DAY SIX (6th August)
*A bumpy drive led us through paddy fields to a dye plant that dyes cotton for Selyn Handlooms, they produced beautiful colours but we were all left a little puzzled at the effluent management programme – so hopefully some research into that will clean things up.
* Selyn handlooms was an amazing experience, with a showroom/shop at the front and the weaving factory at the back – Kate had a go on the handloom and picked up the rhythm very fast making 14 cm in about 20 minutes!
*We headed to a toy factory, with brightly coloured fabrics draped everywhere – and found Kapok being used to stuff toys which was great to see!
*Ena De Silva’s batik workshop is set back in the hills surrounded by beautiful sculpted gardens and jaw dropping views. It was amazing to see the batik and embroidery workers intricately creating such beautiful pieces.
*Dr Nirmali took us to a friends restaurant to eat and we enjoyed an ice cold beer and good food whilst unwinding from a hectic few days!
*Slight giggling hysterics when I was shaking my pillow after a cockroach had scuttled across the bed, and felt big lumps in it – Beth started to examine them and a horrible crunch was heard – needless to say a towel was a lovely substitute for a pillow that night!
Currently undertaking a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University within the MIRIAD post-graduate department, I am beginning a practice based academic journey into British wool fibres and new technologies within knitwear design.
Graduating with Distinction from a Masters in Fashion and the Environment at London College of Fashion, specialising in hand-knitting and the British Wool Industry,
I have worked on a number of knitwear collections (personal and external companies), whilst freelancing and researching for a number of exciting projects.
My work revolves around the idea of sustainable fashion from a knitted perspective and the different ways to achieve this incorporating the ideas of slow fashion into mainstream society.
I love knitting.
And wool.
And double sided sticky tape.
