National Heritage Week

This was National Heritage Week at the Collins Barracks Decorative Arts Museum in Dublin. The Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Guild was asked to do a textile demo for the a few hours today. Cheryl, Maire and I went down with our spinning wheel, loom and weaving sticks this afternoon. We weren't sure what type of crowd to expect seeing that it was the Cork/Kilkenny Hurling Match at Croke Park today. OK, Hurling in Ireland in not a vomiting competition. It is a very fast paced game involving a small hard ball and men wielding wooden mallets flattened at one end like a spatula. Dangerous, emotional and everyone comes in to support their county.
Indeed not everyone had shelled out euro for tickets today. We were swamped with primary school aged children and their families. Cheryl did the most popular ride at the theme park. No, the weaving sticks were a great success. You wrap yarn around the sticks in a figure 8 pattern and come out with fantastic bracelets, hairbands and body jewelry. The children were patient and everyone that wanted one got a turn.

I did spinning with some very awful wool I got from a mill in Kerry. Lots of lumps, bumps and other uglies you just don't want, but great for demo purposes. Dyed in Kool Aid. Lemon Lime and Blue Raspberry? Children had never seen the rare breed sheep of Ireland in blue and green. Oh, the faces, oh, the questions. Oh the terminology used by parents to describe an art form they've never seen! It's great. Got to talk to lots of people, young and old. Met a new knitter that will join our Tuesday night group. Yippee!! I love new knitters!!