rockpool candy

V&A cabinets

The University of Ulster, Belfast, were gifted some BEAUTIFUL old display cabinets from the V&A.

You know the sort  - the ones that make you want to climb inside and install mad taxidermy scenes.

Unfortunately, I haven't got any mad taxidermy (yet) but I did get to climb in them. (They have false bottoms - ooer!)

I decided to do fill one cabinet with colour and plastic;

the other in (more or less) monochrome foam.

There were a few hiccups - nothing would stay stuck to the glass, so the arrangement is a little 'flat' for my liking, but you can only swear at double-sided tape so many times before accepting its limitations.

The cabinet displays will stay until the 8th December, so if you get a chance, head up and take a look. They're right outside the Dean's office.

Sniffles, sneezes, communicable diseases - And a coup!

Yep, this Aussie flu, which was so kindly packaged up and shipped over to the UK by my fave antipodean nation has kept me busy this holiday and seems to have taken up residency for the new year. Cheers Oz! I'm onto my FIFTH (yes, fifth!) bout of the lurgy.

For those keen of eye, you'll spot that cheap gin has made its way into my cure pack now. I'm trying to sterilise myself from the inside - and no, I'm not using the beloved Hendrick's gin, as I can taste NOTHING, so it would be wasted.

Now the gin has no medicinal qualities, but I could call this research, as I'm actually working on a piece about micro-organisms at the moment. I can't show you the piece until it's ready for the gallery, but here's a blurry tease.

It's all for the UK DIY exhibition at the Turnpike Gallery in Feb. If you're in the UK and don't know about it yet, well you're going love this!

We'll be celebrating just how fab the new wave of craft is, how wonderful, versatile and all-encompassing it can be and how ACCESSIBLE.

Not only will there be sculptural pieces, (provided by yours truly and Ildiko Szabo) but a myriad of cool things going on, including chances to learn to crochet, a craft fair on the opening day, and....

......Coolest of all, the first official public showing in the UK of Faythe Levine's special promotional edit of the film Handmade Nation.....

Yep, you heard me! What a coup! We've all been waiting for it and I for one will be at the front of the queue.

The opening is on the 14th of Feb and the film will be on show throughout the UK DIY exhibition at the Turnpike Gallery, Leigh between February 14th and April 26th.

See you there for lots of crafty shenannigans.

Perfect plastic pupils

I'm glad to say that my spun plastic yarn technique is keeping pupils and teachers alike busy at the Yale-Wrexham College exhibition.
 

The Clwyd spinners did three days of demonstrations at the gallery, inspiring kids to make their own drop spindles using recycled CDs.  Everyone is now bursting with ideas relating to sustainability and recycling in the spinning world.  

Marcus (above) is a true convert to spinning. He's spinning carrier bags with students at any opportunity (he has also shown a few other members of staff, too).  The gallery recently ran a workshop with about 25 primary school pupils.

Some of whom knocked up a few pictures of a certain artist's football jellyfish.........

My Spinning Fibre For Sale At I Knit London Show

This weekend is the I Knit Show in London. There are still tickets available, so come along.
I'll be there with Moonspinning.

And I'm proud to announce that we will both be launching our new range of home-produced spinning fibres and yarns at the show.
My fibre batts have been created especially to give you a unique spinning experience. Slubs and noils are incorporated to be celebrated and embraced. The yarn you spin from it will be truly yours and no one else will have one like it.
Many of the fleeces I use are bought directly from UK farmers at fair prices, washed and dyed by me, and then carded into batts. The silks are fairly-traded from a women’s cooperative in India. This fibre is created with respect.
You are part of the wonderful cycle.
Because of its unique blend of many fibres - home-grown and exotic - your finished yarn will have its own personality.  Enjoy it. Relish it. It’s made just for you.

After the show, the gorgeous Gerard will be selling my batts through his I Knit Shop in London and of course, you'll be able to buy them through my site.

Meantime, here are a few close-ups of my fibres spun up to whet your appetite.

   

 

 

Pride in my Pom Poms for Peace

Right.

Think of three things that you would never expect to hear in the same sentence.

Pom pom.

Yurt.

Place of conflict.

So if I tell you that I'm going to be taking part in Amy Lamé's Pom Pom International Peace Tour, in a yurt, travelling to places of conflict here in Northern Ireland, you might be forgiven for thinking..."huh?"

But it's really happening, Reg!

Here are the dates.

Saturday 23rd August 

10am-4pm 

Lunasa - Bash at the Bann

Portadown

Co.Armagh

Sunday 24th August

7.30pm-11pm 

The Official Pride Ball 

(part of Foyle Pride)

The Corinthian Ballroom, City Hotel

Derry

Co.L/Derry

For which I've dyed up some special 'Pride Flag Roving' for proud fibre fiddlers.

Monday 24th August

4pm-9pm 

Share Village

Smith's Strand

Lisnaskea

Co.Fermanagh

 

Wednesday 26th August 

Time to be confirmed 

Crossfire Trust/Singing Kettle

Darkley House

Darkley, Keady

Co.Armagh 

Thursday 28th August 

2pm-5pm 

UNBCEP Cross Community Sports Day

Woodvale Park

Shankhill Road

Belfast

I'll be teaching folks of all ages and abilities how to spin, make yarns from recycled materials and to dye wool with Koolaid!

And all in a beautiful yurt built by the equally beautiful Nat at neck of the woods. 

So come on, set your cynicism aside and embrace the softness, the fluffiness, the pom pomery that is Pom Pom International's Peace Tour.

Oh, and it's free!

Making plastic bag yarn/yarn from a tube

Now, whilst I need to keep some things a secret - like the patterns to some of my corals so that I can continue to make a living. (rants: Can't believe how bare-faced some people are about ripping off other artists' designs and ideas. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!) I do want to share my craft knowledge with other people and get them passionate about free materials. And by free, I mean just lying around, unwanted stuff; old clothes, worn out pillowcases, sacks, plastic bags etc.
So here's how to make them into yarn. The fabric yarn is great for kids to learn finger crochet, as it's chunky and grows quickly and the plastic bag stuff works well for outdoor pieces they might like to make.

Watch the slightly bitmappy video that I've posted on youtube and then have a go yourself.

Don't blame me if your fellas end up with Daisy Duke shorts!