Ashford Wheels and Looms – the global leader in the manufacture of quality spinning wheels, weaving looms and textile equipment – is celebrating 90 years in business. We are excited to celebrate 90 years of serving the textile and fibre communities around the world. From humble beginnings of one man in a washhouse to a […]
Undulating – to move in a wave-like pattern.This beautiful design is based on a traditional twill, usually woven on four or eight shafts – but now you can create it on your rigid heddle loom! My friend Kurt @manknitea shared his draft for an undulating twill with me, and I just had to try it. […]
Easily convert your e-Spinner 3 into a high-speed boat shuttle bobbin winder or a quill spindle. Whether you’re prepping for weaving or spinning textured yarns off the point, this clever accessory adds versatility to your setup without taking up more space. Simply remove the flyer, pop on the spindle, and you are ready to wind […]
We are very happy to introduce two new colourways in our popular Caterpillar Cotton range – Sandstone and Black. Sandstone Black Click image to see the full range of colours available
We are celebrating a very special occasion – Ken Meehan, our Production and Factory Manager, started with the company as an “after-school boy” on 25th August 1980, 45 years ago. Showing early talent and enthusiasm, we offered him an apprenticeship, which he completed with the highest grades nationally. Skilled in all areas of production, purchasing […]
Welcome to the Ashford Dealer Spotlight! Where we highlight Ashford dealers from around the world, giving you a chance to learn more about their journeys and businesses. We’re excited to introduce you to these individuals, and we hope you enjoy getting to know them better. Our fourth dealer in the Spotlight is Lucille Williams of Sheeping Beauty Fibre Arts, Wisconsin, […]
This is another effective and easy technique you can try on the rigid heddle loom. A linked warp adds visual interest and will draw attention when you wear the finished piece. Why not give it a go today! Happy weaving, Weaving InstructionsThese instructions are designed to be used alongside the Learn to Weave booklet supplied […]
There’s a certain magic to point threading — one simple sequence that can create stunning, symmetrical patterns. From bold diamonds to intricate designs, it’s like opening a treasure chest of possibilities, especially when you have sixteen shafts to play with! Happy weaving! Kate A weaving draft where the threading rises to a peak and then […]
No, not the 90s pop song—sett is a weaving term that’s all about how close together your threads are. If you’re just getting started with weaving, understanding sett will help you make fabric that feels just right—whether you want something soft and flowy or strong and sturdy. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it […]
One of the things I love most about weaving is how it brings together creativity, sustainability, and the joy of making something by hand. It is always inspiring to see how makers are using their Ashford looms. In this guest post, Erica from Twig + Tale shares how she transformed a pile of fabric scraps […]
We had a fantastic time at the 25th annual Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo, Victoria from July 18–20. The show was a hive of activity, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces as well as meet many new fibre enthusiasts from across Australia and abroad! Libby and I (Kate) were […]
Congratulations We are delighted to welcome Maiken Bjørnholt to the Ashford family! Maiken has recently purchased the Skytten business from Linda and Henrik Larsen and has become the Ashford distributor in Denmark. Maiken’s love for weaving started as she watched her mother weave exquisite tapestries. She is a qualified archaeologist and a schoolteacher, and for […]
After 23 wonderful years, Linda and Henrik Larsen of Skytten, have sold their business and are retiring as our distributors in Denmark. We are so grateful for their friendship, excellent customer service, knowledge, and experience over these many years. James, David, Elizabeth, Richard and Kate, and all our team here in New Zealand sincerely thank […]
I have been diving into some colour management techniques in my spinning recently, and I wanted to share one that’s been especially fun and effective! It’s a great way to test colourways and create a beautifully balanced, visually interesting yarn. If you love experimenting with colour, this is one to try. Happy spinning! A 3-PLY […]
Hand-dyed fibre braids are irresistibly beautiful — rich in colour, texture, and creative potential. Yet working with them can often feel like a gamble. Those vibrant tones that looked so promising in the braid may pool awkwardly or blend into a muddled mix when spun, knitted, or woven. So how can the brilliance of these […]
This cosy cocoon shrug can be a lovely weekend (or two) project. Try carding your own custom blend of colours or fibres and knit your own today! The pattern is so simple you can easily adapt to any yarn thickness. Very beginner knitter friendly. Happy knitting! Kate https://www.ashford.co.nz/media/pinky-cocoon-final.mp4 I used 500gms of Ashford Corriedale spun […]
Who can resist the charm of a Fair Isle sweater? Especially when it’s on such an adorable little one! Knitted with our sumptuous Merino DK yarn, this timeless design is as cosy as it is beautiful. Our fine Merino DK yarn is beautifully soft to the touch. The unique high twist construction gives the finished yarn […]
Welcome to the Ashford Dealer Spotlight! Where we highlight Ashford dealers from around the world, giving you a chance to learn more about their journeys and businesses. We’re excited to introduce you to these amazing individuals, and we hope you enjoy getting to know them better. Our third dealer in the Spotlight is Blythe Nudelman of […]
May 16th – 18th, 2025 Montreal, Canada What a fantastic weekend at Knit City Montreal! We were thrilled to attend this vibrant event alongside our local Ashford dealer, Catherine of Tisse et File. The show was buzzing with energy, with a strong interest in all things spinning and weaving. It was wonderful to connect with […]
May 12th-14th, 2025 Montreal, Quebec Canada Kate, together with Marc from Harmonique Fibre Arts Supplies—our Canadian distributor—hosted a three-day Ashford Dealer Training Workshop in Montreal. With over 20 enthusiastic participants, the event provided a valuable opportunity for in-depth, hands-on product training. The workshop helped build confidence and deepen product knowledge, empowering our dealers to better […]
May 7th – 9th, 2025 Rosemont, IL, USA Earlier this month, Kate and James exhibited at H & H Americas, a B2B event for the fibre and textile industry. It was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with many of our existing dealers and to meet new ones. We really appreciated the chance to connect face-to-face, […]
May 4th 2025 – Columbus, Wisconsin USA Kate recently visited Susan’s Fiber Shop for an Ashford demo day. While Susan was away attending the Maryland Sheep Show, her wonderful team warmly welcomed Kate and organized the event. During the visit, Kate demonstrated carding and spinning techniques, connecting with many lovely spinners and weavers. The day […]
May 2nd-3rd 2025, Lawrence, Kansas USA Kate visited The Yarn Barn of Kansas in Lawrence for the first time to do some staff training and in-store demos. Established in 1971, the store boasts a very impressive range of yarns, weaving looms, weaving supplies, spinning wheels, and more. Owners Jim and Susan Bateman have created a welcoming […]
April 29th– May 1st 2025, Frankfort, Kentucky USA Kate had a great time visiting The Woolery, spending time with their fantastic customer service team for hands-on product training sessions. The team was super engaged, full of great questions, and clearly passionate about helping their customers. It’s always inspiring to see such a well-run business, with […]
April 26th – 27th, 2025 Builth Wells, Wales, UK Kate worked with David and Kathy of Frank Herring and Sons, our UK Distributor, at Wonderwool Wales hosting a demonstration and education booth. It was great to see so much interest in spinning and weaving. The show, as always is well attended and well organised. With […]
April 22nd – 23rd, 2025 Berkeley, UK Our thanks to Ellie and Tom of Wingham Wool for organising two fantastic one-day Ashford Demo Days. Wingham Wool has been a cornerstone of the fibre craft community for over 40 years. The business was founded by Ruth and Alan Gough, and it continues to thrive under the […]
Due to the high calibre of applicants this year, Elizabeth and Richard have chosen two joint-winners, and James has increased the award to $7000. We are delighted to announce the two joint winners are:Tukya Threads, Purulia, West Bengal, India and the Felti and Spectacled Bear Conservation, Lambayeque, Peru. At Tukya Threads, a learning centre has […]
Creative Fibre Festival, 10-13 April 2025, Christchurch, New Zealand. Creative Fibre is the New Zealand organisation that brings together people with a passion for fibre crafts and textile arts. Spinners, weavers, knitters, dyers, flax workers, felters, crocheters and other makers – from home crafter to professional artist – all are welcome to join and experience the […]
Have you ever admired the consistent perfect patterns of twill and wished you could weave it on your rigid heddle loom? Well, you can. Here are the instructions to weave a twill pattern on your rigid heddle loom without having to use pickup sticks. Happy weaving, I suggest the first time you try this; you […]
This month’s artist of the month has been working with textiles for more than 60 years! Originally from the Hardanger region of Norway, he re-discovered his passion for weaving about 15 years ago, inspired by the rich textile traditions of his heritage. Now based in the Arctic, he combines his love for the craft with […]
Betty Booth 1940 – 2024We remember our treasured friend and mentor, Betty, who has been such an important part of our family, and our business, for many, many years. For Betty weaving was a way of life. She was awarded the NZ Spinning, Weaving and Woolcraft Society’s Quality Mark for Weaving. She tutored for almost […]
Welcome to our second post in our new Blog series – the Ashford Dealer Spotlight! Where we will be highlighting Ashford dealers from around the world, giving you a chance to learn more about their journeys and businesses. We’re excited to introduce you to these amazing individuals, and we hope you enjoy getting to know […]
Hand dyed fibre is so beautiful but it can be intimidating. How do you know what your yarn will look like once spun and plied? How will the colours merge during the spinning and recombine when plied? This article shows some different techniques for spinning and plying those beautiful hand dyed fibre braids. Happy spinning! […]
“Huck” the shortened version of Huckaback refers to a loom controlled weave structure that is made up of groups of threads that can produce plain weave, warp floats or weft floats. Which when woven, the small float blocks alternate with plain weave blocks creating beautiful lacy looking fabrics. The groups have odd numbers of warp threads […]
The Jack Loom shows its versatility by weaving very delicate yarns into a soft, beautiful fabric. My journey with “Jack” (my Ashford Jack loom) has been a busy one. Recently, I wanted to sample some very fine, delicate cashmere silk yarn from my stash of precious yarns. I was curious how Jack would weave up […]
As we weave our way through 2025, with March already upon us! We are thrilled to introduce our latest Ashford Artist of the month – Sarah Finley, from the UK. I hope you enjoy reading about Sarah’s fibre art journey. Kate NAME: Sarah Finley BUSINESS NAME: Gathered Sheep Yarns Facebook: Gathered Sheep Yarns Instagram: @gatheredsheepyarns […]
I’m constantly amazed by the endless possibilities you can create from a single threading on a table loom. What I love most is the freedom it offers—you’re not locked into using the same pattern for an entire warp. If you’re not feeling it, simply switch it up! Since we recently upgraded all our folding table […]
Agnes Hauptli is an award-winning member of the Professional Weavers Network of New Zealand. Agnes loves her 16 shaft Ashford table loom and with these four colour double weave placemats, she really shows its capabilities!Happy weaving! You need a 16 shaft loom especially if you like more complex designs. If you like patterns with curves […]
Andrew, an enthusiastic weaver, creates eight different tea towels on a Jack Loom using the same warp. These beautiful, lush teatowels (in Ashford 5/2 cotton) featured in The Wheel magazine, Issue 30. This is a great way to try out some variations on the same threading. Happy weaving! By Andrew McCracken, Springwood, NSW, Australia Without apology, […]
Welcome to a brand-new segment of our Blog – the Ashford Dealer Spotlight! In this series, we will be highlighting Ashford dealers from around the world, giving you a chance to learn more about their journeys and businesses. We’re excited to introduce you to these amazing individuals, and we hope you enjoy getting to know […]
Ashford Textile Award 2024 – Final Report from Lauriston Farm, Goldhanger, Essex, UK Website: www.lauristonfarm.co.uk Facebook: LauristonFarm Instagram: @lauristonfarm Lauriston Farm was thrilled to win the Ashford award in 2023 and since receiving the prize of $5000 of Ashford products they have been working towards producing bags to sell at local markets. This is their […]
We are thrilled to feature you as our Ashford Artist of the Month! The Ashford blog reaches 25,000 subscribers, and we’re excited to showcase your work and share your story with our community. Thank you for being a part of this exciting opportunity! Along with your interview responses, please email up to 20 photos of […]
Ewe won’t baa-lieve how adorable this pattern is! Fleece your eyes on the fluffy rows of sheep grazing in the field! Whether you are the black sheep or part of the flock, this pattern is a baa-rillant addition to your weaving projects! Ok – enough with the Dad jokes – but seriously you will enjoy this […]
Another fun and simple way to add some flair to your weaving is by using a wavy shuttle. These patterns are not only enjoyable to experiment with, but they also unlock endless creative possibilities. Whether you’re an experienced weaver or a beginner, I hope you have fun exploring and trying out these designs. Happy weaving! […]
We are thrilled to offer 3 NEW Corriedale Colour Theme Packs to our popular CSP collection. Convenient seven colour packs of 30 micron Corriedale sliver pre-packaged in 100gm bags.Perfect for all fibrecrafts – needle felting, wet felting, spinning, blending or carding. Aztec – Inspired by Aztec art, tribal masks, turquoise stones and ancient architecture: Aqua, Butterscotch, Cherry […]
We recently hosted two, week-long dealer training courses, designed to empower dealers with in-depth knowledge of Ashford products. Over the course of two consecutive weeks, approximately 24 dealers each week had the opportunity to immerse themselves in comprehensive product training, learning everything there is to know about our wheels, looms, fibres, yarns and equipment. These […]
We have added two NEW beautiful colours in our Corriedale and Merino dyed sliver ranges – Aqua and Seafoam. To view the full colour range of Corriedale and Merino fibres CLICK HERE To order contact your local Ashford dealer today! 067 Aqua available in Corriedale and Merino 068 Seafoam available in Corriedale and Merino
We have added two NEW beautiful colourways to our Silk Merino Blend collection. Arizona – a stunning interplay of vibrant turquoise, earthy terracotta’s and soft white. Reminiscent of the warm sunlit desert landscapes and the cool open skies of the Southwest. Gelato – a soft and dreamy combination of pastel shades including gentle pinks and […]
We were thrilled with the fantastic response to our recent blog post about colour and weave techniques on the rigid heddle loom! It’s always exciting to see such enthusiasm for weaving. To keep the momentum going, I’d like to share some of my favourite pickup stick patterns that can be created on any rigid heddle […]
In the heart of South Africa’s Free State, an inspiring initiative is empowering local Basotho women to transform their lives. Chantelle Hamilton founded Simply Wool to help mothers earn an income while caring for their families. What began with teaching a few women to wash, card, and spin wool has blossomed into a thriving collective […]
Christmas is approaching quickly but there is still plenty of time to make handmade gifts. Here are two of my favourite colour and weave patterns, woven in plain weave on a rigid heddle loom using contrasting colours to give stunning results. Easily woven in just a few hours – why don’t you give handmade this […]