I’m very excited to introduce you to Cat today, a kind and talented soul whose approach is rooted in the organic connection between land, wool, and the traditional ways to work it. I always love seeing what Cat is up to. She has the gift of spinning the most gloriously textured yarns and always brings the best out of the raw material with her minimal processing. Cat and I share a deep love of the unendingly rich colours of undyed wool, and last year she gifted me some gorgeous hand-spun yarns which were a real pleasure to use. I will show you what I made with them after the interview!
Here is Cat, “Spinning, wearing a jumper knitted by my incredibly talented Norwegian aunt.”
When and how did you start being interested in wool?
“Probably my earliest important memory of wool is the damp wool smell that came with the historical re-enactment my family did (17th Century, also where I learnt the term “hodden”!). I associate that smell with being in layers of linen and wool and leather shoes, gently steaming around the camp-fire at night after a damp day, usually in the grounds of a Scottish castle in a stunning setting. At the time I didn’t realise what that smell was, but now I find it so evocative, and realise it is very meaningful to me.
I did a bit of lambing and wool rolling in my university years, and loved working with sheep, but didn’t take a conscious interest in working wool until my late twenties when I started working at Jorvik Viking Centre as a – yup – Viking! There we had to learn about wool, wool working and demonstrate things such as nalbinding and drop spinning. It was a great way to pass the time in quiet periods, and I realised that I was starting to find it most inconvenient when I had to talk to the public more…”
“With one of the first sheep I ever blade sheared at Andrew Bell's farm in North Yorkshire.”
Tell us about your process.
“My process is still very much a work in progress! I got shown the basics of naalbinding and drop spinning at Jorvik, and Andrew Bell very kindly taught me to blade shear, but everything else has been self-taught from a mixture of snatched conversations and asking the internet. Since building more connections on Instagram, I also sometimes ask things on my stories there, because there are lots of knowledgeable and kind people willing to help.
For spinning on the wheel, I like to spin in the raw. I have made the mistake of being too rough in my washing, and ending up with ever so slightly felted fuzz which is needlessly difficult to spin. I also like delaying washing until the absolute end of the spinning and plying process, because at that point the washing can be part of the yarn settling into itself, and it’s not a total disaster if you’re a little rough or the water is slightly too warm. I also don’t brush or comb the wool, only teasing it apart a little if necessary. This is mostly down to not having a drum carder or proper hand carders.”
“One of the first ever peg loom rug I did, with Herdwick wool bought direct from a farmer at the top of the Dales (I gave it to her as a thank you).”
How important is nature to you?
“An interesting question because I’ve never properly analysed it before. Natural colours are the ones I want to work with and emulate in what I create. Nature is what I think of to calm me when stressed (at work for example). I suppose I think of nature and the outdoors as my touchstone?”
“Wearing wool head warmer (knitted by me), neck thing (knitted and accidentally felted by me) and wool jumper (definitely not knitted by me!) whilst out in the glens.”
What are your favourite things about using wool?
“The colours! I love beautifully dyed wool, particularly from natural dyes, and they can be great fun, but for myself I never feel a need to dye wool. It is its own best colour, and there are so many different hues and colours and lustres, which change in different lights. I also love how waterproof wool can be – I naalbound a pair of little mittens for using when out running. When it’s very wet, the fancy waterproof jacket is soaked through but the water is still forming beads and moving across the wool mittens.”
“One of my naalbound mittens in handspun wool which I use as over-mittens for when out with my horse - really tough, waterproof and warm!”
Any exciting wool projects for the near and far future?
“I think the most important thing I need to do is work through my current wool stash, before buying anything more! But I’d love to create a big peg loom rug blanket for my bed, weave a short tunic top/vest to go with my naalbound skirt, and make my own felted back wool collar… so there’s a few ideas to go at!”
The collection of gorgeous skeins that Cat spun and gifted me last year.
If you were off to a desert island, what wool-related item would you take with you?
“Probably my nalbinding needle as it is so light and little, can be taken anywhere so easily and could probably be useful for other things too!”
What are your favourite ways to relax?
“Relaxing completely is very difficult for me – I feel the need to be productive on some level almost all the time, which isn’t ideal. So, riding my horse through the woods, going for a run in the hills or working wool are some of the ways which keep me occupied but also let my mind wind down to the most chilled gear possible. I also love spending time with friends, particularly if I can just go quiet and relax at the back. I spend a lot of time through work and life interacting with people, often in quite stressful situations – sometimes the most relaxing feeling is knowing that, for the moment, you don’t have to.”
I enjoyed turning Cat’s little skeins into lovely yarn cakes!
What are your favourite places to spend time in, at home and out of doors?
“I love being inside sat on a stool with my back to my parents Aga or on the sofa next to the fireplace in my cottage. Out of doors, I enjoy pottering around the farm where I keep my horse, or disappearing up a glen (I live near the Angus Glens) for a few hours. Castles and heritage sites are happy places to spend time.”
And here is the cushion cover I made with Cat’s glorious handspun yarn! It is one of the most soothing and reassuring things I own, the yarn being blissfully soft and beautifully textured. I love using it every day and it unfailingly brings me joy, comfort and the grounded feeling of natural wool. It has become my companion of many hours while I rest and read. It channels beautifully the comforting softness of the sheep and the natural perfection of wool that Cat has so much respect for.
Be sure to follow Cat on Instagram @hoddenwools to see her beautiful process and creations.