In recent years I have met many people via social media – some only online, but quite a number I’ve eventually encountered in person. The networks that I have built up have enriched my life, providing me with new friends, sources of produce and teaching me a great deal. And this week, they yielded a creative collaboration. I won’t go into the rather convoluted details of how this link came about, but Thursday found me visiting Glynelwyn, home of Faithmead Felt, Fleece ‘n’ Fibre, to talk wool.
Mandy and Derek have goats, pigs, horses and poultry, but it was the sheep that I was there for. Below are some of them – indoors to keep them out of the current poor weather (some breeds are not as hardy as you might think, plus this will help to avoid pre-felted fleeces). As you can see, some of them are particularly partial to dry pasta as a treat!
Glynelwyn is home to small numbers of a variety of breeds – Blue-faced Leicester (standard and coloured), Wensleydale, Corriedale, Gotland, Leicester Longwool, Teeswater and Grey-faced Dartmoor – and produces single-breed wool. It is also the home to tiny Fennel – a ‘micro-Corriedale’. She’s not a big wool-producer, but she does write well (a truly amazing sheep) and has just started her own blog!
Fennel and her pal Dennis
The wool from the big sheep is sold at occasional shows and on-line (they will send wool anywhere in the world!) and Mandy’s studio is heaven for a wool lover:
But, as well as the fibre, fleeces and yarn, Mandy wants to sell kits, and that’s where I come in. After a couple of unsuccessful previous attempts to have some patterns written, a mutual friend got us talking to each other and I’m going to help out. We are going to start small – a knitting kit for a hat using one of the yarns that Mandy has in (relative) abundance. On returning home, my first job was to knit some swatches, decide on an appropriate needle size and stitch pattern, and then get working on the hat…
It’s really lovely to be doing this with a local producer and I’ll be reporting on progress over the coming weeks.
The Snail of Happiness 
Wild Daffodil
/ February 4, 2018What a lovely project.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018It was lovely to meet the sheep whose wool I’m knitting!
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coppicelearner
/ February 4, 2018As Glynelwyn is just round the corner from me I am particularly delighted with this collaboration. It feels as though the various networks to which I belong are beginning to form cross-connections (not because of anything I have managed to do I hasten to add!) and it feels great to see the strength of the web increasing. I see the sheep regularly on my dog walks and will think of you now every time. And look forward to seeing the finished article in a future post.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018I did pop round after I’d been to Glynelwyn, but you were out – clearly the driving is going ok! I’m sure I’ll be back down again soon, though.
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nanacathy2
/ February 4, 2018Lovely sheep, and if you need a pattern tester I owe you.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018Thank you!
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iamsimplyhooked
/ February 4, 2018Ooh exciting! I think we will need some crochet kits too!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018I think it won’t be too long before we get to those!
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wybrow1966
/ February 4, 2018Good luck with your project – will follow with interest.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018I have been madly knitting and making notes this weekend, so I’m hoping to get a first draft of the first pattern done soon.
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katechiconi
/ February 4, 2018Brilliant! I do love hearing about new collaborations like this. Now all I need is for someone to do the same sort of thing here, but sadly this is not good sheep country; too hot and too wet. Down south would be better, Victoria or southern NSW.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018Lack of sheep is certainly not an issue here!
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katechiconi
/ February 4, 2018Well, it IS Wales….
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thecontentedcrafter
/ February 4, 2018What a wonderful collaboration – sending my very best wishes for great success with it! xo
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018I’m hoping it will give me a bit of a kick as regards writing up some of my other patterns… and getting on with designing some new ones.
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Murtagh's Meadow
/ February 4, 2018Sounds likes a great collaboration.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018I’ve found it quite inspiring – and it’s always good to have someone to work with to get feedback.
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juliascreativeyear
/ February 4, 2018That’s such an exciting project. How cool to meet the sheep. I had never considered the possibility of prefelted fleeces – oops
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018It has been so wet here this year that keeping the fleeces in good condition on the sheep before shearing has been a bit of a challenge. At least Mandy has a small enough flock to be able to keep a good proportion of them indoors when she needs to.
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juliascreativeyear
/ February 4, 2018That’s good.
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anne54
/ February 4, 2018How wonderful, and a web of relationships, including sheep! It’s a project that includes so many of your passions ~ local produce, sustainability, rare breeds, knitting, giving generously of your time and knowledge, and many more. Have fun!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 4, 2018Sometimes such things just come along!
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yarnandpencil
/ February 4, 2018What a fabulous opportunity for you 🙂
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Laurie Graves
/ February 5, 2018Wonderful! Keep us posted.
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tialys
/ February 5, 2018How exciting! Good luck with it all and I look forward to seeing the results of your collaboration.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 5, 2018The more I think about this the more exciting it is… and it will certainly ensure that I actually get on and write up some of those patterns I’ve been mucking about with for ages.
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Moke
/ February 5, 2018A fabulous plan which I think will prove very popular. Best of luck. Mxxx
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 5, 2018If nothing else, I’ve made a new friend!
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Moke
/ February 13, 2018That’s lovely. Mxxx
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sewchet
/ February 5, 2018What a great collaboration to be involve in – I’ll enjoy seeing your progress as you get up and running.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 6, 2018I just need more hours in the day!
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Patricia Collins
/ February 6, 2018What a wonderful opportunity. Surely some Welsh Wool Snail kits are needed?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 6, 2018The trouble with that is that the snail pattern that I knitted mine from isn’t one of mine and I haven’t got round to designing my own yet… perhaps this will give me an incentive! Or maybe a colour-work snail hat…
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Helen
/ February 6, 2018Fantastic venture!
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thecraftersapprentice
/ February 9, 2018what an exciting project!! Who is doing the spinning – is that you?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 9, 2018No. I don’t spin; Mandy does, but the wool for sale is being done commercially.
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Dartmoor Yarns
/ February 11, 2018Very exciting. Good luck!
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quietwatercraft
/ February 25, 2018How exciting! It’ll be fab to get a kit that’s entirely local like that.
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