Craft Courses
We are able to offer a variety of craft related courses mainly presented by guest tutors.
See the West Manse Diary page for details of course dates.
Spinning - Course Tutor Carrie Eden
Individual or small group tuition for beginners. Older children welcome with adult participant. 2 hour initial session. You will start by learning how to spin raw and prepared fleece on a drop spindle. You will then have the opportunity to try both modern and traditional spinning wheels.
Cost £20 per person (discount for groups) includes drop spindle and bag of fleece to take away.
Beginner Knitting - Course Tutor Carrie Eden
Individual or small group tuition for beginners. Older children welcome with adult participant. 2 hour initial session. Get started with big needles and chunky yarn. Learn the skills to make your first scarf or simple bag.
Cost £20 per person (discount for groups) includes knitting needles and yarn.
Other yarn available for sale. Follow up help if you get stuck.
Fair Isle Knitting - Course Tutor Carrie Eden
Introduction to Fair Isle (stranded knitting) suitable for people who are confident in basic knitting, knit purl, cast on and cast off.
Learn the basics of knitting in the round and stranded knitting. You will be using traditional Fair Isle and Shetland patterns on a small scale (mittens and wrist warmers). 3 hour session.
Cost £35 includes Shetland pure wool yarn and set of needles.
Weaving Course 1 - Course Tutor Carrie Eden
Individual or small group tuition for beginners.
Make a scarf on a prepared warp. Full day or 2 half days (6 hours total), older children welcome with adult participant.
Cost £70 per person.
Weaving Course 2 - Course Tutor Carie Eden
Individual tuition that may include, designing a warp, warping the loom, double cloth weaving, twill, basket weave and various other weave as desired.
Cost £70 per person per day.
Knots, Splices and Fancy Work - Course Tutor Alex Costie
Knots as done by a fisherman with some fancy work and splices. Alex may even take you to fisherman's haunts, there will certainly be plenty of fishermen's tales.
Cost £60 per person for a full day including lunch. Half days available by arrangement.
Orkney Chair Making - Course Tutor Edith Costie
Learn the skills required to make yourself a family heirloom. Edith will show you how to clean and work the traditional black oat straw at her studios in the village or here at the Manse. This work is hard on the hands so short sessions of 2 hours are recommended.
The base chairs are made in oak by Steven Gibson who can make chairs to any size.
Welding, Brazing & Gas Cutting - William McEwen
Have you ever wondered about how it is done and wanted to try?
The equipment is expensive, potentially dangerous and you need to know what you are doing.
We offer safe, non scary, one on one tuition and the opportunity to learn and enjoy these skills yourself.
William has nearly 40 years of practical experience teaching 12 - 16 year old boys and girls basic welding skills and adults up to 60+ welding, brazing and gas cutting.
In a short time you can be making and mending, and understand what equipment you might want to get for yourself: from fierce arc welding at 3000 deg C to gentle oxy-acetylene brazing. The skills are both exciting to learn and useful, then what you can do with it is up to you and your imagination.
