Crafters set for camp at Axedale

LOCALS interested in working with textiles will have an opportunity to attend a camp where they can eat, sleep, and breathe the crafts.

The four-day camp, run by Bendigo Spinners, Weavers and Handcraft, will run from Monday 23 to Thursday 26 October at Camp Getaway at Axedale.

Member of the group Julie Hutchieson said she came up with the idea to set aside time where people can take a break and focus on doing what they love.

“The idea is that you come along and you don’t have to worry about preparing meals or looking after husbands or anything like that,” she said.

“You can just have dedicated crafting time.

“We have a couple of workshops organised and it’s pretty much just sit out in the sun and spin, and knit, and chat.

“It’s just a break from everyday life, and I’ve found that you always learn something from the people around you.”

Ms Hutchieson said attendees can bring their own projects to work on or can start new ones with provided materials, and there will be two workshops.

“There’ll be spinning wheels and weaving looms and stuff like that,” she said.

“But the two workshops are indigo dyeing, which is a specialised kind of dyeing. It’s a plant-based dye, and it’s what gets you the blues in jeans and stuff like that.

“There’s a lady from Newstead who’s going to do that workshop, and the other one is a basket-weaving workshop with a lady from Bendigo using raffia.

“it’s a fairly casual sort of thing, if you feel like doing a workshop, you can, if you just feel like sitting and chatting or knitting or whatever.”

There will also be a ‘fibre sandwich’, which Ms Hutchieson said was where spinners can bring wool or felt to add to that of others which gets spun into a blend of them all.

“You get back the same amount you put in, but it will be a mixture of colours to be a theme,” she said.

“I love doing that, it’s lots of fun.”

No previous craft experience is needed, just an interest, and for information contact [email protected].