I am so excited to be announcing that from June 9th to 16th I will be joining Karin and her husband Eelco at the beautiful Domino Vale do Mondego in Portugal to facilitate a wonderful week-long residential felting holiday!!! If you would like to register your provisional interest with us once you read the details below please email me immediately. I expect the places will be taken very quickly as the price is incredibly competitive and includes all accomodation, organic food, local wine and 5 full day felting workshops! Alternatively we will have the full workshop details available online sometime towards the end of next week and you can book directly with Karin then.

Karin and Eelco moved to the region in 2007 and farm biodynamically, they have a large herd of milk sheep, a dairy, fruit trees (it’s going to be cherry season in June!) and olive groves as well as unspoilt woodland and natural areas for guests to enjoy. One of their main aims is to breed and promote the rare indigenous Bordeleira sheep, the famous Serra da Estralla cheese is made from their milk!

Little ridged vessel combining raw and prepared Bordeliera wool

Karin sent me a small sample of both the raw and prepared Bordeleira wool and I immediately requested more! I was blown away by how beautifully it felts, really soft in the hand so perfect for clothing and accessories, not at all scratchy and incredibly quick to form a strong fabric too. I’ve made a few samples, a small vessel, a nuno sample and some sleeveless mittens, everything worked like a dream and I am really looking forward to introducing others to the beauty of this fibre, I particularly enjoyed felting with the raw wool. Carmen was with me the other day while I was experimenting and already wants to put in an order, I imagine I’ll be coming back with bulging cases this summer, roll on the shearing season!!!

Anyway, Karin and I hope to have the flyer and workshop description finalised by the end of next week but just to whet your appetite here are the bones of what we will be offering. One week’s stay at Dominio Vale do Mondego in a double room including breakfast buffet, 2-course lunch with wine, 3-course dinner with wine each day, 5 full days felting workshop including materials working with the rare Bordeleira wool, an excursion to a weaving museum and a walk with Eelco costs just E695, a single room will cost E765. I think that this is an absolute bargain!!!
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