25 Years

We’re celebrating 25 years of The Wool Clip co-operative throughout 2026 in a number of ways.

• Special creations in the Caldbeck shop (and online) - these are being sold in aid of the 25th Anniversary Awards fund and share a colour scheme;

• An exhibition, The Wool Clip: 25 Years in the Making, at Farfield Mill. This opened on Wednesday, 2 September and runs until Sunday 1 November;

• Anniversary Awards for those starting out with their own wool-based businesses.

The first tranche of Awards (£250 each) was announced early in September (see blog below). Further applications are encouraged - we plan to announce a second tranche in December. Thank you everyone who has contributed to Award funding so far:

Our accountants, Saint & Co (Wigton office);
Viridian Distribution Ltd, our suppliers of knitting and crochet tools;
Past and current members of The Wool Clip;
Generous visitors to the Caldbeck shop and a WI group to whom a member made a presentation.

We’re excited about celebrating our passion for wool with you this year and hope you can join us.

Craft bookbinder in the Spotlight as The Wool Clip re-opens

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Sally Seed

Friday, 16 April 2021

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As The Wool Clip shop at Caldbeck re-opens post-lockdown, there is a Spotlight display of work by guest artist, Kate Bowles. Kate creates hand-bound notebooks and journals from recycled and vintage materials and a selection of her pieces will be on sale during April and May at The Wool Clip.

"I first met Kate when I was doing a show at Saltaire in West Yorkshire," explains Wool Clip member, Jean Wildish. "It was some years ago but I've kept in touch via social media and I've really enjoyed seeing her work evolve. She's based in Ilkley and we're really pleased to showcase her work in Cumbria as one of our Spotlight guests."

Kate uses recycled fabrics, leathers, papers and assorted vintage haberdashery ephemera and her books have a particular emphasis on revealing the sewn bindings on the spine. "My ideas are dictated by the discarded or found materials that I use," Kate says. "I have a love of vintage haberdashery items and papers - things that have little commercial value or status. My aim is to create functional books, giving the materials a new use, value and status. Most importantly, I create books that are to be filled by other people, so the creative process continues when they leave me. For me, that is probably the best bit!"

Find out more about Kate Bowles and her work online on Folksy, Facebook and Instagram (KateBowlesBooks) or visit her exhibition at The Wool Clip. The shop is open 11.30 am to 4.00 pm, Thursday to Sunday.