We have such a wide variety of workshops going on at Handmade Oxford this year, so if you’re interested in learning some arts and crafts techniques and history, then this is the place to be! Our Nettle Fibre workshop is particularly interesting, as this craft goes back 1000s of years and is still used today – just not as widely.
The workshop is hosted by artist BeeKay Makes AKA Brigette, who has appeared on BBC One and various magazines like ‘Permaculture’ and ‘Herbs’. With an MA in Sustainable Textiles, she has extensive knowledge in ethical textiles and weaving, specifically the art of nettle fibre weaving, which has around 25% of the environmental impact that synthetic textiles have. Nettle fibre is also 100% biodegradable.
So what can you expect from Beekay Makes Nettle Fibre Workshop? You will learn about the fascinating history of nettle as a fibre plant, and how to make fibre from local stinging nettles with very simple tools. Once you’ve processed the nettle stalk in order to extract the fibre, you will then explore a basic method to create spun yarn. This is a fantastic way to learn about a sustainable and historic weaving method, and hopefully, we can bring nettle weaving back in a big way in the 21st century! Nettle Fibre has a 3000-year history, and it’s great that we can still practise it with the purpose of being more sustainable all these years later.
So whether you’re interested in it from a sustainable point of view or your simply intrigued by the art of nettle fibre, you can sign up to BeeKay Makes workshop at Handmade Oxford for just £35 here.
Handmade Oxford takes place from the 16th-18th of June – just three weeks away from now! If you haven’t bought your ticket you can do so here.