When I asked Bec what was the most important aspect of her life with sheep and wool, her answer spoke volumes. 'I want other people to experience the absolute joy in learning to work with their own fibre, to encourage them to thoroughly explore it, to learn from it and to understand how to match the wool in their hand to a perfect final product.' This desire to be as inclusive as possible and to celebrate what surely has to be one of the most under-rated materials we know, underpins all that Bec does.
GORGEOUS PRODUCTS FROM NAMED ANIMALS
Bec's workshop on the edge of Exmoor is a little like the Tardis, tiny to look at but inside, full beyond imagination of the most amazing fibre and woollen products. From here she produces shawls, blankets, scarves, yarns, drop spindles, plant dyes and a huge variety of weaving kits. She also teaches, offering one-to-one and small group tuition in a variety of spinning and weaving techniques as well as wool processing and preparation.
Her woven shawls are truly exquisite. You cannot help but run your fingers over them, following the intricate patterns and noticing the fine relationship between warp and weft. Watching her warp her floor loom, a stunning Dryad Counter Balance that is, she proudly announces, as old as she, is a lesson in patience and total concentration as she manages different colours of warp, hundreds of metres at a time, and ensures they get threaded though heddles and the reed, in exactly the right order.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
Meet the Bournemouth goats and their supporters
These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
Still warm enough to sit outside with a Pizza
Henrietta Balcon uses fresh figs to create an unusual dish at Harvest time
Goodbye to the birds of spring and summer
If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
Get ready for the colder weather in the warmth of late summer
Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
Choosing feed for the autumn
As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
Give your hens some support
Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
