For all that the Welsh border is a skip and a hop from my home county, Wales has strangely remained unexplored textile territory. Extending my wanderings in a westerly direction across the dramatic Prince of Wales Bridge has been very long overdue - as I've often been reminded when observing on the horizon from one of my favourite Somerset coastline chill outs.
My first wandering in Wales this year actually began on a Spring return journey from my Northern homeland - my first ever drive down the Welsh/English border to Builth Wells. This medieval market town has been the venue of Wonderwool Wales since its inauguration in in 2006 - to promote wool and fibre producers in Wales. A highly successful and popular annual event, Wonderwool is now attended by traders and visitors from far and wide across the UK, and I have greatly enjoyed being one of the latter.
I have found much that is new and novel to enjoy during my Wonderwool visits and this year my eyes delighted on this simple display of sheep breed fibre in it's raw and spun form. This said, I'm becoming increasingly aware that wool is far from a simple affair and with the UK having over 70 sheep breeds to explore, I'm confident that it is going to take many years of wandering to get any where close to seeing every single one!
I so enjoy spinning fleece from the breeds that I research and it s fascinating how differently the fibre from each one feels and responds in my fingers. I ever appreciate advice from others who are more skilled, especially when the friendly spinner is demonstrating on a spinning wheel as beautiful as this Herring Alpha. The nuances of carding, drafting, spinning and plying are many and they are sure to generate lively debates! Thankfully spinners are a friendly breed in the main and they are happy to share and inspire those seeking to develop their skills.

And of course there are those amazing animals without which there would be no wool! Fossilised remains suggest that wild sheep evolved over 10 million years ago and that a wool industry has existed in the UK for over 4000 years. Breeding over time has led to many different sheep breeds and I love finding new ones and learning about their history. Here is a fine male specimin of a Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep that I saw at Wonderwool - I believe!

For all of the delights to see at Wonderwool, and of course to touch, it is these friendly chats that open new doors for me to wander through. It was one such chat this year with friendly mill owner Roger Poulson of
Curlew Weavers that wetted my appetite to finally get my act together and learn more about Welsh wool textiles. Roger's parents started his mill at Rhydlewis, Llandysul in 1961 and fibre has been worked at the mill ever since in a variety of ways. Curlew has a long tradition for weaving woollen fabric and this distinctive and very appealing stripe has been one of their staple designs.
I was delighted to finally visit Roger at his mill on a bright autumn day and to hear many interesting stories about his life as a Welsh mill owner. The need to adapt the mill processes to an ever changing market and to understand what makes for saleable goods has been key to the mill's survival. It was really heartening to hear that Roger is currently extending the mill buildings and that his son has joined him.
For the past 20 years Curlew Weavers has specialised in processing rare breed fibre for owners of small flocks throughout the UK. An area of growing interest, I have learnt from chatting with rare breed owners that it can be very difficult and costly to get small amounts of fibre processed and spun and or/woven and Curlew fills this ever growing requirement of small holding breeders. These fibre natural colours have particularly called me in this year and I have enjoyed experimenting with them with natural dyes throughout the summer months.

My research happily continued at at the nearby
National Wool Museum of Wales, housed in old Cambrian Mills buildings in Drefach Felindre in the Teifi valley. From its opening in the mid 19th century the Cambrian Mills expanded to become the largest of the 52 mills in Drefach Felindre. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1919 and the current buildings were rebuilt in the years following. With a boom for wool fabric during the two World Wars, the area became known as the 'Huddersfield of Wales' and provided employment for most families living in the area. Sadly wool production declined in post war years and after losing its foothold to mills in the North, the buildings were converted to the current museum in 1976.
It was likely one of the first mills to produce Welsh tartans, after bringing in unpopular weaving expertise from Scotland - a particularly alluring woollen design for me!
Processing wool was, and still, is a messy affair and this image dispels any romantic notions of working life in a mill in times past. Wool fibres are all very different to process and even today, there are some that mill owners today are keen to avoid.
Heavy duty machinery was required for all textiles process and this in turn generated work for other manufacturing industries. This cold press for shawls was just one of many machines vital to woollen processing during the industrial revolution - and I have often noted the many names of Northern manufacturers emboldened in the metal casings.
Cambrian Mill weaver Raymond Jones and his wife Diane set up 'Melin Teifi' in one of the old Cambrian Mill buildings in 1982. They had worked at Cambrian Mill for over 20 years and wanted to continue with the work that was 'all that they ever knew'.
One of Raymond's woollen fabrics has long been on my radar, as he has most recently been the weaver for the distinctive wool fabric used in the
Quaker Tapestry Panels. I have long relished this delicately striped fabric first that was first desgned and woven in Somerset and I have encouraged others to similarly enjoy using in their heartfelt textile creations.
Now retired after weaving for 60 years, Raymond is now training staff at the museum to ensure that the Melin Teifi looms continue. I had the great pleasure of visiting Raymond and his wife Diane in their nearby home amd I will long remember chatting with them over coffee about their weaving lives and choosing a few of his woven wool fabrics to take back to Somerset.
With river water in abundance in Wales, in the late 19th century there were around 325 woollen mills in operation, completing various aspects of wool manufacturing.
Melin Tregwynt is one of the very few who are fortunate to continue in 2023 with around 30 employees. Starting its life as a 17th century corn mill, it took another 100 years before wool became its mainstay. The mill once performed every stage of wool production, from raw fleece to finished material and provided, work and a sense of community.
As with all Welsh woollen mills, Tregwynt has long developed distinct weaving designs and this was on the looms on the day of my visit - a very pleasing geometric pattern in naturalistic colours.
Their shop next door to the mill stocked designs and colours to feast my eyes upon and provided me with the most pleasurable task of choosing a modest purchase to take away with me!
Solva Woollen Mill is one of the oldest mills in Wales and also continues a thriving operation in 2023. Located one mile inland of the very attractive River Solva inlet, it has a weaving shed and shop tucked away in the picturesque Prendergast woodland.
Their 'portuculis' pattern, also known as 'Caernarfon', is an iconic Welsh textile pattern and like many textiles it is usually woven as a double weave cloth. These old designs are steeped in history and it is believed that this particular pattern was the precursor of many North America folk art traditions that became widespread following Welsh emigration in the late 18th century.
Colour pallettes are of equal importance in all weaving designs and this display at Solva Mill typifies the colours used in their current day designs. Traditionally worked in 2 or 4 colours, Welsh mills now also produce contemporary designs that include a few more colours.
It feels fitting that my story of Welsh wool wanderings so far concludes with this watery capture. The inlet at Solva is the source of the river that long generated power for Solva Woollen Mill and it gave me numerous hours of pleasure during my visit. Wool and water are intrinsically linked and while no longer required as a production power source, it remains key to parts of modern day woollen processes. It also without doubt continues to provide inspiration in abundance - for me and many many others :)