Meet Bev

My name is Bev and I’m the owner of The Handspinner Having Fun.

What crafts do you do?

I spin, knit, crochet, felt, dye, blend yarns and fibres and generally try my hand at anything. I have bought a loom and that is my next aim -to learn how to weave

How long have you been crafting?

Well… I learned to knit when I was about 9 but it didn’t grow fast enough and I found it boring but I picked the skill up again when I was a teenager. I wrote my first knitting pattern when I was 16 as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Award, which was ‘V’ neck tank top.

In my early 20’s I took sewing classes. I wanted to be able to understand more about how clothes where tailored and to improve my sewing skills. I picked the hardest pattern I could find and made that. It was a patterned fabric flared skirt with 6 panels and a bodice. The ability to understand how sewn garments go together helps a lot with understanding how knitted garments come together.

When I bought the shop I thought I should learn to spin… so I had my first lesson October 2013 and have not stopped since. I am addicted and love to spin unusual fibres.

What is your favourite yarn/ wool/ textile?

I love to spin Bluefaced Leicester wool with silk. It is so soft and has such a lovely lustre.

What is your favourite colour combination?

I am always inspired by the beautiful scenery here on Skye. The colours change throughout the seasons and there is always a new combination of colours to been seen. I especially love the blue/ pink colour combination in the sky at sunset though it is not a combination that easily translates into garments.

What is the most unusual project you have made?

I have spun dog hair – which I found that I am allergic to.

What is your fantasy project?

My fanstasy is to have enough time to create a huge wall ‘tapestry’ of different colours and fibres to reflect my lovely home on Skye.

Any words of wisdom for other artist?

Never put down your efforts at creating something. It is the process that is important not whether others like it or consider it ‘good’ enough. It is your unique work so sing your song with it!