A Vintage Wool Shop and very Vintage Felting

At the weekend, I happened to be on the mainland, so I took advantage of the opportunity to check out a so far unvisited town on the South Coast.

I headed off to Christchurch in Dorset, as I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a wool shop in town.

Behold! Honora Wool Specialists in the High Street.

What an Aladin's Cave for the knitter - a survivor since the 1940's. Chocked floor to ceiling with knitting yarns of every description, notions, buttons.... just like the wool shops of my childhood - and they put wool by for you, so you can spread the cost. Purchases were rung up on an old style cash register which rang as you pushed down the keys - like an old typewriter action. (Showing my age now!) I told the lady behind the counter that I must be in heaven.

After a few restrained purchases (cerise shell buttons, a bodkin, and a shawl pin) I explored the rest of the town and was lucky enough to find a wooden maiden (aka a clothes horse) in a charity shop - just the thing for drying yarn. Then I made my way back to the car park adjacent to the Priory and happened across Place Mill on the Quay.

The Mill is now a Craft Centre, but my time was short, so further investigations will have to wait until another time.

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I'm now onto the cast off of My So Called Scarf - so one of my creative objectives is complete from last weeks list.

I'm ready to take delivery of some alum, so will have my first go at mordanting some wool at the weekend, when I plan to do some actual dyeing and not just talk about it!

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Trying to get to grips with the new blogger format, but am having to get my head around coding the new template. Every time I change it I lose loads of my side bar and can't work out how to replace the info yet.... bah........ need a more techy-head on my shoulders.




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