Spinning School on ‘Moroccan Challenge

Spinning School, a not-for profi t group based near Market Harborough that teaches long draw spinning, recently accepted an unusual challenge from the Eve Branson Foundation - to teach long draw spinning to a group of young Berber women in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

The Eve Branson Foundation provides practical assistance to Moroccan women to help them support themselves and their families. Cashmere is a high value fi bre much prized by knitters, and the Foundation had previously donated a herd of cashmere goats to the villagers. However, cashmere is notoriously diffi cult to hand-spin and Spinning School was asked if it could provide the necessary expertise to the local women. Pam Austin, founder of Spinning School, accepted Eve Branson’s challenge. Two experienced Spinning School teachers, Judith Viola and Vicky Ferguson, went out to Morocco in July and, in spite of problems including the local languages (the pupils only spoke Berber Arabic and French), eight girls learned taught to spin wool or cashmere fi bre using standard spinning wheels and drop spindles.

A delighted Eve Branson, who fl ew out to Morocco with Judith and Vicky, subsequently emailed Pam: “…. I have just returned from Morocco, and what a splendid job your girls are doing. Thank you for all of your help.” Spinning School has also provided the Eve Branson foundation with some practical proposals for utilising the cashmere currently being produced in Morocco.

The Eve Branson Foundation aims to improve the lives of women and young girls in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco through education, business and health care. It provides educational opportunities, vocational training, and clean workshops - all the necessary resources to create marketable goods. The Foundation thus enables these women and young girls to become economically self-suffi cient and generate income to support themselves and their families.

Pam Austin is a woman with a mission for long draw spinning and wants other people to get the same pleasure from spinning with wool and fi ne fi bres such as silk, cashmere and alpaca as she does. Pam teaches two days a month in Stoke Albany Village Hall and runs residential courses in Knuston Hall, Loddington Grange, and Stoke Albany. She is an inspirational speaker and runs long draw spinning workshops for other Spinners’ Guilds throughout the Midlands and East Anglia .

The Spinning School currently meets on weekdays and at weekends in Stoke Albany Village Hall, and provides inspiration and support for beginners and those wishing to improve their skills. Further information on spinning and workshops can be found on www.spinningschool.com or you can contact Pam Austin on 01858 535466, or read her blogs on
www.spinningschool.blogspot.com

 

Spinning School

Spinning School