For me being able to spin my own yarn is equivalent to mixing my own colours if I am painting. I like the complexity and uniqueness of colour and texture that I can achieve, and it gives me a sense of the work being ‘mine’. I use very simple spinning and weaving methods, generally a two ply yarn and a plain weave on a rigid heddle loom. This gives the opportunity for the yarn to be the star.

I will often use Merino or Blue Faced Leicester wool from World of Wool for scarves and shawls, they have a great range of breeds, natural colours as well as dyed yarns. I have a trade account which means I have to order in higher volumes, but it obviously brings the price down which makes selling work a possibility.

The cheapest source of wool is often through local community farms. A big thank you to Nonnington and Led by the wild for kindly giving me wool. Local commercial farmers will happily sell fleece for as little as £5 for a fleece, or will end up dumping wool because it’s not worth the effort of trying to sell the fleece, bagging it up and getting it to the wool board. . The process of washing and carding is, obviously, time consuming and will use quite a bit of water. It’s best as an outdoor job when the weather is warm and dry.