One Week in Orkney

I’ve been in Orkney one week on my weaving placement with Orkney Creative Hub and it has completely flown by. I’ve had an amazing week getting to know my way around, finding a new place to live and learning all about weaving by starting my first sample weave. I’m working in the Loom Room, a dedicated weaving studio which is the dream place to experiment with the process. The studio is so big and light, with high ceilings and multiple looms to experiment with and run workshops in.

I thought I’d share my weaving samples so far on the ‘Hawkhurst’ table loom. The loom has been a joy to work with, as you can weave and stand up. I’ve been using combinations of wool in ochre, pinks and blues, although I think the colours in Orkney will end up finding their way into my designs throughout the year! The colours here are like nothing I’ve ever seen. The seaweed is golden and the sea is so clear, even in the rain. I can’t wait to start designing my own fabrics, and I’ve already got some ideas that are just waiting to be explored once I’ve got to grips with the Hawkhurst loom and begin learning how to warp my own. The possibilities with weaving are limitless, so deciding what I want to explore now and develop into a series of workshops throughout the year makes sense.

The photo’s below show you some of what I’ve been up to this week. Weavings, my walk in to work and my new flat. I’m anxious to explore more of the island next week once I’ve settled (and found furniture!) for my flat. On my to do list are exploring the Pier Arts Centre and seeing the baby seals over at South Ronaldsay. I’ll have to compile a list of all the lovely things to do here as there’s so much going on- there’s some particularly good cafes too, which is obviously high on the priority list! Expect to be reading a lot more here in the next coming weeks about life in Orkney, I can’t wait to get stuck in and really explore the island and the influence that it will have on my work and weavings!