New Year, new workshop dates and more

Happy New Year!
The blog has been very quiet, in fact I've neglected it entirely for months. So a New Year's resolution - blog more frequently. well, maybe....! You can always keep up with what I'm doing on Instagram, where you can find me as deborah.gray7.
 I've been winding up one phase of my life, my NHS job, and packing up one of my homes. In a week I will be a full-time resident in Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, and no longer splitting my time between two bases and two occupations.
2018 holds some exciting journeys, both literal and metaphorical. I am travelling to new Zealand and Australia to visit friends and soak up some antipodean inspiration, before spending the summer in Iceland at the Textilsetur in Blonduos. I'm going to be exploring some of the characteristics of the Icelandic sheep's two fibres, tog and thel, and using them to create some new yarn structures.

I'm also planning to spend more time spinning, knitting and designing, as well as baking, making and growing, all of which will be documented on Instagram if not here. Some of you may know that in my 'other' job I was a Public Health specialist, and I'm going to continue as a freelance mental health trainer, delivering Scotland's Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention training around Scotland.
Some of my travels will involve teaching engagements, already lined up at Edinburgh Yarn Festival (15-17 March) and Shetland Wool Week (23 - 30 September). Those class details have to stay under wraps until the festival organisers release their programmes, but I'm very excited about them! I'm hopeful that the Fasanta Textile Festival will take place this year in Oban in October, and I will have an Open Studio weekend in August to exhibit the work I do in Iceland.
Of course I also have some workshops planned in Oban. Some dates are provisional so e-mail me if you are interested and I can confirm details.

Sat 3rd March  pm  Design and knit stranded colourwork bunting. £40 inc materials

[15th & 16th March -   Edinburgh Yarn Festival classes]
Sat 24th March  pm  Knitting Socks two-at-a-time and toe up.  £35  (email me for list of materials and needles to bring)
Sat 5th May  pm  Inspired by Scotland - blending fibres to create unique shades and mixes inspired by images of nature. £40 inc materials

Fri 24th - Sun 26th August Open Studio inc exhibition of work from Iceland
Sat 15th September  pm  Drop Spindle Spinning for beginners £40 inc materials

[23rd - 30th September -  Shetland Wool Week classes]
[12 - 14 October - Fasanta festival of textiles to be confirmed]
Sun 28th Oct  am Fleece preparation for handspinning  £40;  pm Drop Spindle Spinning for beginners £40 (or £70 for both classes)  inc materials

Sat 10th Nov  pm  Design and knit your own Fair Isle Christmas bauble £40 inc materials
Sun 2 Dec pm  Design and knit your own Fair Isle Christmas bauble £40 inc materials

Individual tuition for anyone who wants to learn or improve spinning or knitting skills can be arranged on mutually convenient dates.
For further details or to book, please email Deborah.gray7@btinternet.com