This was my second Summer School. I was lucky enough to get a bursary at my first one, at Askhan Bryan College in 2019, which opened my eyes to the fabulosity that is the AGWSD summer school.
This one was local, which meant that I could drive in every day from home, thus saving on accommodation. There was a fabulous symmetry to these events as, many years ago, I decided to study horticulture, and my two preferred choices were Askham Bryan and Writtle. I really liked Askam Bryan, but was only offered a place on the ND course, whereas Writtle offered me my preferred HND course, Thus, It was that I met Billy Turner at Writtle, and we married in our middle year (This year we celebrated our 30th Anniversary, a week after Summer School). With the Wednesday being a half day, (to allow for trips out etc) Billy joined me in the afternoon, cue happy reminiscing of our times there as we wandered through the Grounds. Until very recently I did not know that a wrist distaff was something that I had always needed. I had seen pictures of spinners with a wooden distaff which appeared to be a ‘stick’ wound with fleece or flax which looked like candyfloss.
One day I was wandering around online and came across pictures of beaded wrist distaffs. I was intrigued as when I read on this sounded like something that could be really useful. This was to be my first Guild event for many a year and I was both a little excited and nervous about meeting everyone again. I needn’t have worried!! Within a minute of our arriving at Sue and Robert’s farm, I felt like I had never been away, such was the warm welcome I received.
If ever there is a dyeing event, I am always eager to join in the fun. Michele had prepared some sock yarn for me and I couldn’t wait to get started. After a cup of coffee and a natter, the dyers gathered around the tables, where Sue had laid out cookers, pans, jam jars, pipettes and, most important of all, some wonderful dyes! On Saturday, 10 July 2021, I put my spinning wheel with Samoyed fur and carders into my car for the first time since 2019! Had I got everything? So long since I had spun anything I had to check everything twice. Where was I going? Ah!! Sue Prior’s farm in Perry Green. OK. Get satnav out and find the way. All new as I had moved to the wilds of Huntingdon. I had a very good, straight forward journey and arrived just before 10am. Sue had cookers and pans already set out on tables in the barn with plenty of jam jars for putting dye stuff in. There was a table with the various coloured dye stuff and pipettes etc |
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