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New – natural-dyed lambswool yarn for weaving
We are now starting to sell naturally-dyed lambswool yarns for weaving. The yarns are the same as we use in our own hand-woven textile range and also in our weaving and dyeing courses and are available in 3 different thicknesses. All are suitable as warp and weft for weaving projects but can also be used in other textile crafts. The 4/14nm is the chunkiest and the 2/14nm the finest (makes wonderfully soft scarves). The current stock is dyed with Lanzarote cochineal but we are also able to dye to order with other natural dyes for larger quantities. Dyed yarns are sold in large skeins of around 85 – 100g each. We will be launching our natural-dyed yarns this month in our local fleamarket or rastro in Monforte de Lemos (Lugo province, Galicia, north Spain) (Sunday 12 June) but keep looking at our online shop as we hope to have the yarns featured there in due course. In the meantime, if you would like to purchase any of the yarn, contact us by email. If you would like to try natural dyeing yourself then we also sell the yarn undyed, on cones, and as ready-wound skeins, complete with ready-weighed fixer (alum mordant) and instructions (in Spanish – but let us know if you need them in English too so we can prepare them for you).
New dates for summer natural dyeing course for beginners on 20 and 21 August 2011 (course given in Spanish but we can always help out by translating terms if you don´t understand everything )
Several people asked if there could be another introduction to natural dyeing course – in the summer – so here it is. More information on the Spanish version of the blog here. Intermediate level Spanish is sufficient to be able to participate.
Results of our short, intensive scarf weaving course for complete beginners – 5/6 June 2011 in Anna Champeney Textile Studio, north Spain
Just have a look at these lovely soft scarves designed and hand-woven by weave pupils Fiona and Maria on their first weave course last weekend here at the textile studio. You can see that there is no need to copy anyone elses design when you follow your instincts: Fiona´s and Maria´s personalities and individual tastes have automatically transfered themselves onto the woven cloth they created. Both scarves used our new 2/14nm natural dyed lambswool yarn as warp and apart from the fact that one warp had just one pink and the other had two pinks they were identical. But the two scarves are very different in feel.
Fiona created a subtle, light-weight scarf by using tussah silk singles dyed with indigo (light blue) and liquen (mauve) as weft in her light checked scarf. The result was cool and understated and went well with her paler skin tone. Maria´s scarf was woven with mainly lambswool in the weft, for a warmer scarf. She combined the raspberry pink warp dyed with cochineal with another tone of cochineal – a bright saturated orangey-red as warp, plus details of a cool mauve, to create a scarf with a zingy spicey colourway which worked well against her different, olive skin.
Weaving your own linen fabric – ideal for lace makers, crocheters
Monica, a pupil of mine, sent me this photo of the linen fabric she wove in her first weave course at Anna Champeney Estudio Textil, north Spain, using linen, which she then embellished beautifully with her own hand-made lace edging. Weaving with linen is not that difficult – this 5-day course has been run successfully with complete beginners for over 5 years now without any problems. So if you would like to learn to weave with linen – to make your own towels, cushions, clothing or table runners then there are still places in our 5-day intensive course in July. Weaving your own linen table runner or scarf to embellish with lace or crochet is far more fun than buying it. As with our other courses, Spanish is the main course language but we can always provide language support in English. For more information (in Spanish) click here.
“Suave” yarn – A wonderfully soft natural grey 50% angora, 30% wool, 20% alpaca 2/9 nm available as skeins of 125g. 
Textile Design and Analysis Course in August 2010
Anna Champeney Estudio Textil textiles selected for 2 international textile exhibitions
Madder, logwood and onion were the dyes of choice during during the fairly intensive 2-day Introductory course with Marga, Lourdes, Tania and Eva. The deep purples and blues from logwood were gorgeous, and Tania managed to dye a single skein with no fewer than 5 colours. Working together we managed to achieve no fewer than 34 different tones from just 4 dye plants, including Marga´s experiment with Maria Luisa (lemon verbena), growing at the edge of the outdoor patio where we did some of the dyeing. And yes, it does act as a natural dye although we haven´t tried it out for fastness. If you would like to do a natural dyeing course with us in 2011 then contact us or re-visit the blog around christmas time when our 2011 course programme will be up.
Inés, Sofia and Elena from Alberguería (Luinta), were just some of the kids who came with their parents on the guided workshop visit around the craft workshops this August – and their visit included trying out a table loom for themselves. Well done girls – you did very well – and see you again soon for a willow fish making course or some felt ball making in the not-too-distant future.
The zingy, spicy colour combination of this one-of-a-kind man´s scarf in 100% natural wool is particularly pleasing. The scarf would make an ideal christmas present for a special friend, partner or family member. It measures 27cm x 170cm (excluding fringes) and has been woven in warm waffle weave. As with all the textiles from AC Textile Studio, the beauty of the colours is due to the use of natural dyes which are extracted at the studio itself. Hand-wash at 30ºC. The scarf is a one-of-a-kind, (although another similar, shorter, women´s version is currently also available) and costs 75€. 
If you have been wanting to try basketry for some time now this is an ideal opportunity to make your first basket, all ready for picking wild mushrooms later in the autumn. Some regions of Spain have already banned the use of plastic bags for collecting mushrooms and in fact baskets have always been a better option – allowing the mushroom spores to fall through the basket structure to seed next year´s mushroom harvest. Collecting mushrooms in a basket also means that they don´t get squashed. Let´s see if in Galicia we can promote better mushroom-picking habits with the adoption of baskets too!
In this intensive 5-day course you will learn to prepare a Louet table loom from scratch and weave samples and a finished piece of work. This course is ideal for beginners and for those with limited experience or confidence who wish to work on a loom project from scratch and prepare the loom.
