WGW Knit & Natter - Saturday 3rd February 2024 at the Barleycorn Inn
Wiltshire Green Woollies
Learn the heritage crafts of Knitting, Crochet, Spinning, Weaving, Tapestry & Artisan Dyeing with us.
WGW Knit & Natter - Saturday 3rd February 2024 at the Barleycorn Inn
Learn the heritage crafts of Knitting, Crochet, Spinning, Weaving, Tapestry & Artisan Dyeing with us.
Wiltshire Green Woollies is a specialist heritage yarn craft and furniture upcycling & recycling community project. We are passionate about teaching and passing on the skills of fleece preparation, hand-spinning & dyeing, knitting, crochet and weaving, reutilising and repurposing clothing, household goods and furniture wherever we can.
Our famous WGW Knit & Natter Club is back at our fabulous new venue at 'the Cwtch' (Welsh for hug) at The Barleycorn Inn, 73 Marlborough Road, Collingbourne Kingston. We meet every Saturday morning, between 10am and 12 noon. This is a community event and everyone, novice to the most experienced knitters and crocheters, is welcome to join our friendly group.
Heritage yarn crafts are not only lots of fun, they can be immensely rewarding too! Whatever you create, an heirloom piece for your family, a gift for a loved one or something for yourself, you'll know that you have have crafted a gift that is not only beautiful, but also unique. We have just announced the first two courses for 2024. You can book on line, via our shop, or purchase a voucher for a loved one this Christmas.
All yarn crafts, particularly hand-spinning, knitting and crochet are real stress-busters! Learning these crafts will help you create your own personal 'me-time' where you can leave your work and day-to-day cares behind and just focus, mindfully, on your preferred craft, perhaps in the company of some good friends.
So, if you have you always wanted to learn to knit, crochet, dye, spin or weave, or enjoy rescuing furniture then we definitely have the course for you, and look forward to meeting you soon.
Claire @ WGW
Home spun undyed woollen shawl & hat
As with so many other businesses, small and large, we were nearly destroyed by the government Lockdowns where, like so many businesses, we were prevented from trading. As a knock-on effect, we also lost our beautiful training premises which left us 'homeless' too. Well, its been tough few years, but we are back.
Our website is being redeveloped, and we have just delivered our first knitting and crochet courses for 2024. Most of our courses will be delivered at The Barleycorn Inn in Collingbourne Kingston, as it offers an excellent Bed & Breakfast facility for attendees wishing to stay overnight, and the food is delicious.
Some of our courses will be held in different locations - we are in discussions to hold courses for various museums and summer schools in Wiltshire this year. We will also be offering private lessons, on a 1-2-1 basis at the farm from the spring onwards.
Over the next few days, we will finally be 'stocking' our online Emporium. This will offer knitting and crochet patterns, yarns, equipment and accessories. Additionally, we will be offering artisan jewellery, upcycled accessories, furniture, home furnishings, clothing and objet d'art including antiques, and home decorations.
Another first for us is a community page which will list local and UK based companies and charities. which have really made a difference for us in the last three years. In addition to artisan businesses in the UK which we admire.
New weaving courses coming soon
The WGW Knit & Natter meets on a weekly basis, between 10 & 12am each Saturday. We are a friendly, informal club and everyone with an interest in yarncrafts is welcome and best of all, this is a free community event.
We will be meeting in the Snug Room at the Barleycorn Inn, opposite the Church in Collingbourne Kingston. This is a lovely old country pub and there is a large car park.
What do we do? we have a great time, relax and have fun. Bring any of your woolly projects, your woolly WIPs: Knitting, Crochet, Tapestry, Weaving or Spinning along with you, enjoy the company of friends and kick back.
What projects? Any projects: Crochet, Knitting, Tapestry, Spinning and Weaving or any other woolly project. From socks to scarfs, Afghan blankets to filet crochet. Its up to you.
The Barleycorn Inn is a charming country pub, set in the beautiful Bourne Valley. We will have the Snug room called 'The Cwtch' (that's Welsh for 'hug') all to ourselves and after we have finished, people can adjourn to the bar for tea, coffee and a light lunch if you fancy one.
The WGW Knit and Natter club meeting is free. Yes, FREE!!!
This is a community event to bring people with a love of woolly crafts together in the heart of our village, for two hours of relaxing fun, friendship and chit chat.
Hi, I'm Claire and I am absolutely passionate about all things woolly and rescuing and repurposing old wooden furniture . I have worked with wool, and textiles all my life as a hobby, and love designing knitting and crochet patterns and teaching all the heritage yarn crafts.
After I retired from corporate life, I decided that it was time
Hi, I'm Claire and I am absolutely passionate about all things woolly and rescuing and repurposing old wooden furniture . I have worked with wool, and textiles all my life as a hobby, and love designing knitting and crochet patterns and teaching all the heritage yarn crafts.
After I retired from corporate life, I decided that it was time to make my hobby my business and spread my love of yarn craft and furniture recycling to anyone who wants to learn. So in 2012 I set up Wiltshire Green Woollies teaching all aspects of yarn production and textile creation.
In 2017 I expanded into upcycling fabrics, textiles and furniture and started to work with wood after I was given an old, and rather dilapidated tall - boy. This now sits in pride of place in our bed room.
I hold beginners classes, workshops and master classes throughout the year and also design special courses to suit craft groups, schools, and elders.
I love to design knitting and crochet patterns inspired by the beautiful nature and the beautiful Wiltshire and British Countryside.
I use my patterns in my unique knitting & crochet courses, and I have just started to publish some of these as free patterns, for you to download, in our online shop. Other patterns are available to purcha
I love to design knitting and crochet patterns inspired by the beautiful nature and the beautiful Wiltshire and British Countryside.
I use my patterns in my unique knitting & crochet courses, and I have just started to publish some of these as free patterns, for you to download, in our online shop. Other patterns are available to purchase and I am working on my first pattern book which is due to be published in November 2023.
I love to work with British Partners, individuals and bespoke organisations who offer quality products that are environmentally sourced. You can find links to some of our favourite companies and designers below.
Working the Greener Way by design.
I live in on a Farm in Wiltshire on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire. My inspiration comes from the local landscape, places that I visit in and around the UK and the seasonal colours that wash over the countryside.
We are now producing our own artisan hand dyed and hand spun yarn, using our own wool and dyes prepared from plants grown on our farm.
Sister company to Wiltshire Green Woollies, Working the Greener Way - Online provides a variety of consultancy services to third sector organisations: Town, Parish & Community Councils and Charities in England & Wales:
We also provide free English as a second language training to students seeking Masters Degree Scholarships in Europe.
It doesn't matter whether you have a large garden or a small one, this wonderful English company has the solution for you!
I do not have my own green house and cultivate most of my seedlings in my dining room during the winter. Everything else I purchase from the Acqua Garden, and I have a monthly subscription for vegetable plants.
The Acqua Garden was founded by CEO Jonathan Martin, who worked as an international corporate lawyer for over 30 years.
Always a keen gardener and having grown up in the countryside, Jonathan decided to try something completely different but related to the things he had always loved. He became an inventor and an entrepreneur - and set about building the business, drawing on his experience and resources, and driven by his vision.
This has led the Acqua and its first product: The Acqua Garden - vertical tower growing solutions for people with very limited space. The product that was designed and developed by Jonathan himself, and aimed at helping us on so many levels.
It is
Jonathan's belief that we can all make a difference by how we live and what we eat.
Please pay Jonathan and the team a visit, and support this wonderful, British business.
Wiltshire Green Woollies is committed to maintaining its Net-Zero Carbon footprint through adoption of science-based targets aligned with the Paris Agreement – which seeks to limit global warming to 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°.
We are completely powered by Solar Energy derived from EcoFlow portable solar power solutions.
EcoFlow, a portable power, and renewable energy solutions company, has been recognized by the 2022 Red Dot Design Award, with the EcoFlow DELTA Pro and the ecosystem’s accessories named the winner in the Product Design category. The Red Dot Design Award is one of the biggest design competitions in the world, with its distinctive “Red Dot” serving as a marker of outstanding design around the world for over 60 years.
Wiltshire Green Woollies supports Alabaré, taking part in its 'Big Sleep' at Salisbury Cathedral in 2022 and other events. Alabaré is a charity supporting vulnerable, homeless and marginalised people, helping them transform their lives, providing accommodation and gain the skills, confidence and opportunities to live a fulfilled life.
Alabaré was founded in 1991 by Rev John Proctor and his wife Alicia after they befriended and offered a home to a series of people in crisis. They founded a new charity, Alabaré and following a year of fundraising, their first home, Barnabas House in Salisbury, was opened. (click here to read their founding story)
As many of my friends will know, I lost all my Staffords, my beautiful Ben, Kara and Dave over a two year period during and shortly after the Lockdowns. It is very true that the hardest part about living with a dog is saying good bye after a lifetime of love and loyalty shared.
Last November we were lucky enough to be able to adopt 'Rocky' from DogsTrust Salisbury and I cannot thank the staff enough for their help and support as we went through the longer than usual acclimatisation and adoption process.
We will be publishing a 'PK and Rocky' knitting pattern on the 1st October 2023 and all proceeds from this pattern will be donated to DogsTrust Salisbury.
In the meantime, please pay DogsTrust a visit, and if you are in a position to donate a few pennies, please do.
Those of us who live in the countryside need to ensure that our chimneys, log-burners and stoves are kept in tip-top condition. We use Southern Chimney Services for all our needs and cannot recommend this company, run by Pete Mulingani, highly enough!
Southern Chimney Services was established in 2011 by Pete Mulingani having completed 24 years service in the British Army, leaving as a Colour Sergeant in the Infantry.
Southern Chimney Services is based in Burbage and Pete provides coverage across Salisbury Plain and the towns and villages surrounding it.
Don't leave it 'til the Autumn, get your chimney sparkling now!
You know, its a wonderful thing to have a pub in your own village these days. Especially when your village is, well, lets face it, more of a blink!
Well we are very lucky to have a beautiful 18th Century pub and B&B on our doorstep, and, it is the home of our WGW Knit & Natter Club which meets every Saturday, in the Barleycorn's 'Cwtch' to spin some yarns, tell some tales and have a good old gossip whilst working on our latest woolly projects.
So then, if you are a local, or you are just visiting the Salisbury Plain area for business or pleasure make sure that you don't forget to visit this great British pub!
Oor Patts Glasgow is one of my favourite artists and creates wonderful images based on Scottish life. I recently purchased some Christmas cards from Patt and he very kindly drew a pen and ink sketch of me knitting a new woolley creation which you can see on our home page! He has captured me to perfection...
Why not visit the amazing OorPatts website today and take a look at his amazing collection.
Welcome to Wiltshire Green Woollies! Don't miss this Saturday's Knit & Natter at the Barleycorn Inn, Collingbourne Kingston!
Rocky @ WGW
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