Join us on Sunday 25th March between 11am-4pm for a look around the newly restored Mill. Here's a map to help you find us.
We're busy getting the new Mill shop ready for your visit - here's a sneak preview. But if you're unable to visit, don't forget you can shop online.
We are currently moving our wool carding machinery back into the woolmill now the builders have finished. Last week we had the card nailers in to wind new card clothing onto our large rollers (swifts and doffers). They did a lovely job and we learnt a lot about Huddersfield Town FC past and present ...
Put simply, they are winding a 2 inch wide heavy cotton tape studded with wire staples onto a 48 inch diameter wooden roller at 300 ft lbs ... Sounds easy but you only get one chance to get it right, which is why we called in the experts. And here they are -
If you can't see this video, paste this link into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHzNrB5NWkc&feature=youtu.be
It's been a busy summer down at the Woolmill and on Sunday 28th August 2011 between 10.30am and 5.00pm we'll be giving organised tours of the work to date as part of our latest Open Day.
All tours will leave Margach Hall in Knockando at half-hourly intervals and booking is essential. To book a place on the tour please call Brenda Harvey on 01343 563476 or e-mail brenda.harvey@moray.gov.uk
We'd also love to see you at Margach Hall in Knockando if you have a story to tell us.
There was a tradition of giving Woolmill blankets as wedding presents and also farmers bringing their wool to the mill to have it processed into blankets. We would love to hear from anyone who still has a Woolmill blanket.
Elidh, our Learning and Outreach Manager, will be collecting and recording people’s stories and memories of the Woolmill. There will be an opportunity to view and purchase some new products developed at the Woolmill - and a chance to create your own unique bookmark from Woolmill fabric and yarn.
To anyone hanging on there and waiting for news - sorry! November and December brought rather lethal weather and all sorts of contingent hassles which rather diverted us....
As I write, we are seeing the last of the snow turn to sheet ice and present us with skiddy rather than sub-zero problems. Winter has come early and February can often be the one to watch for, so we wait and see.
Good news is that we have a comfortable and warm new workshop to work in. The old machinery is now all stored there and we are slowly working through it, cleaning off generations worth of muck. Actually, this is a horrid job but it must be done! Every day we are revealing unknown bits of wear and tear and compiling a list of repairs to be done. The aim is to have all the carding and spinning machinery re-furbished and ready to move back to the renovated old mill building by August.... so watch this space!
Here's the mill and new workshop today:
And for those of you who know the inside of the old mill - here's what it looks like with it's floors ripped up !
We've spent this week dismantling and moving machinery from here:
To here!
The Teasel Gig in transit to it's temporary home in the Conservation Training Workshop.
This is the first machine to be removed from the old mill buildings in a process that is expected to take six weeks.
