Well done, Hamish! I can only say my nearly 80 years have been spent with wool, needles, hooks, and a 4-harness loom from Sweden in my "living" room making beautiful clothes for my entire family, friends and even complete strangers. Teaching adult men & women (some with special needs), as well as small children (many with ADHD), for the last 30 years has been my greatest joy. I have had a love affair with wool from early childhood when I sat with my blind grandmother to learn how to crochet, do hairpin lace, and embroidery. As an adult rejoining the workforce in a big city, I bought my suits from Kerry Woolen Mills in Ireland in the 1970's. Even today, a USA company (Overland Sheepskin Co.) provides all things sheep for my family gifts other than what I still produce myself with fabulous yarns I acquire from all over the world. I can't thank you enough Hamish for bringing your excellent video from Wales to all of us around the globe. I am rabid for more of the same❣️👍😊
This is such a lovely comment, thank you Charles! I’m so glad this film has brought back some good memories and I’m so glad your love of wool and textiles has kept so strong throughout your life! Take care and thanks for watching ☺️
We need quality back ! I really hope people will buy more quality clothing made with wool , such a good feeling to have pieces that last and look great .
Wonderful to see more being done with wool. Very interesting. It is expensive but hopefully with time and good ethical people behind it, it will become affordable to more.
This is awesome! As a person living in a cold country, half the year, i wear wool. Also an outdoor person, I'm tired of all the synthetic active wear on the market. NOTHING beats wool! 👍😎🇨🇦❄🐑
What a lovely film! I so love how Hamish talks about how lucky he was to grow up on Auskerry, he could just as well have complained about having been stuck on an island all his childhood and he didn't. So nice to hear a person go on about the positive and I hope this wool industry flourishes in the future. Beautiful fabric they are turning out. I am a knitter and it is my calm in this turbulent world we live in today. With love from Canada🍁
Thanks so much Debbie ☺️ When I was a teenager I wasn’t always so positive about being away from friends etc but the older I get the more I appreciate it - and I truly love living and working there. Thanks so watching - take good care ❤️
Considering the global nature of our world now I think the wool industry really has a good chance at thriving. I live in a frozen place for 1/2 the year and cotton or synthetic fibers will kill you if you get caught out. Wool is naturally moisture wicking and water resistant. It keeps your toes warm and your back dry. I'm also in awe at the whole, beautiful process. I know several fiber artists and they will only work with natural fiber. When they are creating a piece from high quality wool, they have a real reverence for the material. It's a beautiful thing to see. Great Video. I love seeing the Welsh tradition being kept alive. If I ever get to Wales I'll surely put that museum on my must see list.
My wife’s parents farmed around 20 sheep here in Newfoundland and only gave it up a few years ago. They would shear the sheep in the fall and send it to Quebec for processing. Her mom would knit socks and slippers that were sold or given as Xmas gifts. I still have a few pairs for our cold winters. I love watching your videos on the island as it reminds me of a my childhood growing up in outport Newfoundland.
Brilliant little film. Thank you …Why don’t we appreciate the joy of wool? How magical is it that fleece shorn from sheep can become so many different types, patterns and colours of fabric always amazes me. I do hope that the industry does grow again as we appreciate wool again and that the farmers are paid for fleeces more respectfully.
Thank you Jen! I completely agree. It’s an amazing fibre and resource and it’s a tragedy that farmers are throwing it away in many cases because of its economic worthlessness. I really hope for better days for wool ahead! Thanks for watching
I am an Eco crafter and have just invested in some wool scrim to add to my patchwork stuffing, it's fab.. I hope that more people will catch on to such an Eco friendly resource.
I am so happy that the wool industry has gained interest again. Slow but as long as it is progressing. I live in the states and learned weaving some 20+ years ago. I love it. I have branched out to spinning, rug hooking etc. thank you for such informational material.
I was a woollen and silk designer for many years and came from a textile family. I’ve been in love with wool forever. I worked in a mill On a hand loom showing people how cloth was woven. Like lots of things, people never think where it comes from. I’d love to get my hands on a 16 shaft dobby loom! I saw a post on Facebook about a man who was rebuilding an old mill in South Wales. I lost the post, I would have loved to go and help.
Ah hopefully you’ll see something similar again! I quite agree - if people could see the skill and care that went into handmade things, they would be willing to pay more for them. Thank you for watching!’
Brilliant video, how wonderful you have brought to light these dedicated skilled people keeping wool processing alive. It is really heart warming to see and I do hope from the bottom of my heart that they can revive and make people fall in love with wool again. Thank you for sharing this story.
That’s really kind, thank you! It’s one of my favourite parts of my job - seeing the amazing work done by people and sharing it with a wider audience. And these people were so inspiring to me! Thanks for watching
Thank you for presenting this lovely story. It is edifying to learned about the preservation efforts of the country and the potential of the updated industry.
Very enjoyable video. Learned so much. Of course wool is sustainable but we really haven't been thinking of it that way. I hope the dragon wakes up and your 600 sheep are part of it. Also, how great is it to have those master craftsmen taking time preserve the art of yarn making and weaving. So wise to collaborate and share successes to keep the craft alive for future generations.
I so agree! I was really reassured to see the skills being passed on and also to witness Jonny’s passion for it. Fingers crossed for a great future for wool! Thank you for watching
Thanks, I really enjoyed this short film on one of my favorite subjects. Wool. Nothing compares to it and I wish everybody got a chance to really get to know this incredible fiber. But it’s more than that. It’s the dedicated craftspeople/artisans who transform fleece into stunning fabrics ( and yarns ) and who keep beautiful traditions alive ❤
Thank You , I love your Series, I follow you from down here down under ,in Sydney Australia, Todays episode briefly touched on my own story, many, many. years, ago when I was a lad I worked out at Parramatta a outer west Sydney suburb, at the Sydney Woollen Mills they are long gone now , I worked as a Twister. The Twisters job is to join the threads of Wool on the reels to the fabric in the loom, ...They were the days
I ran the spinning department in a Kiwi woollen mill back in the 80s, I ended up running the huge coal fired boiler that ran the place. Like most mills it eventually closed and got demolished.
Wow that’s an incredible memory! I developed such a stronger respect for those tireless workers in the old mills, when it would have been incredibly loud, dusty and cramped - not to mention dangerous! I’m glad this video brought back some good memories for you. Take care and thanks for watching!
Beautifully presented wools is so warm :) its beats a flesse jacket any day :) Thank You for your lovely Thoughtful Channel! Best wishes from 🇨🇦✨ west coast on the Pacific Ocean 🌊
Two people on the West Coast are thanking you!! I find knitting and crocheting are wonderful exercises for the brain and making items out of wool means all that work will be useful for a long time.
This is WONDERFUL and I thank you for it. Sustainable decency of product that supports a better earth and all of us on it. As a handspinner/weaver of small textiles, I understand the notion of getting the passion for it into the blood. It has been the pleasure of my long life to work with natural fibers!
Thank you for the new video Hamish. I have been working with will for about 20 years now. Weaving spinning felting and anything else I can think of to do. I really appreciate how much this industry means to you and your family.
Incredible resource, fabric.... Yeah for wool. I'm a crafter whose just added in wool offcuts to use in quilting.. You can even buy wool stuffed duvets called Baavets... Wool rocks!
Loved this video i got myself a couple of wool jumpers this last winter so much better than anything else. Thanks for sharing keep up your fantastic work 👍🇬🇧
Hi Hamish, I commented a few day's ago but it seems tae have disappeared, hope the revival of the wool industry continues as the hard work of the producers like you're parents deserve the respect of all the wool wearer's worldwide, 🐏🐑🐏🐑👍🏻,cheers fae Pat
Fabulous! Thank you for sharing. I love seeing the comeback of mills, especially textiles, whether they're woolen, cotton, linen in the UK and US. I live in Virginia which used to have many cotton mills and garment manufacturers. As a 68 year old, watching them be destroyed in mynlifetime by cheap imported fabrics and clothing has been heartbreaking. (PS. I love textiles ...Period! 😊)
Just fantastic, brings a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes, the enthusiasm of these folks to keep these skills alive is so heart warming. The skills of the older generation are of great value to this country and if they are not valued and passed on they will be lost forever, thank you for filming this, wonderful.
Discovered your channel a few months ago, What an amazing family history & story, I’m surprised it wasn’t told & filmed for TH-cam many years ago. Will be purchasing a lambskin for sure, it was very interesting watching it being processed & packed onto the boat. Wool is a superior material, I’m an avid outdoors lover, hiking & camping, no synthetic material comes close.
Thanks very much Ray, I really appreciate this! Wool is incredible, it was fascinating learning more about it down here. Take care and keep enjoying the outdoors!
@@hamishauskerry I’m a hand weaver in Western Australia. I lived in Cardiff for a while so it was lovely to see some of Wales. Also lived in the Hebrides but have never ventured to the Orkneys.
Imagine those who invented and built these machines. My off the boat Italian grandfather who came to US in his mid 20s with wife and 2 young kids and who never finished elementary school was a tool and die maker self taught. My father is still alive at 96 and was youngest of 4 so not sure when grandfather got here. There was nothing grandfather could not build. He built his own own on a big lot homestead in upstate NY. When his younger brother and 2 younger sisters came over from Italy and married he built their houses and homesteads right next to his. He went on to work for GE and tool and die maker designing with engineers machines that GE used for production. The people that design, build maintain, make replacement parts for these old machines were in my eyes absolutely amazing (with no computers)
Honestly I couldn’t agree more with this Thomas! Just looking at the machines up close I can never believe the intricacies. I would love to have an engineering mind like your ancestors and relatives! Thanks for watching
Thanks for sharing the Welsh wool mill! What a fun video. As an avid knitter, crocheter, and occasional spinner and dyer, I love all things wool. I've toured a semi-local wool mill that makes yarn from wool grown in our area (Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, etc.) It was quite different from this mill. Very interesting to see the differences.
Ah that’s fascinating Shanna! I’d have thought lots of the techniques would have been taken over the pond in the Industrial Revolution and then over time they’ve been adapted. I’d love to visit your local mill one day! Thanks for watching
@@hamishauskerry thank YOU for posting this return to private woolen processes and resulting fabrics! Since watching the decline of small private production and across other businesses in most sectors I find this very encouraging.
We need hands on industry across the planet to be reborn. Small business, home industry and craftsmanship must not go away. Praying for the will industry in Wales.
What an impressive video. It's important to recognize the varied qualities of this great raw material. It needs some idealists with a lot of courage to start it on. I love wool and I hope it will succeed. Greetings from Bavaria Germany and best wishes to your parents
Seriously impressive so much goes on behind the scenes and all of those involved who help to create the wonderful end results the gifts from nature and its inhabitants… always am amazed with its products … so tactile so filled with comfort and warmth blessings wished for all of those involved in this process and their time and efforts to keep this ancient skill alive and educating others … seems the old ways always come back and gain resurgence…and Thank you Hamish for sharing with us all…stay blessed …
Thank you for this. I think natural fabrics like wool are making a comeback. If we look at the cost per wearing, it is much cheaper to invest in a wool garment that lasts for years than a cheap polyester material that ends up in the rubbish heap after a few wearings. My ancestors came to Nova Scotia from Ireland and sheared the sheep, spun the wool, and wove the cloth on the farm I grew up on. It instilled in me the love of good quality fabrics and I yearn for a revival of those days. Seeing your video makes my heart sing. 🙂
I enjoyed that with my porridge and toast this morning, great to see a mini revival and folk keeping these skills alive, its so important that these and other skills like roof thatcher's, slate industry, cotton mills are not lost. Thanks Hamish
I am a huge fan of wool and certainly Welsh wool. Wool is my favorite product for keeping me warm. Nothing works better. I still have 1 or 2 wool sweaters from the late 1980s. Wool is so durable. I hope wool makes a big comeback. Keep up the great work. PS-I have heard about the beautiful woolen Welsh blankets. I have you guys on my list.
Not just in Wales, here in California, USA there have been new small mills processing fiber for hand spinners and farms that want to have added value products. Hopefully, the industry worldwide can keep coming back, we can't clothe the world sustainably in plastic.
😢Farmers in Wales hardly get 50p a fleece these days. My Nana had Cambrian blankets. I remember woollen mills all over Wales as a child. Beautiful, fascinating places to visit
It’s so sad isn’t it! Such an amazing fibre and product and yet it’s basically worse than worthless to so many farmers. Hopefully things will change. Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry Hi Hamish Re all things textiles, just visited the National Botanical gardens today. There is a fantadtic exhibition on done by a talented, voluntary group of ladies, celebrating 10 years of Botanical Stitchers They give their time freely, this exhibition celebrates the natural world Well worth the schlepp from Cardiff. Cheers
It was a tragedy that these skills were close to lost forever in the 80s and 90s. So much competition from countries with low labour costs, low material costs and good exchange rates. I live in Western Australia and there are half a dozen fabric retail franchises churning out poor quality synthetic fibres of zero value and we have no outlets for quality fabric. The closest would be a 3,000 mile plane flight to Adelaide or Melbourne and how green is a jet trip?? I would treasure a piece of woven Welsh woollen fabric for a warm, long lived, ecologically sound piece of clothing. Long live the old crafts and priceless fibres. Thank you for this enlightening piece of journalism. Well done.
I can't help but think that such a sustainable product should be in high demand. But the "sustainability" machine may not be willing to make room for the real thing. Thanks again for your report. I visited Wales many years ago and it seemed to me there were more sheep than people in some places. I hope they can make a go of the wool industry again. ( By the way, those folks should be using ear protection. Mills caused a lot of hearing impairment during the industrial revolution.)
Agreed on all points! It’s very loud and if I’d been in there longer with the machines working I would have wanted ear protection too. Thanks as always for watching ☺️
Thank you for an interesting video, the Welsh fabric and woven blankets are beautiful, so hope they can revive it. I'm a knitter and have a strict budget. The English wool like Rowen is out of my reach and often use German wool Scandinavian yarn which is more affordable. But it seems as though they kept their production going from the 1800s. And they use every bit of it. I know on your Mother also spins wool, has she got a website? Yorkshire spinners also produce yarn. I think I am in the wrong part of the country in Cambridge. In Scandinavia it is part of the children's education, boys and girls, to knitting, sewing, capentry etc. so clever because I think it develops the brain in other ways than academically. Thanks again.
Hi Anita, you know a lot more about it than me! That’s good to hear the Scandies are protecting it from being too expensive. I’d love to go and do some filming on the Norwegian islands where they farm ancient breeds of sheep similar to ours. My parents’ website is isleofauskerry.com Thank you for watching! ☺️
Hi Hamish ,hopefully with productions like this people might realise the hard work producers like you're parents and processors will be recognised and supported and buy quality materials rather than the mass produced synthetic materials that sadly are the norm nowadays ,cheers fae Pat 👍🏻👍🏻
those great entire buildings and I can do everything in there from washed fleece to warm scarf - only a few scarves per year as compared to their myriads, but still, seeing it all together, I have to admit I'm a bit chuffed with myself over my ability to draft and spin and warp and weave!
I live in a warm climate where I had to turn on the air conditioning on May 10 this year and it will still be on in September! Yet I wear wool socks except for July and August! I would love wool underwear but can’t afford it! I just ordered wool jersey and will start making my own! As much as I love wool, I can’t pay 70 US dollars per pair! But I did splurge for 2 sets of merino long underwear for $260! I can’t live without it! Also just ordered a wool mattress! I hope wool comes back so that everyone can afford to find out the lovely thermal qualities of wool!
Thank you for your video. I'm sure most people realise the benefits of wool but the biggest hurdle is price. It's so expensive and sadly many people just can't afford it.
Yes that’s certainly a problem, I know that’s true. There are many wool substitutes made from manmade fibres, but they’re much cheaper so I understand the difficulty for so many people! Thanks for watching
Wondering if the seaweed adds to the wools properties over time has the wool the sheep produce changed in texture, length, or softness? Hum.. and if you eat a lamb who grew fat off the seaweed does that count as eating seaweed lol I love dried seaweed and add it to lots of soups but their meat might be also rich in the oils of the sea kelp ? Glad the woolen mills are still thriving there : ) lovely video of the process 🐑
It’s a really interesting question! No one could say for definite because they’ve been eating seaweed since well before the Vikings were in Orkney but their wool and meat is of a high quality. The meat doesn’t taste salty or anything, but it has a slightly richer taste than conventional lamb - slightly more gamey. Thanks for watching!
I would be interested in knowing how your parents’ wool is different from others due to their diet, as well as location. Have there been any tests done? Is that even a thing?
Thanks for your comment Mary!! I don’t know about whether it relates to their diet or the environment they live in but our flock has very soft and high quality wool. Partly because we’ve deliberately chosen rams with high quality fleece over the last 25/30 years and that has made a difference. I don’t know if tests have been done but that would be fascinating! Thanks for watching
Thank you George! So the first part is filmed at the National Wool Museum of Wales in Carmarthenshire. And then the other part features the yarn company called Garthenor Organic based in the town of Cardigan. Thanks for watching!
I need this.... so sick of the "wool fabric" we get locally. Australia is one the largest wool producers and yet we can't even buy a wool jumper. So this is encouraging. Can I talk you to coming to Australia and bringing your wool with you (yarn and cloth)
Thank you Jax! I’d love to come to Australia (not least to visit relatives!). I think our sheep would struggle in the heat and without the abundance of seaweed though 😃 thanks for watching
Maybe you could get a local farmer to let you gather wool off the hedges and start the process for yourself on a individual basis.im collecting wool from the countryside in UK but am now looking at some dog wool as I'm a groomer I'm thinking of doing felting with it
I so much want wool cloth to make a real comeback! I infinitely prefer wool to any man-made fibre, but it is so expensive to buy by the yard (or metre!) to make clothes! Hopefully more production would help bring prices down.
Yeah this is definitely a big problem! Too many people priced out of the market, even though farmers get paid peanuts for the raw product. Hopefully things change again. Thanks for watching !
Wool is great, I'm a big supporter of wool, we just need to make sure the industry allows for the support of all aspects, reforesting depleted lands, providing a good income and incentive to farmers to sustainably farm rather than overstock and ensuring that wool is promoted in a sustainable way - mending/reusing/not suggesting everyone immediately throw out their trousers for woollen ones etc.
Great film (I don't know if you remember, but I ran into you while you were at university a few years ago now). One question, if you know the answer: where do they have their wool scoured? My sense is that the limited capacity of scouring is one bottleneck in the industry at this point.
Hello Dr Baker! How funny you’ve found my videos. I have such fond memories of my time at Newcastle! Faye Patton (who also did history) and I are still an item 8 years on and looking to buy a house together, so university was important in many ways! On to your question, as I understand it there are only two places to get wool scoured and they’re both in Bradford. So I can imagine you’re spot on about there being a bottleneck at that point in the system. I hope you and the history team are keeping well! Take care
What are the names of the two mills in your video? I have purchased wool products elsewhere and looking to expand my wool collection. It is having a comeback.
The first is the National Wool Museum of Wales at Dre-fach Velindre and then Jonny works for Garthenor Organic. My parents’ stuff is at isleofauskerry.com. Thanks for watching!
The true Welsh dont hold Cardiff to be "Welsh". We of Gwynedd have long said "they are not true Welsh down there". And recent studies of the many immigrants, not only from England but European Balkans, and DNA studies bear this out. But I'm very glad to see this ancient Celtic practise still there, and nicely recorded here.
Maybe the farmers that consider their wool a waste product should donate it to some schools (or a foundation that figures out where to send it) so students and younger people gain an interest and learn or possibly find new ways to treat it. Spark the interest and send them out to work with the masters on a rotating basis
Sheep farming is, for some people who are into conservation and ecology, controversial. They say that sheep create 'artificial' landscapes detrimental to a natural and richer biodiversity. Some say that nature conservation means that sheep farming should be strictly controlled. The future will be tough for all of us: producers and consumers alike.
It’s certainly an uncertain future. All forms of farming have environmental drawbacks of various severities, but we do need to eat and sheep have so many useful properties from wool to meat and more. And our sheep live off naturally grown grasses and seaweed so they’re very environmentally friendly. But few other breeds are like that so It’s a tricky one! Thanks for watching
Well done, Hamish! I can only say my nearly 80 years have been spent with wool, needles, hooks, and a 4-harness loom from Sweden in my "living" room making beautiful clothes for my entire family, friends and even complete strangers.
Teaching adult men & women (some with special needs), as well as small children (many with ADHD), for the last 30 years has been my greatest joy. I have had a love affair with wool from early childhood when I sat with my blind grandmother to learn how to crochet, do hairpin lace, and embroidery. As an adult rejoining the workforce in a big city, I bought my suits from Kerry Woolen Mills in Ireland in the 1970's. Even today, a USA company (Overland Sheepskin Co.) provides all things sheep for my family gifts other than what I still produce myself with fabulous yarns I acquire from all over the world.
I can't thank you enough Hamish for bringing your excellent video from Wales to all of us around the globe. I am rabid for more of the same❣️👍😊
This is such a lovely comment, thank you Charles! I’m so glad this film has brought back some good memories and I’m so glad your love of wool and textiles has kept so strong throughout your life! Take care and thanks for watching ☺️
it would be great to see the wool industry in the UK make a comeback. You can't get more environment friendly than wool.
Quite true! Thanks for watching ☺️
We need quality back ! I really hope people will buy more quality clothing made with wool , such a good feeling to have pieces that last and look great .
I fully agree! Thanks so much for watching ☺️
Unfortunately not everyone has the money and usual get clothes from hard labour factory's in iran and india to the name a few.
Wonderful to see more being done with wool. Very interesting. It is expensive but hopefully with time and good ethical people behind it, it will become affordable to more.
This is awesome! As a person living in a cold country, half the year, i wear wool. Also an outdoor person, I'm tired of all the synthetic active wear on the market. NOTHING beats wool! 👍😎🇨🇦❄🐑
Spot on! It’s amazing that it can keep you either cool and warm whatever the day requires! Thanks for watching
I love wool all year round
What a lovely film! I so love how Hamish talks about how lucky he was to grow up on Auskerry, he could just as well have complained about having been stuck on an island all his childhood and he didn't. So nice to hear a person go on about the positive and I hope this wool industry flourishes in the future. Beautiful fabric they are turning out. I am a knitter and it is my calm in this turbulent world we live in today. With love from Canada🍁
Thanks so much Debbie ☺️ When I was a teenager I wasn’t always so positive about being away from friends etc but the older I get the more I appreciate it - and I truly love living and working there. Thanks so watching - take good care ❤️
Lovely wool. It's so superior to polyester. Let's hope we can all enjoy wearing it and using it as insulation, etc.
I hope so too! Thanks Veronica ☺️
Wool is an amazing fibre it not only deserves a come back, we need it to!
Completely agree! Thank you for watching ☺️
As a handweaver and handspinner from Germany, seeing this makes my heart sing! 💓
Ah amazing! Yeah it’s very inspiring. Thanks for supporting my channel!
Thanks, Hamish. I hope Scotland & England also can join in this effort.
Thanks Kathy! That would be great 💪
Considering the global nature of our world now I think the wool industry really has a good chance at thriving. I live in a frozen place for 1/2 the year and cotton or synthetic fibers will kill you if you get caught out. Wool is naturally moisture wicking and water resistant. It keeps your toes warm and your back dry. I'm also in awe at the whole, beautiful process. I know several fiber artists and they will only work with natural fiber. When they are creating a piece from high quality wool, they have a real reverence for the material. It's a beautiful thing to see. Great Video. I love seeing the Welsh tradition being kept alive. If I ever get to Wales I'll surely put that museum on my must see list.
You should visit! Thanks for watching ☺️
My wife’s parents farmed around 20 sheep here in Newfoundland and only gave it up a few years ago. They would shear the sheep in the fall and send it to Quebec for processing. Her mom would knit socks and slippers that were sold or given as Xmas gifts. I still have a few pairs for our cold winters. I love watching your videos on the island as it reminds me of a my childhood growing up in outport Newfoundland.
Thanks for sharing a wonderful memory! I’m really glad it brought good thoughts back to you. Thanks for watching ☺️
Brilliant little film. Thank you …Why don’t we appreciate the joy of wool? How magical is it that fleece shorn from sheep can become so many different types, patterns and colours of fabric always amazes me. I do hope that the industry does grow again as we appreciate wool again and that the farmers are paid for fleeces more respectfully.
Thank you Jen! I completely agree. It’s an amazing fibre and resource and it’s a tragedy that farmers are throwing it away in many cases because of its economic worthlessness. I really hope for better days for wool ahead! Thanks for watching
I am an Eco crafter and have just invested in some wool scrim to add to my patchwork stuffing, it's fab.. I hope that more people will catch on to such an Eco friendly resource.
❤ wool and linen and cotton. Natural is always superior.
I am so happy that the wool industry has gained interest again. Slow but as long as it is progressing. I live in the states and learned weaving some 20+ years ago. I love it. I have branched out to spinning, rug hooking etc. thank you for such informational material.
Ah I bet you have an amazing set of skills! Thanks for watching ☺️
We had the privilege of visiting Trefriw Mill on our trip to Wales. It was so interesting.
Ah brilliant! Yeah I’d love to go there. Thanks for watching!
So wonderful to see.❤❤❤
Isn’t it! Thanks Cheryl :)
I was a woollen and silk designer for many years and came from a textile family. I’ve been in love with wool forever. I worked in a mill On a hand loom showing people how cloth was woven. Like lots of things, people never think where it comes from. I’d love to get my hands on a 16 shaft dobby loom! I saw a post on Facebook about a man who was rebuilding an old mill in South Wales. I lost the post, I would have loved to go and help.
Ah hopefully you’ll see something similar again! I quite agree - if people could see the skill and care that went into handmade things, they would be willing to pay more for them. Thank you for watching!’
Brilliant video, how wonderful you have brought to light these dedicated skilled people keeping wool processing alive. It is really heart warming to see and I do hope from the bottom of my heart that they can revive and make people fall in love with wool again. Thank you for sharing this story.
That’s really kind, thank you! It’s one of my favourite parts of my job - seeing the amazing work done by people and sharing it with a wider audience. And these people were so inspiring to me! Thanks for watching
Love wool! Nothing better!
Yeah it’s a brilliant resource! Thanks for watching ☺️
A stunning interesting vlog. We need to seriously bring methods and industries like this back.
Thank you so much Sandra! I do hope so
Thank you for presenting this lovely story. It is edifying to learned about the preservation efforts of the country and the potential of the updated industry.
Thank you for watching! I was really cheered up to meet people like Jonny keeping it all going for the future 💪
I enjoyed this video very much. We need more like it!
Thanks Joanne! Take care
Wool is such a fabulous cloth, so versatile, warm and luxurious. I am thrilled there is hope stirring within the industry again. 🤞🙏👍
Thank you Moira! It was a boost to feel their positivity and optimism about the future. Take care
Very enjoyable video. Learned so much. Of course wool is sustainable but we really haven't been thinking of it that way. I hope the dragon wakes up and your 600 sheep are part of it. Also, how great is it to have those master craftsmen taking time preserve the art of yarn making and weaving. So wise to collaborate and share successes to keep the craft alive for future generations.
I so agree! I was really reassured to see the skills being passed on and also to witness Jonny’s passion for it. Fingers crossed for a great future for wool! Thank you for watching
Thanks, I really enjoyed this short film on one of my favorite subjects. Wool. Nothing compares to it and I wish everybody got a chance to really get to know this incredible fiber. But it’s more than that. It’s the dedicated craftspeople/artisans who transform fleece into stunning fabrics ( and yarns ) and who keep beautiful traditions alive ❤
Absolutely right! Seeing the engineering and craftsmanship was so inspiring for me. It’s an amazing industry. Thank you so much for watching!
This would be a change all of society would benefit. Quality craftsmen making a decent living producing quality goods.
I agree! Thanks for watching Joanne
So happy to find another video from you today😃 Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you so much for watching! Hope you’re taking care ☺️
Thank You , I love your Series, I follow you from down here down under ,in Sydney Australia, Todays episode briefly touched on my own story, many, many. years, ago when I was a lad I worked out at Parramatta a outer west Sydney suburb, at the Sydney Woollen Mills they are long gone now , I worked as a Twister. The Twisters job is to join the threads of Wool on the reels to the fabric in the loom, ...They were the days
I ran the spinning department in a Kiwi woollen mill back in the 80s, I ended up running the huge coal fired boiler that ran the place. Like most mills it eventually closed and got demolished.
Wow that’s an incredible memory! I developed such a stronger respect for those tireless workers in the old mills, when it would have been incredibly loud, dusty and cramped - not to mention dangerous! I’m glad this video brought back some good memories for you. Take care and thanks for watching!
Beautifully presented wools is so warm :) its beats a flesse jacket any day :) Thank You for your lovely Thoughtful Channel! Best wishes from 🇨🇦✨ west coast on the Pacific Ocean 🌊
That’s very kind, thanks so much Bonnie! All the best to you too ☺️
Two people on the West Coast are thanking you!!
I find knitting and crocheting are wonderful exercises for the brain and making items out of wool means all that work will be useful for a long time.
That gladdens my heart ❤
And mine! Thank you for watching ☺️
This is WONDERFUL and I thank you for it. Sustainable decency of product that supports a better earth and all of us on it. As a handspinner/weaver of small textiles, I understand the notion of getting the passion for it into the blood. It has been the pleasure of my long life to work with natural fibers!
Ah that’s lovely, thanks for watching!
Thank you for the new video Hamish. I have been working with will for about 20 years now. Weaving spinning felting and anything else I can think of to do. I really appreciate how much this industry means to you and your family.
Ah that’s fantastic Kaye - a real lifetime of passion for it! Thanks for your support ☺️
Incredible resource, fabric.... Yeah for wool. I'm a crafter whose just added in wool offcuts to use in quilting.. You can even buy wool stuffed duvets called Baavets... Wool rocks!
Absolutely! Thanks for watching :)
Let’s hope this wool revolution includes the workers of the mills all sharing ownership.
This is wonderful to see.
Thank you for watching!
Loved this video i got myself a couple of wool jumpers this last winter so much better than anything else. Thanks for sharing keep up your fantastic work 👍🇬🇧
You need them all year round in the UK pretty much! 😄 thanks for watching Steve
Oh so happy - wish we could do this here in Australia.
That would be great wouldn’t it! Thanks for watching
Salt of the Earth sort of people😊
I completely agree! Thanks Richard 👍
Hi Hamish, I commented a few day's ago but it seems tae have disappeared, hope the revival of the wool industry continues as the hard work of the producers like you're parents deserve the respect of all the wool wearer's worldwide, 🐏🐑🐏🐑👍🏻,cheers fae Pat
Ah cheers Pat! Always good to hear from you - I appreciate your support 👍👍
Fabulous! Thank you for sharing. I love seeing the comeback of mills, especially textiles, whether they're woolen, cotton, linen in the UK and US. I live in Virginia which used to have many cotton mills and garment manufacturers. As a 68 year old, watching them be destroyed in mynlifetime by cheap imported fabrics and clothing has been heartbreaking. (PS. I love textiles ...Period! 😊)
It is heartbreaking I agree! I’d love to visit Virginia one day! ☺️ thanks for watching!
Just fantastic, brings a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes, the enthusiasm of these folks to keep these skills alive is so heart warming. The skills of the older generation are of great value to this country and if they are not valued and passed on they will be lost forever, thank you for filming this, wonderful.
Thanks so much for watching!
This is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for this wonderful history. I used to weave rugs in Peter Collingwood ,of the UK, style.
Thank you so much! That sounds like fun 😃
Discovered your channel a few months ago, What an amazing family history & story, I’m surprised it wasn’t told & filmed for TH-cam many years ago.
Will be purchasing a lambskin for sure, it was very interesting watching it being processed & packed onto the boat.
Wool is a superior material, I’m an avid outdoors lover, hiking & camping, no synthetic material comes close.
Thanks very much Ray, I really appreciate this! Wool is incredible, it was fascinating learning more about it down here. Take care and keep enjoying the outdoors!
Wonderful. Please do more of these films.
Thank you! Is wool a particular interest for you or textiles in general?
@@hamishauskerry I’m a hand weaver in Western Australia. I lived in Cardiff for a while so it was lovely to see some of Wales. Also lived in the Hebrides but have never ventured to the Orkneys.
Loved this vlog 🥰
Thank you!!
Brilliant report, Hamish. Thank you!
Thank you as always for watching!
Imagine those who invented and built these machines. My off the boat Italian grandfather who came to US in his mid 20s with wife and 2 young kids and who never finished elementary school was a tool and die maker self taught. My father is still alive at 96 and was youngest of 4 so not sure when grandfather got here. There was nothing grandfather could not build. He built his own own on a big lot homestead in upstate NY. When his younger brother and 2 younger sisters came over from Italy and married he built their houses and homesteads right next to his. He went on to work for GE and tool and die maker designing with engineers machines that GE used for production. The people that design, build maintain, make replacement parts for these old machines were in my eyes absolutely amazing (with no computers)
Honestly I couldn’t agree more with this Thomas! Just looking at the machines up close I can never believe the intricacies. I would love to have an engineering mind like your ancestors and relatives! Thanks for watching
I love wool. Its warm, waterproof and has many great qualities.
Agreed! Thanks for watching ☺️
Thanks for sharing the Welsh wool mill! What a fun video. As an avid knitter, crocheter, and occasional spinner and dyer, I love all things wool. I've toured a semi-local wool mill that makes yarn from wool grown in our area (Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, etc.) It was quite different from this mill. Very interesting to see the differences.
Ah that’s fascinating Shanna! I’d have thought lots of the techniques would have been taken over the pond in the Industrial Revolution and then over time they’ve been adapted. I’d love to visit your local mill one day! Thanks for watching
This made me emotional. ❤
❤️❤️ thank you for watching it ☺️
This is excellent news! Beautiful fabric.
Isn’t it just! Amazing skill to make something so useful and beautiful. Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry thank YOU for posting this return to private woolen processes and resulting fabrics! Since watching the decline of small private production and across other businesses in most sectors I find this very encouraging.
❤ Love my woolen socks, sweaters, berets, long underwear, slacks, etc.!!! I even had woolen covers for our children’s cotton diapers! So soft!
Wool is incredible ☺️
We need hands on industry across the planet to be reborn. Small business, home industry and craftsmanship must not go away. Praying for the will industry in Wales.
Thank you for watching!
Best to you all!
Thanks so much! And to you too ☺️
What an impressive video. It's important to recognize the varied qualities of this great raw material. It needs some idealists with a lot of courage to start it on. I love wool and I hope it will succeed. Greetings from Bavaria Germany and best wishes to your parents
Thank you for watching Gabi! Sending best wishes over to you in beautiful Bavaria
Nice to see, cheers to everyones efforts and dedication to save this industry!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you all for your hard work.
Thanks for watching!
Seriously impressive so much goes on behind the scenes and all of those involved who help to create the wonderful end results the gifts from nature and its inhabitants… always am amazed with its products … so tactile so filled with comfort and warmth blessings wished for all of those involved in this process and their time and efforts to keep this ancient skill alive and educating others … seems the old ways always come back and gain resurgence…and Thank you Hamish for sharing with us all…stay blessed …
Thanks Isabella, I completely agree. I was in awe! Thanks for your continued support ☺️
Thank you for this. I think natural fabrics like wool are making a comeback. If we look at the cost per wearing, it is much cheaper to invest in a wool garment that lasts for years than a cheap polyester material that ends up in the rubbish heap after a few wearings. My ancestors came to Nova Scotia from Ireland and sheared the sheep, spun the wool, and wove the cloth on the farm I grew up on. It instilled in me the love of good quality fabrics and I yearn for a revival of those days. Seeing your video makes my heart sing. 🙂
Thanks so much for your support! I hope wool makes a comeback too ☺️
world class content
Thanks for watching
A really interesting & enjoyable episode well done 👍👍
Cheers Michael much appreciated! 🙏
I enjoyed that with my porridge and toast this morning, great to see a mini revival and folk keeping these skills alive, its so important that these and other skills like roof thatcher's, slate industry, cotton mills are not lost. Thanks Hamish
Absolutely, thanks very much for watching! I’d like to do more reports about those other amazing industries and skills 👍
I am a huge fan of wool and certainly Welsh wool. Wool is my favorite product for keeping me warm. Nothing works better. I still have 1 or 2 wool sweaters from the late 1980s. Wool is so durable. I hope wool makes a big comeback. Keep up the great work. PS-I have heard about the beautiful woolen Welsh blankets. I have you guys on my list.
Thanks for watching!
Outstanding work sir.
Thank you for watching!
One of my friends opened a woolen goods shop in Milwaukee Wisconsin in the early 80s selling products made from Jacob wool sourced from Wales.
Ah that’s a cool link! Thanks for watching Colleen ☺️
Fascinating video 😊
Thanks so much for watching Gemma! ☺️
I’m so happy for you and the overall engagement
Thank you for watching!
Not just in Wales, here in California, USA there have been new small mills processing fiber for hand spinners and farms that want to have added value products. Hopefully, the industry worldwide can keep coming back, we can't clothe the world sustainably in plastic.
That’s exciting! I’d love to come and film in the Californian mills one day 😃 thanks for watching
😢Farmers in Wales hardly get 50p a fleece these days.
My Nana had Cambrian blankets.
I remember woollen mills all over Wales as a child. Beautiful, fascinating places to visit
It’s so sad isn’t it! Such an amazing fibre and product and yet it’s basically worse than worthless to so many farmers. Hopefully things will change. Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry Hi Hamish
Re all things textiles, just visited the National Botanical gardens today.
There is a fantadtic exhibition on done by a talented, voluntary group of ladies, celebrating 10 years of Botanical Stitchers
They give their time freely, this exhibition celebrates the natural world
Well worth the schlepp from Cardiff. Cheers
Thank you for the recommendation!
Very informative, thank you for this perspective
Thank you so much for watching! Means a lot ☺️
Thanks for another great vlog.
Thank you very much for watching! Makes it all worthwhile :)
Thank you.
Thank you!
It was a tragedy that these skills were close to lost forever in the 80s and 90s. So much competition from countries with low labour costs, low material costs and good exchange rates. I live in Western Australia and there are half a dozen fabric retail franchises churning out poor quality synthetic fibres of zero value and we have no outlets for quality fabric. The closest would be a 3,000 mile plane flight to Adelaide or Melbourne and how green is a jet trip?? I would treasure a piece of woven Welsh woollen fabric for a warm, long lived, ecologically sound piece of clothing. Long live the old crafts and priceless fibres.
Thank you for this enlightening piece of journalism. Well done.
Thank you so much for this comment. I agree entirely that maintaining these skills is so important! Take care
I can't help but think that such a sustainable product should be in high demand. But the "sustainability" machine may not be willing to make room for the real thing. Thanks again for your report. I visited Wales many years ago and it seemed to me there were more sheep than people in some places. I hope they can make a go of the wool industry again. ( By the way, those folks should be using ear protection. Mills caused a lot of hearing impairment during the industrial revolution.)
Agreed on all points! It’s very loud and if I’d been in there longer with the machines working I would have wanted ear protection too. Thanks as always for watching ☺️
Good video
Thanks man!
Another wonderful video! ❤️🇨🇦
Thanks so much Millie! ❤️
Good work! Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
I live in SC and I even love buy wool!!!! Natural fibers that what people want.
Absolutely! It’s great stuff
It would be wonderful if wool was as revered as it was before imports
Thank you for watching - I agree!
Thank you for an interesting video, the Welsh fabric and woven blankets are beautiful, so hope they can revive it.
I'm a knitter and have a strict budget.
The English wool like Rowen is out of my reach and often use German wool Scandinavian yarn which is more affordable. But it seems as though they kept their production going from the 1800s.
And they use every bit of it.
I know on your Mother also spins wool, has she got a website?
Yorkshire spinners also produce yarn.
I think I am in the wrong part of the country in Cambridge.
In Scandinavia it is part of the children's education, boys and girls, to knitting, sewing, capentry etc. so clever because I think it develops the brain in other ways than academically.
Thanks again.
Hi Anita, you know a lot more about it than me! That’s good to hear the Scandies are protecting it from being too expensive. I’d love to go and do some filming on the Norwegian islands where they farm ancient breeds of sheep similar to ours.
My parents’ website is isleofauskerry.com
Thank you for watching! ☺️
Hi Hamish ,hopefully with productions like this people might realise the hard work producers like you're parents and processors will be recognised and supported and buy quality materials rather than the mass produced synthetic materials that sadly are the norm nowadays ,cheers fae Pat 👍🏻👍🏻
I truly hope they will grow and do well. I would gladly pay a premium for wales woolen textile. Linda in the US
Thanks for watching Linda!
I worked on a floor loom I loved that very much.
Ah that’s a cool experience! Thanks for watching
those great entire buildings and I can do everything in there from washed fleece to warm scarf - only a few scarves per year as compared to their myriads, but still, seeing it all together, I have to admit I'm a bit chuffed with myself over my ability to draft and spin and warp and weave!
Absolutely you should be! It’s an amazing variety of skills required to do it all. Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry I've been going back and watching each machine in detail to figure out which bit is which [when I even can], such ingenuity!!!
I live in a warm climate where I had to turn on the air conditioning on May 10 this year and it will still be on in September! Yet I wear wool socks except for July and August! I would love wool underwear but can’t afford it! I just ordered wool jersey and will start making my own! As much as I love wool, I can’t pay 70 US dollars per pair! But I did splurge for 2 sets of merino long underwear for $260! I can’t live without it! Also just ordered a wool mattress! I hope wool comes back so that everyone can afford to find out the lovely thermal qualities of wool!
That would be good wouldn’t it? I hope so too. Thanks for watching 👍
I’m still using a ww1 issue Australian wool blanket during winter in Australia at my rural property. They last >100 years.
Wow that’s amazing! Thanks for watching Tony - you look after that rug, it sounds like an heirloom!
Thank you for your video. I'm sure most people realise the benefits of wool but the biggest hurdle is price. It's so expensive and sadly many people just can't afford it.
The thrift shops usually have wool pieces, they can be altered quite easily. I buy many pieces on eBay.
Yes that’s certainly a problem, I know that’s true. There are many wool substitutes made from manmade fibres, but they’re much cheaper so I understand the difficulty for so many people! Thanks for watching
Wondering if the seaweed adds to the wools properties over time has the wool the sheep produce changed in texture, length, or softness? Hum.. and if you eat a lamb who grew fat off the seaweed does that count as eating seaweed lol I love dried seaweed and add it to lots of soups but their meat might be also rich in the oils of the sea kelp ? Glad the woolen mills are still thriving there : ) lovely video of the process 🐑
It’s a really interesting question! No one could say for definite because they’ve been eating seaweed since well before the Vikings were in Orkney but their wool and meat is of a high quality. The meat doesn’t taste salty or anything, but it has a slightly richer taste than conventional lamb - slightly more gamey. Thanks for watching!
I would be interested in knowing how your parents’ wool is different from others due to their diet, as well as location.
Have there been any tests done? Is that even a thing?
Thanks for your comment Mary!! I don’t know about whether it relates to their diet or the environment they live in but our flock has very soft and high quality wool. Partly because we’ve deliberately chosen rams with high quality fleece over the last 25/30 years and that has made a difference. I don’t know if tests have been done but that would be fascinating! Thanks for watching
All wool "hair" is known as a staple. The kind of staple depends on the breed of sheep and their environment.
thanks for this interesting report..any chance u can note the mills you have been featuring?.
thank you!!!!
Thank you George! So the first part is filmed at the National Wool Museum of Wales in Carmarthenshire. And then the other part features the yarn company called Garthenor Organic based in the town of Cardigan. Thanks for watching!
I need this.... so sick of the "wool fabric" we get locally. Australia is one the largest wool producers and yet we can't even buy a wool jumper. So this is encouraging. Can I talk you to coming to Australia and bringing your wool with you (yarn and cloth)
Thank you Jax! I’d love to come to Australia (not least to visit relatives!). I think our sheep would struggle in the heat and without the abundance of seaweed though 😃 thanks for watching
@@hamishauskerry We do have cool climates here, southern tip of Tasmania and in the Snowy Mountains.... just saying!!!!
Maybe you could get a local farmer to let you gather wool off the hedges and start the process for yourself on a individual basis.im collecting wool from the countryside in UK but am now looking at some dog wool as I'm a groomer I'm thinking of doing felting with it
I'm a fiber artist and I love Wool and it is getting strong here in the USA not that I'm proud of my Chelz in the USA I am proud of the artist
Cool! Thanks for watching ☺️
I so much want wool cloth to make a real comeback! I infinitely prefer wool to any man-made fibre, but it is so expensive to buy by the yard (or metre!) to make clothes! Hopefully more production would help bring prices down.
Yeah this is definitely a big problem! Too many people priced out of the market, even though farmers get paid peanuts for the raw product. Hopefully things change again. Thanks for watching !
Wool is great, I'm a big supporter of wool, we just need to make sure the industry allows for the support of all aspects, reforesting depleted lands, providing a good income and incentive to farmers to sustainably farm rather than overstock and ensuring that wool is promoted in a sustainable way - mending/reusing/not suggesting everyone immediately throw out their trousers for woollen ones etc.
Quite right! Thanks for watching ☺️
Great film (I don't know if you remember, but I ran into you while you were at university a few years ago now). One question, if you know the answer: where do they have their wool scoured? My sense is that the limited capacity of scouring is one bottleneck in the industry at this point.
Hello Dr Baker! How funny you’ve found my videos. I have such fond memories of my time at Newcastle! Faye Patton (who also did history) and I are still an item 8 years on and looking to buy a house together, so university was important in many ways!
On to your question, as I understand it there are only two places to get wool scoured and they’re both in Bradford. So I can imagine you’re spot on about there being a bottleneck at that point in the system. I hope you and the history team are keeping well! Take care
The fabric they're producing speaks to my soul. Where can i buy some?
Hello! Thanks for watching. The first mill is called The National Wool Museum in Dre fach felindre and the second mill is Garthenor Organic ☺️
The big four-heddle loom was from my in-laws family.
Wow that’s amazing! I’m so glad to see it still working
@@hamishauskerry We have the cwrthens
What are the names of the two mills in your video?
I have purchased wool products elsewhere and looking to expand my wool collection. It is having a comeback.
The first is the National Wool Museum of Wales at Dre-fach Velindre and then Jonny works for Garthenor Organic. My parents’ stuff is at isleofauskerry.com. Thanks for watching!
Super.
Thank you! 🙏
The true Welsh dont hold Cardiff to be "Welsh". We of Gwynedd have long said "they are not true Welsh down there". And recent studies of the many immigrants, not only from England but European Balkans, and DNA studies bear this out. But I'm very glad to see this ancient Celtic practise still there, and nicely recorded here.
I’m glad you enjoy the film! Thanks Pamela
Maybe the farmers that consider their wool a waste product should donate it to some schools (or a foundation that figures out where to send it) so students and younger people gain an interest and learn or possibly find new ways to treat it. Spark the interest and send them out to work with the masters on a rotating basis
That would be good if it could be arranged! Thanks for watching
Sheep farming is, for some people who are into conservation and ecology, controversial. They say that sheep create 'artificial' landscapes detrimental to a natural and richer biodiversity. Some say that nature conservation means that sheep farming should be strictly controlled.
The future will be tough for all of us: producers and consumers alike.
It’s certainly an uncertain future. All forms of farming have environmental drawbacks of various severities, but we do need to eat and sheep have so many useful properties from wool to meat and more. And our sheep live off naturally grown grasses and seaweed so they’re very environmentally friendly. But few other breeds are like that so It’s a tricky one! Thanks for watching
Longer videos please! love to see the videos but they are too short and too irregular
Cheers Chris - more to come!
@@hamishauskerry Fantastic 😃