The Spinning Barn - Hand Spinning Studio

13/06/2026

It's Woolly Weekend at Dilham and the sun is shining. I hope you can pop over today or tomorrow and say hello.

07/06/2026

Hello everyone and welcome to your Sunday Spinspiration. I hope you had a good week.
This week it's not about spinning but knitting for a change. And specifically about the most yummy yarn I have used in a very long time. Read on to find out what it is and tell me all about your favourite yarn or project.

I'd recently lost my knitting mojo, but apparently all I needed was a road trip down to Sussex last weekend where I was teaching and I found that I just couldn't waste all those hours in the car so out came the needles! And I am glad that I did as we were stuck for an extra two hours on the dreaded M25!

I cast on the beautiful Sidhean Shawl using some utterly gorgeous yarn from Iolair Yarn that I just could not resist at Woolly Good Gathering in Edinburgh last year... or possibly the year before. Time seems to move differently around yarn festivals!

I believe Sidhean is a Scottish term meaning "the hill where the fairies live"—which feels rather fitting for such a magical project.

The yarn itself is a dream: 70% baby alpaca, 20% silk, and 10% cashmere. It is possibly the most gorgeous yarn I have ever knitted with, and every stitch is an absolute pleasure. The drape, the feel, the luxury of it... just gorgeous.

A lovely touch is that the Iolair Yarn tag depicts two eagles, a nod to the name itself. It's details like that which make a yarn feel even more special.

It's amazing how the right project and the right yarn can bring your knitting enthusiasm rushing back. ✨🧶

05/06/2026

Your Invitation to a Day of Spinning, Fibre & Creativity

A Whole Day of Hand Spinning – Join Me on June 20th

04/06/2026

Transform Raw Fleece into Beautiful Handspun Yarn

Last Few Places: Transform Raw Fleece into Beautiful Handspun Yarn

03/06/2026

Introducing The Spinning Barn Social Circle

Our online community group for fibre lovers

01/06/2026

It is with the most incredible sadness that we announce that today we said our very last goodbye to our beautiful Ted. As well as being one of the family he was also an integral part of the Spinning Barn team. He was always there to welcome visitors and check out any bags in the hope of sneaking some lunch! And then he would just sleep in front of the fireplace until lunchtime before waving cheerio at the end of a workshop day. We just cannot imagine what life will be like without our boy.
We know that he was loved by so many of you and we shall always be extremely grateful for that - as was Ted.