After a really fantastic St Abbs Wool Festival on Saturday, I've drawn breath, had a couple of days off and now it's back on the road for... 

Some dates where I'll be out and about - all squeezed into November!

Tomorrow, Friday 10th November  I'll be taking a table at the St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre, St Abbs, between 10am and 3pm - winter opening hours now!  We have a bright but breezy forecast tomorrow, so come and see who's there, grab a cuppa in the new Ebba Bistro and watch the waves whipping up over the sea wall around the harbour.  What could be better?

Sunday 12th November a pop-up market on Lindisfarne/Holy Island in the village hall between about 1pm and 4pm - check the tide table for safe crossing times!   Once again the forecast is dry and bright, so have a  bracing walk around the island, see the young gannets diving (amazing sight), follow the willow sculpture trail by local artist Anna Turnbull and have a great cup of coffee in Pilgrim's Coffee House.

Saturday and Sunday 18th & 19th November is the Melrose Crafters Art & Design Fair in Springwood Hall, Kelso with lots of really talented crafty stalls - all hand made.

Only a few days now and we will be ready to welcome everyone to the St Abbs Wool Festival in the Eyemouth Community Centre in Eyemouth.  So much to see and do when you get there!  If you've been following our Facebook page you will have seen images from all of our exhibitors and lots of sheep too!
Here's a link to the page.
We are having a fleece sale at the event and I just wanted to post here what's available, so if you don't do Facebook you won't miss out!
Firstly, we are very lucky indeed, to have, for our fleece sale this year, a number of hogg/shearling fleeces from the Etal flock of Hebridean sheep - photos below. The Etal Hebridean sheep are a long established flock, dating back to the 1970’s when the breed were considered to be rare. Their initial purpose was not only to look attractive but also to be used as ‘lawnmowers’ for small and awkward patches of grass such as those near to river banks and ditches. The ewes are remarkably trouble free when they lamb.
To the details then: these fleeces are very very black, with just a little bleaching on the tips, a staple length of up to 7 inches, no kemp hairs to speak of and about a kilo in weight, priced at £12. Suitable for hand spinning, felting, peg loom weaving, etc. If you'd like to get your hands on one of these beautiful fleeces, you can email us to reserve one - or more - and collect it at the St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth on the 4th November."
Here's a link to the Estate! https://www.facebook.com/fordandetal/
And secondly, for all you spinners, felters and free form weavers (and anyone else!) who love working from fleeces we will also have the following varied few available to buy at the St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth next Saturday! There will be: North Country Cheviot, Black Welsh Mountain, Bowmont, (Bowmont/Shetland roving), Shetland, Ryeland shearling, British Texel, (Shetland roving) and Llewyn x - and probably one or two more! Jean Bennett will be hosting the fleece stall and she has an amazing wealth of knowledge about what to look for in a fleece and how to prepare and select for spinning, so do go and see her! If you'd like to reserve any of the fleeces (we sold everything before lunchtime last year!), then please message us here!