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/
Join Fibreshed Ireland’s second annual symposium, which will look at the past to inform the future of soil-to-soil textiles.
Through a programme of presentations, craft demonstrations, breakout sessions and informal networking opportunities, members and friends of Fibreshed Ireland are invited to explore the history and tradition of Irish textiles.
The presentations – which will be accompanied by handspinning demonstrations – include The tradition of Irish lacemaking; The history, importance and future of the Cladóir sheep; Flax and folklore; among others. We will finish with an interactive session looking ahead at the future.
When: The 17th of November, 2023. The event is part of Design Week Ireland.
For more information, visit their Fibershed Ireland’s website – https://fibreshedireland.ie/projects/symposium-2023/
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The Irish Grown Wool Council, established in April 2023, will be hosting a
marquee at the Dingle Food Festival this Saturday, the 30th and Sunday the 1st, in
association with local Primary Producer Farmers.
They would like a member of Feltmakers Ireland to demonstrate feltmaking to the Food Festival’s visitors. They will also be selling copies of the Guild’s recently published book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. {See the bottom of this post for contact details}.
The Irish Grown Wool Council’s VISION is:
“Bringing Wool stakeholders across the Island of Ireland together to realise the potential of wool as a natural, sustainable and versatile material, by building on its rich heritage, enhancing understanding and appreciation of the characteristics of Irish Grown Wool, facilitating collaboration in product/market research and ultimately applying innovative product solutions to address current challenges and create future opportunities.”
The Wool Council will have various displays on wool products ranging from beautiful textiles handcrafted by local artists, right through to Wool Insulation, which is made using waste wool as part of our circular bio-economy drive under our sustainability slogan – “Waste is a resource in the correct hands”.
MTU Tralee Circular Bio-Economy Southwest Cluster (Catriona Power) hosts the recently created, virtual Wool Research & Innovation Hub and will outline wool research being done by the R&I Hub.
The Dingle Hub, represented by Dinny Galvin, will be doing a display and talk on how, if we had a Biodigester on the Dingle Peninsula or elsewhere in Kerry Irish wool could be scoured locally at scale. Wastewater from washing could be a valuable feedstock for the Biodigester. The UCC team investigating the use of wastewater from a mooted local scouring plant in a biodigester will also attend.
If you are in Dingle for the food festival, call in at the marquee to see our products and meet the makers. Stay for a discussion on how we may develop the wool industry and hopefully get farmers a better price for our wool.
The marquee (stall 56), is based in Orchard Lane, beside Jerry Kennedy Butchers.
For and on behalf of the Irish Grown Wool Council,
Pat Byrne – Chairman
To arrange to demonstrate feltmaking at the festival, email Pat – pat.byrne@theagileexecutive.ie
Next year, Jennifer Lienhard of Apple Oak Fibre Works will teach a year-long online course in natural dyeing. She has a course-specific mailing list if you are interested.
The timeline is the following:
*The schedule might be subject to change. Supplies are included in the class.
For more information, visit her website –https://appleoakfibreworks.com/collections/workshops-teachings/products/a-one-year-course-in-natural-dyeing-2024
EARTH RISING is a four-day festival of free events and experiences aimed at addressing the climate crisis and inspiring collective action towards a sustainable and hopeful future. Taking place across the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) site, the festival promises an unforgettable experience that seeks to provoke, inspire, and empower audiences to become agents of change.
The festival programme offers diverse events, including over 50 artists and collaborators who will showcase their work via installations, screenings, workshops, tours, and talks.
Some of the Fibreshed Ireland members will facilitate drop-in spinning, weaving, knitting and natural dyeing demonstrations. Participants will be welcome to try their hands on any of these activities to collaboratively create a tapestry made from Irish-grown fibres and dyes.
The festival runs from the 21 – 24th of September.
For more information, visit IMMA’s website – https://imma.ie/whats-on/earth-rising-2023/
There is a talk about flax and community networks at the Ulster Museum next Wednesday, 20th September, from 2:00 – 4:00pm, as part of the Linen Biennale NI.
At the heart of the global Fibershed movement is a commitment to creating a textile and clothing culture that enhances soil health and biodiversity through regenerative farming practices grounded in the concept of soil-to-soil systems and the right to livelihood for every person involved in the process from farming to finished garment.
In this short seminar, we will hear about the growth, successes and challenges faced by members of these collectives and consider how we can continue to grow more sustainable fibre networks in Northern Ireland.
Speakers include Fibreshed Ireland members @malu_colorin and eco-artivist @kathykirwan_eco_artivist, with a digital presentation from Shannon Welsh of @fibrevolution_pnw, who works with the @pnw_fibershed, USA.
Attendance is free, but please book via the Museum – https://www.ulstermuseum.org/whats-on/fibre-networks-growing-connections-northern-ireland
There are several wool-related activities at the National Ploughing Championship.
On Tuesday, the 19th of September, a Wool Industry Panel in the Creative Ireland tent, Block 3 Row 23, will discuss the importance of wool and how we can encourage innovation, creativity, education and growth in the sector.
This event will be moderated by Lorna McCormack, Director @woolinschool
The panellists are Pat Byrne of the @irish_grown_wool_council_, Zoe Daly @eriu.ireland, and Matthew Carroll of @thegalwaywoolco_op.
From Tuesday through Thursday, Creative Ireland, in association with Kildare County Council and Wool in School, invites visitors to the Culture, Creativity, Innovation and Sport tent to complete fun and short knitting challenges, which will be attached to a final knitted collage, becoming an artistic “Wall of Wool”.
Each wall panel will depict a St Brigid’s Cloak celebrating and commemorating the legacy of St Brigid. Wool in School, our Artist in Residence @michellehickeyart, and our team of Artists will assist the public in creating a #WallofWool.
The Wall of Wool comprises of Irish wool from Donegal Yarns, Galway Wool, Ciarán’s Yarns, and Eriu.
Lastly, Feltmakers Ireland guild member Tamzen Lundy has a stall selling her felted creations. Find her at Location OU, Block 4, Row 31, Stand 467. She is part of Irish Makers Artisan Collective.
For more information, visit The National Ploughing Championship website – https://www.npa.ie/
The Leitrim Design House National Design, Craft & Art Awards 2023 exhibition is up for two weeks only. The show includes the two winners and ten shortlisted applicants. Feltmakers Ireland member Niki Collier is one of the shortlisted applicants.
The Leitrim Design House National Craft & Design Award (€2,500) is presented for the best overall submission. The winner of this award will have a solo exhibition in 2024. A specially commended prize (€1,000) is awarded to the runner-up.
The award’s winner is Tracy Fry, and a specially commended prize went to runner-up Richard West.
These national awards celebrate excellence in craftsmanship and are born out of the organisation’s sustainability as a business during the past two decades.
There is a video on Facebook that includes the work of the winners and shortlisted applicants – https://www.facebook.com/reel/1020858135737527
‘The Fibre of Our Being‘ is a series of events exploring contemporary textiles which draw on tradition to reinvigorate their process. It will encompass an exhibition of the same title displaying a wide variety of contemporary Irish Textiles and two full weekends of events and workshops that will allow people to learn techniques in dyeing and crafting with textiles.
The highlight will be a day with talks and displays about the source of our fibres and Irish wool production, with displays from small businesses looking to find new ways to use our indigenous materials sustainably. We will finish with an alternative fashion show in the lively cultural hub of Levis Bar in Ballydehob, Co. Cork.
The event runs from the 12th through the 10th of September.
On Sunday the 27th, there is a talk about Irish Wool, including sheep breeds, processing, history and the need to bring back its value, by Fibreshed Ireland member Kit Christina Keawwantha and other panel guests. Booking is needed for this (and other) events.
For more information, visit their website – https://kilcoestudios.com/fibre-of-our-being/
Large mixed bags of knitted, pure wool factory waste is available.
One will need to pick it up in Ennis, Co. Clare.
For more information, please contact Valery: 0863685030
