Knockando Woolmill Trust

Completion of building works

Great news! The Woolmill buildings have now all been completed!

They were handed over to the Trust on 22 December 2011 by our main contractor, Mansell plc. The buildings look fantastic and we'll be moving in over the next month. We'll make sure we post some photos of the process.

The landscaping and some of the external works are not quite finished but that should be complete by the spring (weather permitting). We open to the public on 1 June 2012!

And although we didn't get a chance to blog before it was broadcast, this week saw the Woolmill feature on BBC Radio 4's "Open Country" programme. Helen Mark visited the Woolmill in December to record the programme. 

You can listen to the programme again via the BBC Radio 4 website.

Our next Open Day

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.

We're still here!

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 !

Moving out...

We've spent this week dismantling and moving machinery from here:

To here!

Machinery removal begins...

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. 

Last weaving...

A couple of posts ago, you see me with the last warp before we close the weaving workshop for renovations until 2012.

Well, today I finished that piece of cloth - a range of samples - and that's it!  For 35 years in my time, I've always had something weaving, so it feels rather strange.  Anyhow, I filmed the last wee bit (and tried but failed to shout a commentary), and here it is...

 

Progress

As you can see, the new workshop is coming along.  The roof is almost finished and internal fitting out is going well.  Meanwhile, you'll have imagine it without the builder's paraphenalia!  We are due to 'get possession' early in October.

Open Day 2

As the last visitor departs...........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Open Day

Over 200 people attended our Open Day on 14 August held in partnership with the Moray Council and Knockando Margach Hall Committee. The theme was Sustainability and there were several exhibitors from our wool insulation company, Thermafleece, to the village's proposed hydroelectric scheme. The hall was decked in tweed bunting and looked fantastic. Minibus-loads of visitors were shown round the Woolmill site to view the construction progress.

Time, Warp

Hugh proudly shows off the last warp to be beamed before the machinery is dismantled. 

The beamed warp will be woven with at least a dozen wefts to create a sample range for clothing designers.