Sue Malvern and her textile residency in Iceland

Sue has recently returned from a month long residency at the Icelandic Textile Centre, Textilmidstod. She was researching the migration of weaving traditions across cultures, and the specificity of Icelandic weaving.

Kvennaskólinn, Blönduós. Weaving loft in the attic.

Textilmidstod is located in Blönduós, in the North West Iceland, housed in a former women’s college, the Kvennaskólinn. The Centre combines the textile studio and weaving loft housing one hundred year old countermarch looms in the old building of the former college, alongside a cutting edge digital textile laboratory including two TC2 looms and digital technologies for felting, embroidery and other textile arts.

Sample of salún weaving. Wool

Sue worked both on Icelandic countermarch looms and on the TC2, swapping between traditional and state of the art digital loom technology, sometimes on the same day! She developed experimental approaches to traditional Icelandic weaving patterns including a form of extra weft patterning called Glit which is only found in Iceland, and monksbelt, widely practised in Nordic countries and in the UK, but called salún in Iceland. Sue was weaving with wool, including weaving a table runner incorporating the first spinning efforts of one of her colleagues. She used her own first steps in digital jacquard weaving to explore the forms of Icelandic glaciers, currently threatened by climate change. Sue’s co-residents in October 2024 included textile artists from the States, Brazil, Taiwan, Germany, Siberia and Denmark. Together, they held a pop-exhibition ‘From there to here and back again’ of their work in progress, with many visitors from the local community.

Wool wall hanging, incorporating hand-spun Icelandic wool.

Sue is collaborating with her colleague in Germany, who used her residency to research the culture of wool in Iceland. Together they are working on producing a zine - ‘The Icelandic textile universe. A handbook for textile-tourists.’ Sue is currently developing new works using wool that explore innovative ways of weaving salún/monksbelt.

Detail of wool wall hanging.

Wensleydale Sheep - an upcoming exhibition

From October 13th the exhibition Wensleydale Sheep: A Handcrafted History will open at the Hand Weavers Studio (HWS) in London and will run until December 6th. The exhibition is a showcase of Wensleydale fleece through handweaving and other wool crafts, to be displayed alongside historical photos from the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders Association (WLSBA).

Sarah Affleck and Sue Hopkinson both have pieces in the exhibition and have chosen to produce interior homewares as their finished works. Their work celebrates the natural qualities of Wensleydale wool and exploits the undyed ecru and natural black colour of the fleece.

Sarah and Sue's involvement stems from knowing Lois, a fellow graduate of the Diploma in Handweaving at HWS. Soon after starting the diploma, they became aware that Lois had a small flock of much-loved Wensleydale sheep, which encouraged their own interest especially once they had all, on a memorable visit to Essex in 2023, met these beautiful creatures.

When Lois invited Sue and Sarah to take part in the exhibition she had already acquired enough Wensleydale fleece to make it possible for the for the owner of the Diamond Mill in Sussex to process a small supply for the exhibition. The natural Ecru was the first yarn to come out of the mill; a beautifully soft 2/6 worsted spun yarn that has the colour of butter, the softness of silk and a halo like mohair.

Sarah’s exhibition piece consists of 3 handwoven cushions made using a shadow weave technique to champion the contrast between the ecru and black yarn. The concept of one thread following another like a shadow speaks of the close relationships between Wensleydale sheep and their breeders.

Sue’s exhibition piece features a seat cushion for an Ercol chair titled ‘Seat for a Shepherd.’ Woven as a double cloth the design is the result of play and experimentation with motifs from the black and white photos that the WLSBA hold in their archive.

It has been a a privilege to be involved in such a project. A project that showcases the remarkable aspects of the Wensleydale fleece as well as the possibilities of complete sustainability - from field to functional interiors and garments.

Wensleydale Sheep: A Handcrafted History will be travelling to other parts of the UK following it’s opening at The Handweavers Studio & Gallery, 140 Seven Sisters Road, London N7 7NS.

Venue Program:

13th October 2024 to 6th December 2024 - The Handweavers Studio & Gallery

21 January 2025 to 16th February 2025 - Tennants Garden Rooms.

18th July to 18th October 2025 - Dales Countryside Museum.