The Howgills
Laura’s Loom celebrates the craft of hand-weaving and Britain’s tremendous woollen heritage.
From my studio at Farfield Mill, a 19th century woollen mill on the outskirts of Sedbergh, I produce a range of hand-woven fabrics in a wide array of materials, including but not limited to my own range of woollen spun yarn. One of my favourite fibres is silk. The process of taking a silk scarf off my loom, washing it, then ironing it until it glows is nothing short of magical!
I also work with commission weavers to weave my 100% British wool yarns into warm and comforting British wool blankets and elegant woollen scarves, all woven to my own designs. Some of my fabrics are fashioned into small accessories such as cushions, hot water bottle covers, tea cosies, knitted lace shawls and decorative brooches. Some of my yarn is sent to Leicestershire to be knitted into traditional wool walking socks.
My enduring inspiration is the landscape, perhaps most especially the Howgills at the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where I live and work. My choice of colours is influenced by the ever changing light on the fells which surround my home, throughout the seasons and throughout the year. My designs aim to reflect the interplay of those colours as well as the hand of man in the mile upon mile of beautiful drystone walls.
