Meet the Maker

Gwenda Manco, spinning

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As part of the South Pennines Making and Doing Festival, a Meet the Maker session was held at Hollingworth Lake Visitors Centre today (Sunday 6 October). The session gave visitors the opportunity to see skilled spinners and weavers at work.

Gwenda Manco, from Handspun Designs, said: “It is a good way to raise awareness of local crafts.”

Gwenda and her team were demonstrating hand spinning, a skill that has been practiced for thousands of years.

This was the first time the festival has been held and aimed to celebrate and promote artists, designer-makers, crafters and producers.

Gwenda added: “It has been great. We have had a lot of people in and getting involved.”

Chloe McHugh attended and enjoyed her spinning experience yesterday so much that she came back today (Sunday 6 October) to get involved again.

She said: “It is just fun and something I haven’t done before and I really enjoyed it.”

As well as spinning, a weaving demonstration also took place. Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct pieces of thread are interlaced at the right angle to form a fabric or cloth.

Fiona Catanach, who was demonstrating the weaving, said: “I would definitely do the festival again. We have had a lot of children getting involved which has been brilliant.”

Calumn Barton particularly enjoyed the weaving and picked it up very quickly, he said: “I really liked doing it. I taught my brother what to do as well.”

Fiona added: “To pick it up is one thing but to be able to know where you have gone wrong it another thing. He picked it up brilliantly.”

With the festival ending today, Gwenda said: “I do hope they do it again. Its been nice to promote the serious craft work that people do.”