Novemb34 24, 2025

Wee Willie, Will’s Drop Spindle Gnome, says it’s time to spin something for Christmas!

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November 20, 2025 ~ New front door sign ordered for our newly painted house.

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When not weaving or processing fleece, Will loves playing his fiddle named Clementine. And, of course, especially “Trowie Tunes”! (11/5/25)

And here is the completed altar at RavenOak Chapel.

23 September 2025

Glyn sewing a beautiful Celtic knotwork batique piece onto a gold woven banner for RavenOak Chapel. The knotwork was given to us by a priest friend from St. Moluag’s Church on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides, some 25 years ago. I wove the gold cloth yesterday. We’ll post another picture when it’s hanging over the RavenOak altar.

What’s it going to be?

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Inspired by “Burra Bears” on East Burra in Shetland, we are beginning plans to make our own “Nooga Bears” here at Trowes Tracks and Hentilagets in Chattanooga.

Wendy and Glyn at Burra Bears, june 2025.

Visit Misa at http://www.60northpublishing.com and delight in all things Shetland!

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6/25/2025 — “Mirrie Dancers” (Northern Lights) Bell Pulls by Will, on the Studio Doors:

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“Mirrie Dancers” Bell Pulls by Will. (A wee bit of trimming left to do.)

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Will is working on a “Mirrie Dancers” (Northern Lights in Shetland) bell pull for the Music Room.

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Will is drop-spinning on a Sunday afternoon.

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Glyn knitting the colorwork for when our turn comes up for a Shetland Burra Bear!

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5.2.25 — Spinning lots of Border Leicester!

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5.2.2025: Carding a Border Leicester Fleece.

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Woven 5 years ago, now part of the Icon Wall in RavenOak Chapel.

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Will, turning fiber into yarn.

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TROWES’ TRACKS above a cottage in the Highlands . . .

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Glyn just finished this wonderful sweater coat, of Icelandic wool from the Icelandic Store in Reykjavik.

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Preparing the loom for a spring table runner for Saint Mary’s Convent.

Afternoon Sun in the Upper Studio

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We visited our friend Jess Wilson at Summer Field Farm in Monteagle, and came home with this beautiful Gulf Coast fleece, and a dozen free range eggs.

Gulf Coast sheep at Summer Field. Bread to tolerate our hot southeastern summers!

Glyn with our old friend Jess Wilson, owner of Summer Field Farm in Monteagle, Tennessee

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Glyn “cutting the steek” on a major project: a thigh length sweater coat of Icelandic wool, kit from the Icelandic Store in Reykjavik.

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Lemongrass, Nettle, and Swamp Milkweed are “bast” plants that produce spinable fiber — the beginnings of a Plant Fiber Garden at Trowes Tracks and Hentilagets . . .from Growers Exchange in Virginia.

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Combing Border Leicester fleece in prep for spinning.

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Border Leicester and Bluefaced Leicester/Gotland

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Glyn is test-spinning a trial batt of the Border Leicester we have just begun carding.

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Will on two drop spindles. On the right, Bluefaced Leicester/Gotland from Oregon. On the left, some carder gleanings of the Border Leicester from Minnesota we’re currently processing. The spindle on the left is one I made partly from a Spindle bush in our yard. The Rune is Raiðo: “Journey.”

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When we bought this house 7 years ago, who would have guessed how valuable the musty old basement would become?

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A Border Leicester fleece from Marsh Creek Crossing in Minnesota, ready for scouring:

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2/11/2025 — Will’s first foray into the craft of Drop Spindle spinning. The spindle was a Christmas present from Glyn. The wool is Polish Merino.

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Re the Icelandic fleece prep yesterday, here is Gyn’s work with it at the spinning wheel. Yesterday’s fleece is today’s yarn.

2/4/2025 (7) The washed fleece now drying on racks. Next step in a few days will be carding. It’s been a long day! We’ll not dye this, it’s naturally beautiful.

2/4/2025 (6) Icelandic Hentilagets near the washtub drain.

2/4/2025 (5) First Icelandic batch in the Rinse Pot for thirty minutes. There will be two batches when we’re done.

2/4/2025 (4) Border Leicester/Wensleydale Cross awaiting scouring on another day.

2/4/2025 (3) Fleece Gnomes enjoying the scent of Icelandic Lanoline in the second batch.

2/4/2025 (2) Scouring Clara’s Fleece in an outdoor tub. At 140°F for 30 minutes, with Dawn Detergent.

2/4/2025 (1) Icelandic Fleece from “Clara” at Hidaway Farms ready for scouring on this fine Sunny February Day.

In Weaving, Even Waste Is Art

The audio sound structure of this 8-line, 2-part fiddle waltz, A Starry Night in Shetland, emerges visually in this “Woven Music” project. Woven in mercerized cotton on my Schacht 4-shaft loom.

A New “Woven Music” project by Will about to begin! A woven scarf that is also the “sheet music” for the traditional Shetland fiddle waltz “A Starry Night in Shetland.” The various colors represent different notes, the width of the bands will indicate Half, Quarter, or Eighth Notes. Black indicates Bar Lines. Here are the weaving guide from the sheet music, and the colors. When finished, you can play the tune from the scarf. First half of the song will hang from right shoulder, second half will hang from left.

Will is slowly but surely learning the drop spindle.

see us at Scenic StitchesFiber Fair in Chattanooga, Tennessee, February 1 & 2! Visit https://www.scenicstitces.com