weavers. Create your own yarn in your own style – learn to spin!
Workshops: Fibre preparation, learn to spin, art yarn spinning
Sam has a background in art and textiles and a passion for natural fibres and the environment. Having travelled and worked around the world in Africa and Asia she has observed the role and importance of sustainable textiles and farming in different cultures – of which Fernhill Farm is a great example. Sam facilitates tuffet weaving workshops for adults and children at Fernhill Farm. Sam is a practicing artist and weaver and a trainee teacher in Design and Technology.
Workshop: Make a tuffet on a peg loom