Category Archives: Hebridean Woolshed

 

Hebridean Woolshed new shop/studio – progress

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Denise: We’ve had lovely weather the past four or five days, and the foundations have been coming on fine.  J was in high spirits because the stack of under-floor insulation boards got used up exactly in the foundations: it couldn’t have worked better if he’d done calculations, he says – he would have added 10% for just in case (or risk being short) , or would have had some left over from buying complete boards, but the oddments we had proved perfect!  At 240mm thick, and using a very high specification material, this will be the warmest shed floor between … Continue reading →

Shop / Studio

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Denise: If anywhere in these blogs J or I have mentioned our garden shop, you should understand that what we meant was garden studio.  We don’t have a shop. We have a studio, into which visitors are welcome, and if they happen to want to buy something … Ah you understand, that’s good. Anyway the, er, Studio we’ve had for the past almost eight years has served us well, but is not in an ideal position (no sun, gets damp), is facing the wrong way, and is too small.  So we are going to move it! And as we have … Continue reading →

By spades and by storm

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Denise: J was out on in the garden all day Saturday and most of today, digging for the foundations for where we’re going to move the garden shop to.  The ground slopes slightly – enough such that the digging is quite deep at one end.  This part of the garden also doesn’t appear to have been cultivated for a very very long time, for the soil is poor in humus, compacted and very hard. The turf has gone on the compost heap, and the best soil has gone to fill in where the pond used to be – a lot … Continue reading →

Wool arrived back from the mill

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Well it’s almost a full year since I sent it off for spinning, but at long last the wool skeins have now arrived!  All the wool is worsted spun from selected first clips, and very dark and lustrous. Most is DK weight, some we ordered as Aran weight. About half of the DK will go to pay for Hebridean lambs we bought last year.  We really could do with either more sheep or access to more wool to buy! ‘Trouble up’ mill’ meant they didn’t start our wool until a month or more ago, by which time we were actually … Continue reading →

New studio planned for the Hebridean Woolshed

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We’ve talked it over many times – each time coming to a firm conclusion the opposite or at least diffent to the last time. But now we are definitely and finally decided.  More or less as soon as Jonathan is home for good in a week or so’s time, he’ll start work on a new studio/shop for the Hebridean Woolshed.  The scandinavian log-style garden cabin we put up (it cost us about £1250 all told!) back in 2003 as a general-purpose garden shop really just isn’t up to the job: not big enough, no enough protection from the weather, from … Continue reading →

Knitting needles – Ouch!

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Denise: I’ve now got more details on the wool yarn and needles required for the Eriskay knitting. Needles are very fine – 2 25 and made of rosewood at £18 a pair; and the yarn is an extremely fine multi-ply.  However this is an important investment in a potentially high-value new area of work, and it is good to be learning something new. … Continue reading →

Eriskay knitting

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Denise: Noticed a notice about a course on Eriskay knitting.  The island had its own tradition of family patterns, and there’s very few who know how to knit them, especially the most authentic patterns. Norma Neil from Askernish is going to present the course, with the support of a native of Eriskay.  I’ve signed up for it, and got the information on what yarns and needles I’ll need.