Tag: Ériu

News: Feltmakers Ireland AGM – THIS Sunday

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
A family seated on grass, gently interacting with a lamb. The mother and daughter are smiling and petting the animal, while a man sits beside them. They are dressed in light knitwear, with a scenic landscape in the background.

Feltmakers Ireland will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) THIS Sunday, the 10th of May, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the CIE Sports and Social Hall in Inchicore, Dublin, D08 PA07

We’re delighted to welcome Zoë Daly of Èriu Farm for a special talk on sustainability, heritage, and the future of wool.

Zoë’s journey began with a gift from her grandmother Kitsy: a hand-knitted Merino baby blanket made for Zoë’s newborn daughter. She was struck by its softness, breathability, and comfort, and began asking why a country so rich in sheep farming was not producing beautiful Irish wool products of its own. That question led her to research the decline of Ireland’s wool industry and ultimately to found Èriu.

Today, through Èriu Farm, Zoë and her husband Lionel Mackey champion natural fibres, biodiversity, fair value for farmers, and a fully traceable “Farm to Yarn” approach that reconnects land, craft, and community. Her talk will offer inspiring insights into how wool can play a key role in a more sustainable future.

Agenda

1 .    We will start promptly at 10:45 AM to facilitate our Guest Speaker Zoē Daly of Èriu Farm. 

2 .    Address by the Chair – Deirdre Carroll

3.     Address by the Secretary – Lorna Cady

4.     Treasurer’s Report – Samantha (Sam) Fagan

5.     Motions for AGM- No motions were put forward.

6.     Election of Chair and Committee 2026/2027. Election of other Officers will be held at the June Committee meeting

7.      A Bursary Draw for 250 euros, open to all paid-up members, will take place at the AGM. To be used to partake in a Felting Course, and afterwards, a short recap article with photographs would be much appreciated.

8.      Members will have an opportunity to sell their work at the AGM. Methods of receiving payment, whether cash, credit card, Revolt, or PayPal transactions, will be the seller’s responsibility.

9.      Members will have an opportunity to display and discuss their work with other members. Members will need to bring props to display their items. We will provide 2 table coverings.

10.    Time for refreshments and chat.


Yums

Refreshments will follow. If you could bring a little something, home-baked or not, we’d be delighted.

We always appreciate goodies with our cuppa.

Share Your Work

Members are welcome to bring along a few pieces of their own work to display during the AGM. If you wish to sell or display your work, we will have two tables set up from 10 AM to facilitate the display of artwork and creations. (Please label your work clearly and securely, and please bring it home with you.)

Methods of receiving payment, whether cash, credit card, Revolt, or PayPal transactions, will be the seller’s responsibility.

Zoom Link

Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link, which will be emailed beforehand on Friday, the 8th. This session will not be recorded.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Of Interest: Interactive Wool Crafts – European Wool Day in Tralee

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Promotional poster for 'Interactive Wool Crafts' event, featuring various wool crafts including felting, spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, and Lumra rug making. Details include the date, time, location at Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, and an invitation for individuals, families, and groups to attend.

On Saturday, the 28th of March, European Wool Day will take place at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, Co Kerry. In conjunction with the Conference Talks, there is a full day of free interactive demos of woolcrafts from experts all over the country.

Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will be part of the Interactive Wool Crafts Room. We will demonstrate needlefelting and host hands-on felting circles for the public. The wool that we will use is Irish-raised and was purchased from Ériu and WoolstoreIE. We are grateful to have received some funding from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.

In addition to Feltmakers Ireland, other individuals and groups will be part of the Interactive Wool Crafts room. The list includes several members of Feltmakers Ireland: Karen Bowden (Fabulous Fibres), Lucia Errity, and Emily Thompson.

The lineup, with links to their Instagram:

There will also be a free-to-attend exhibition of artwork from Feltmakers Ireland and two other sister textile organisations:

When: Saturday, the 28th of March, from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Where: Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, Co Kerry, V92DC83

For more information about European Wool Day, visit their website – https://ewe.network/ewd2026/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Of Interest: Farm to Yarn – Ériu featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Image of Presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh and owner Zoë Daly.

In the second of three programs, Nationwide explores Ireland’s wool sector – delving into its rich heritage, current challenges, and future possibilities. Today’s episode will be about Ériu, a ‘Farm to Yarn’ company, based in County Wicklow.

Presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh visits Ériu’s farm to talk about their mission to revive Ireland’s wool industry. From caring for their sheep to handcrafting every garment, Ériu creates 100% Irish wool yarn and garments, all while truly caring and supporting a community of local farmers through their Farm to Yarn network.

Broadcast: TODAY, WEDNESDAY the 26th of November – 19:00/ 7 PM on RTÉ One, or catch it later on the RTÉ Player – https://www.rte.ie/player/series/nationwide/SI0000001172?epguid=IH10008772-25-0126

For more information about the company, visit their website – https://eriu.eu/

Ériu’s Traceability Page is fascinating because it shows the two types of wool that they use (Emerald Romney and Bluefaced Leicester), and the actual farmers who raise the sheep which provide the wool – https://eriu.eu/pages/traceability

Their Farm to Yarn page is also interesting: it’s about the history of wool in Ireland – https://eriu.eu/pages/farm-to-yarn

Ériu will soon offer Irish-raised wool tops, dyed and natural, in addition to their yarn and knitted items. Stay tuned – we will share this exciting development with the felting community when it happens. According to our book, ‘Exploring Irish wool for Feltmaking’, both fibres are good for wet felting, and the Romney is suitable for needle felting.

Ériu’s Instagram – @eriu.ireland

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Recap: Showcase Wool Talks with Links to Videos

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

At Showcase 2024 in January, the Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC) presented a series of three panels about the past, present, and future of Irish wool. Presented by Rebecca Marsden
Designer, Materials Researcher & Educator The Wool Hub and Forge Design Factory.

Day One

The first panel covered ‘Wool Chronicles: Heritage & Horizon’ and included –

A recorded video of this first talk can be found on Showcase Ireland’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN0d3W2c6sc

Produces made from wool. The square on the easel is a type of bio tile created by Ulster University.
Organic farmer Fergal Byne, with yarn created from his sheep by Donegal Yarns.

Day Two

On the second day, the theme of the panel was ‘Wool Yarns; From Ewe to SKU’ and included –

A recorded video of this talk can be found here on Showcase Ireland’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ0zbaOyf1k

Donegal Yarns which uses a blend of Irish-raised and imported fibres.

Day Three

The panel’s theme on the third day was ‘Wool Wonders; Different Strands of Innovation’ –

A recording from this day can be found here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=badXx22BpEo

Speaker Ngaire Takano is investigating alternative methods of scouring wool.
A second slide shows an improved flow for scouring.
Dr Tim Yeomans (in the blue shirt) shared about technical advances that could be applied to wool.

Feltmakers Ireland guild member Annika Berglund shared our book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ with the audience.

Annika and The Book.

Lastly, as part of the annual Showcase awards, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland awarded the knitwear company Ériu, which focuses on using sustainable and circular Irish-raised wool, as the ‘Overall Winner’.

Ériu awarded DCCI Overal Winner of Showcase 2024

Of Interest: Ériu and Irish Wool Article

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

There is a lovely interview in BusinessPlus with Zoe Daly about the founding of Ériu and the company’s use of Irish-raised wool in their products – blankets and knit accessories.

Ériu is at Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair at the RDS, through Sunday. Find them at booth number 188/189.

To read the article, visit the website – https://businessplus.ie/interviews/eriu-zoe-daly/