Cartmel Handspun Spinning School reviews

Michele Phillips reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"This is a really interesting and hands on course. Elaine is very knowledgeable but is also able to communicate it to those starting from scratch. Most enjoyable and would highly recommend it ."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Michele I'm so pleased you enjoyed your course."

Jill Collerton reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"A fantastic, informative and absorbing weekend. I had never even seen a spinning wheel in real life before this course, and have come away with the skills to help me practice on my own. Elaine is a brilliant host, creating a comfortable atmosphere in which to learn. She knows her stuff - thanks so much Elaine."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Jill I'm so pleased you enjoyed your course. All the best with your spinning as you go forward. Elaine"

catherine reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"lovely 2 day course in a very cosy setting. Very informative. Learning reinforced with the practical component. Invaluable experience."

Hazel Hanslip reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"On my way home from the best course I’ve ever done (& I’m a serial craft courser!). I attended the course as I work on a farm and want to make better use of our fleeces by spinning them. I've learned so much from Elaine, my brain is overflowing with ideas and can’t wait to get stuck in to the fleeces at home. Thank you so much for teaching me spinning skills & sharing all of your advice. "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Hazel. I'm very happy to hear you got so much out of your weekend learning about fleece and spinning. All the best with your venture helping others."

Jacqui Armstrong reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"Elaine is a skilled and knowledgeable tutor. I felt welcome and encouraged.to acheive. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and would recommend it to others"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Jacqui. I'm so pleased the course has helped you get back into hand spinning. It was a pleasure to work with you. Elaine"

Sarah Charnley reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"We had a fabulous time on the two day course. Elaine was a phenomenal teacher. I now just need to practice."

Irene Kidney reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"This course did exactly what I wanted it to. I learnt a mountain of new skills from Elaine who was so patient and kind. I went with my own spinning wheel without any knowledge of how to do anything with it. The advice was immeasurable. I feel confident that should I become stuck, Elaine won’t mind my questions, hope I’m right. I intend to practice until I can do the job properly. Thank you Elaine, the perfect course for me. "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Irene. I really hope you keep on spinning with your lovely inherited wheel. Best wishes Elaine"

Isabelle reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"A thoroughly enjoyable weekend course; well worth my long journey. I particularly liked being able to try spinning with various fleece, and to have the opportunity to ask questions about any part of the process. Can't wait to get started now!"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Isobel. It was a joy to be able to share my passion for spinning with you. "

Kay Bowden reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"What a fantastic weekend with Elaine and three fellow novice spinners in the heart of the Lake District. I found it absolutely inspiring and enjoyed every minute. Elaine is very knowledgeable and has a gentle teaching technique which has given me the skills to begin my spinning journey and hopefully enjoy this ancient craft for many years to come. I will treasure my first ball of two ply yarn and have already placed my order for a wheel so I can begin to perfect my technique. Thank you Elaine!"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Kay for your so positive feed-back. It's really good to hear how much you enjoyed your weekend and your plans to carry on spinning. Best wishes Elaine"

Janet Wilson reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I had a lovely weekend in Elaine’s studio in a small group of four. Elaine shared her extensive knowledge of fleece selection and preparation. We had lots of hands-on work with the fleeces and equipment. The course was relaxed and unhurried, with plenty of time at the spinning wheels. I loved every minute of it and left with a lovely skein of hand-spun yarn and the confidence to carry on spinning. The studio is in a wonderful location. We stayed nearby at the Derby Arms in Witherslack, which I can highly recommend."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Janet. It was a pleasure to work with you and the others passing on the historic craft of hand spinning. I hope you enjoy spinning for many years to come and perhaps have the opportunity to share your skills with another generation. Best wishes. Elaine"

Sarah reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It was a fantastic learning experience with a high level of interaction and support with a degree of knowledge and skill, provided by the teacher, to match. It was a friendly, welcoming and relaxed learning environment, providing an open and safe space to make mistakes and learn from them. Well worth every penny!"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank Sarah for your thoughtful review. I'm so pleased you enjoyed your course and found it helpful. Happy Spinning!!"

Anne Gahan reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"A very informative and educational course,fleece to fibre learnt every step ,very hands on with excellent tuition in a small group of 3.Highly recommended and an excellent Premier inn to stay in,brilliant weekend "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Anne. You seemed to have a really good weekend. I enjoyed having you here. "

Michele Firth reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"The 'Fleece to Fibre' course was excellent - Elaine is a very talented lady and loves sharing her extensive knowledge with others. The course covered fleece preparation, washing, picking and grading the fleece. We used a drum carder to prepare the fleece for spinning. We all (3 of us) spun 2 bobbins and then plyed them both, then used a Niddy Noddy to transfer the spun wool into a skein and then washed our spun fibre. The course contained all we need to learn to spin from Fleece to Fibre - thank you so much Elaine for a wonderful 2 day course for your enthusiasm and expertise. "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Michele. Great you were able to learn on your own wheel as well. Nothing stopping you now. "

Amanda Berry reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I had a wonderful time learning to spin as well as the whole journey of the fleece - from its time on the sheep until it becomes a skein. Elaine has so much knowledge and experience it was a delight to have her as a teacher. There were three of us on the course and it was lovely to be with them too. Thank you everyone for making my weekend such a beautiful one!"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Amanda for your contribution to making this past weekend such an enjoyable experience. I am so pleased you found the course useful and informative and hope you continue to explore and enjoy hand spinning. "

Amanda Turner reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I had a most wonderful time learning with Elaine. The course was just right - I learned loads about the process which is amazing but also was able to work relaxed and at my own pace too . It was most entertaining and informative too. I really gained a perspective. Elaine was kind and tailored to our different learning styles. The other participants were so nice too. Thank you so much Elaine. "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Amanda. I really enjoyed having you here and your contributions to the course. All the best as you go forward on your spinning journey. "

Anne reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I absolutely loved this course. We learnt everything from choosing a good fleece, how to prepare and wash it and how to spin it. It was very ‘hands on’, separating useable wool from the not so good bits. The class is small and relaxed, we had a spinning wheel each and tried different kinds of wool so we could see the difference. Elaine is exceedingly knowledgeable and an excellent teacher. I cannot recommend this course enough. "

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Anne It was a pleasure to work with you. "

Rosemary reviewed: Hand spinning for beginners at Cartmel Handspun

"A very enjoyable and informative course. Lovely environment and welcoming atmosphere. Lots of 1:1 tuition plus time to experiment and practice skills learnt. Thank you, Elaine."

Carol Ann reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I had such a great weekend learning to spin. I was visiting from Canada and looking for something fun to try. This hit the mark. I enjoyed the course, learned so much, and loved meeting some neat people. It was quite a different way to be a tourist! I got to see a whole different way of life than I'm used to. Elaine is so talented and patient with absolute beginners like myself! I got home a day ago and already ordered myself a spinning wheel! I can't wait to do some more. Thanks for the great weekend Elaine!"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Hi Carol Ann Thank you for your kind words. I'm so pleased you had an enjoyable trip to the UK and that you are planning to carry on spinning with your own wheel. I enjoyed meeting you and passing on this absorbing, creative and traditional skill. Best wishes, Elaine"

Gill reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"Elaine is an excellent tutor, very knowledgeable, experienced, and endlessly patient! She was happy to answer lots of questions and gave very useful tips to improve each individual's technique. I came away with knowledge about each step of the fibre preparation and spinning process, and finished handspun yarn, of which I am very proud! I would absolutely recommend this course."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Gill. I'm so pleased you benefitted from your course. You achieved some lovely spinning. I hope you have many happy years enjoying this absorbing, traditional craft."

Meg reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"Thank you Elaine for an absolutely brilliant course and welcoming us into your beautiful studio. I was a complete beginner before the course and can now say I have the spinning bug! This was a fantastic weekend, in a wonderful location. Elaine is an excellent teacher, guiding you expertly through the entire process, from processing the raw fleece to learning to draft and spin. I went home with my own handmade skein of yarn and now can’t wait for my own spinning wheel to arrive. Thank you very much Elaine, I hope to use this knowledge for many years to come and will treasure the memory of first spinning in your studio. If you have ever wanted to spin this course is an absolute must."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Bless you Meg. I'm so pleased you enjoyed your course. You are a natural spinner and I hope you do indeed carry on spinning for many years to come - any maybe teach it to another generation ."

Ruth reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"This is an excellent course. It was worth every penny and the long drive. Elaine is a first class teacher and her extensive knowledge ensure that everyone is successful and leaves with the skills to prepare and spin their own yarns. The small size of the group (3), ensures that individual tuition can be given, alongside exploring at your own pace. Elaine’s studio is an inspiration, full of books, fleeces, equipment and spinning wheels! It was really enjoyable and I was disappointed that we couldn’t continue for a 3rd day. Thanks Elaine. (We stayed in an AirBnb in Grange over Sands, about 15 minutes away by car - a perfect base)."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thank you Ruth for your thoughtful review. It was a privilege to meet and work with you. I'm so happy to once again be able to pass on the knowledge and skills for others to be able to enjoy the wonderful art of hand spinning."

Jane Marsh reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"Such a useful course for anyone who needs no nonsense guidance in how to turn fleece into something much more valuable! I combined with a hand spinning course also - thoroughly recommend this!"

Jane Marsh reviewed: Hand spinning for beginners at Cartmel Handspun

"I've completed a few half day spinning courses but just couldn't seem to get the hang of it until I went on this course and with Elaine's patient teaching, I am finally converting my fleeces into usable wool! I also did the fibre preparation course at the same time and it was all brilliant. !!"

Abigail setters reviewed: Fleece Preparation (wool) for Hand Spinners and Felters

"Had a great time at the fibre preparation workshop. We were made to feel very welcome and comfortable despite the covid-19 restrictions. Elaine's knowledge of this traditional craft was really inspiring and I am keen to learn more. I now have my own source of wool and am ready to get spinning :)"

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"|So glad you enjoyed yourself Abigail. Thanks for the review. Happy spinning!1"

Stacey Croft reviewed: Hand spinning 2 day course: From fleece to fibre

"I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go on the fleece to fibre weekend course. Learnt so much, and Elaine was very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions we had. It was all done very carefully and we kept socially distant given the current pandemic but Elaine still managed to be welcoming. Covered picking fleeces, prepping them, drum carding, drop spindles and of course spinning and plying, and skein wash. It's really inspired me to carry on practicing so will be getting my own wheel soon."