Did you know that the stems of roses can be treated to produce a silky, white biodegradable fibre as strong as mulberry silk with a feel similar to viscose bamboo which, due to its long staple length, is easy to spin?

If this has piqued your attention and you are interested in learning more about spinning, weaving or knitting, then mark the weekend of July 2 and 3 in your diary to attend the South Coast Fibre Muster at the Berry School of Arts.

The two day event will include demonstrations of how to spin wool, alpaca, silk and cotton using a wheel or a drop spindle, prepare fibre with a carding board, weave on a table loom or small loom, find out about wet felting, learn Navajho Plying and make bracelets using children’s disc weaving.

The Muster is organised every two years and this year is hosted by the Berry Spinners and Weavers.

Other local groups to attend will include the Wollongong Spinners and Weavers, Wool Road Spinners and Weavers, Nowra Spinners and Weavers, Yarnspinners Mittagong and the Illawarra Feltmakers, who hosted the previous Muster at the Gerringong Town Hall.

Mary from Broughton Village has been spinning for 7 years while Jan (left) from Gerringong is just learning to spin

Kate Downes, President of the Berry Spinners and Weavers says the South Coast Fibre Muster was created to promote and network the local spinning and weaving groups as well as to provide the public with an opportunity to observe and, in many cases, be able to try their hand at the processes used to produce the fine articles and garments shown at the Fibre Muster.

Many of these works are for sale.

The School of Arts will also host craft traders who will sell fibres for weaving, knitting and crochet as well as the equipment used to spin, weave, knit, crochet and felt, such as looms, spinning wheels, knitting needles, crochet hooks and pattern

books.

“Future artisans will have the opportunity to see, touch and be inspired by these beautiful fibres and yarns,” says Kate, who doesn’t have a favourite fibre, but loves to “play with them all”.

Mary from Broughton Village who has been spinning with the Berry Spinners and Weavers for 7 years says the activity is very therapeutic.

“It’s a great group,” she says. “We teach and learn from each other.

“It’s so therapeutic I don’t need to visit a shrink!”

Brian McCarthy from Figtree joined the Kiama Spinners 16 years ago when he retired then came along to Berry to learn to spin – “They couldn’t have been more welcoming,” he says.

He dyes wool using natural plant dyes, which include blossoms from a yellow grevilia picked by his wife and fungus he finds on his bush walks.

Some of the colours Brian has produced

He has spun, dyed and knitted jumpers for all of his sons and sons-in-law, and makes hundreds of knitted toys.

Saturday and Sunday 2-3 July 10am-3pm, Berry School of Arts, 19 Alexandra St. Free entry.