The fourth annual University of Chester Textiles Stories Study Day took
place on the 23rd April 2016 at the Guildhall, University Centre
Shrewsbury. ‘The Story of Wool’ was the focus of this year’s event and the
diverse schedule of talks, displays, and stalls offered something for
everybody, whether a knitting novice or spinning expert!
Jean Huff, spinning in the foyer Woollen items made by participants at the event
The
talks got off to a fascinating start thanks to textile artist Fiona Nisbet.
Fiona talked us through the steps involved in the creation of her beautiful
textiles, which begins with sourcing the ideal sheep. Once she has found the
best fleece, Fiona explained how she starts the process of spinning the raw
material into thread, using the techniques of carding or combing depending on
the design she hopes to produce. She then talked us through the various dyeing
and weaving techniques, before explaining how she transforms the end material
into her stunning designs. Fiona very kindly brought in some of her pieces, so
we were lucky enough to see (and even buy) some of her original work.
Fiona Nisbet talking about fleeces
Next
up were Dr Graham Atkin and Professor Deborah Wynne, both English lecturers. Their
talk: ‘Woolly Stories: From Shakespeare to the Brontës’ focused on the importance
of the pastoral, wool, and the wool trade within the literature of Shakespeare
and the Brontës. Graham discussed his interest in the pastoral literature of
the Renaissance by taking us through images from Edmund Spenser’s The Shepeardes Calendar (1579). We were also
given examples from several of Shakespeare’s plays where pastoral imagery can
be found including As You Like It
(1600) and The Winter’s Tale (1611).
Deborah’s talk centred around examples of the wool trade in the work of the
Brontës, especially their childhood experiences of the Yorkshire woollen mills.
Deborah explained how both Branwell and Charlotte took inspiration from the
mills near their home in Haworth, an area where the spinning and selling of
wool was an essential part of the local economy. Deborah focused on Branwell
Brontë’s The Wool is Rising (1834)
and Charlotte Brontë’s Shirley (1849)
in her talk.
Graham Atkin talking about Shakespeare. Deborah Wynne with some members of the Shropshire Spinners and Weavers Guild
After
a delicious lunch, everybody was ready for the third talk of the day from the
local sheep farmer, Thelma Thompson. Despite a successful career as a
solicitor, Thelma decided she had had enough of her office in the city. After
heading to a sheep market with her friend, farmer Henry, Thelma had a chance
encounter with a small but feisty ram named Tinker. Before she knew it, she had
purchased Tinker and the rest was history! Thelma’s fascinating talk detailed
the highs and lows of being a twenty-first century shepherdess. Though she has
had to deal with financial pressures, long hours, and never-ending administrative
work, she is also able to spend every day in the great outdoors, breeding and
rearing her sheep with Henry’s help. Thelma’s talk included some beautiful
photographs of her new lambs, while her stall provided some more opportunities
for retail therapy!
Thelma Thompson with some useful leaflets from the Wool Marketing Board
The
final talk of the day was given by Professor Sandy Black from the Centre for
Sustainable Fashion, at the University of the Arts, London. Sandy has enjoyed a
varied and fascinating career as a designer, a researcher and an academic. Her
talk, ‘Wool in Knitting and Fashion: From underwear to couture’ focussed on the
important role knitting has played in fashion throughout the ages, from
beautiful examples of early knitting in the fifth century, to couture pieces
from the modern day. Sandy explored in detail how wool has maintained its
cultural importance in domestic terms, especially throughout the nineteenth-century,
when knitting was used to make extra money, and as an educational tool in
schools. She transported us through history, up to the twenty-first century,
when wool strengthened its importance as an art form for modern designers whose
work graces catwalks, and can be seen amongst the pages of Vogue magazine.
One of our participants holding a 'Sandy Black' jumper she knit in the 1980s. Her friend holds the original pattern,
Minnie and Bryony, University Centre Shrewsbury students who kindly helped out on the day.
The fourth Textiles Stories Study Day provided a
wonderful opportunity to hear expert speakers talk about wool and knitting in original
and fascinating ways. We do hope you will join us next year for the story of
silk at Macclesfield Silk Museum on the 1st April 2017.
Report by Katie Baker, PhD student, English Department, University of Chester
