The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has today (20 November) undertaken a visit to Ewe Felty Thing in Llandudno, as part of her Welsh Wool Pledge campaign. The visit also comes in the run up to Small Business Saturday 2020. The shop was opened by Nikki Small in 2018 and stocks a dedicated range of wool from across the British Isles.
As the Chair of the local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, Nikki spoke to Janet about her concerns around the farming, sourcing, preparation and supply of wool. The shop typically hosts many training sessions and ‘craft-and-chatter’ groups and Nikki is looking to set up an online arts and craft course platform, Craftucation, in light of the present pandemic to educate people wanting to learn or hone their skills.
Commenting on the visit, Janet said:
“What a brilliant and unique boutique craft shop Ewe Felty Thing is! I would like to sincerely thank Nikki for kindly taking the time to show the beautiful garments which she manufactures, as well as talking me through the other crafting and haberdashery materials which this marvellous local store stocks.
"As the Chair of the local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, Nikki told me of her struggle to source Welsh wool for customers, which can often be coarse and, therefore, makes a great insulating material for carpets. She noted that a number of customers specifically come to her store to source this local material.
"The Welsh Wool Pledge campaign looks to promote the use of this excellent natural fibre at all levels and so I welcome Nikki’s work to encourage its use among enthusiasts. Our conversation showed that there is a clear appetite among craftspeople to use this material, which is an encouraging sign at this time of unique challenge for the industry.
"The pandemic has meant many small businesses have had to diversify their activities and the news that Nikki is looking to set up an online arts and craft course platform, Craftucation, is just one excellent example of the enduring local entrepreneurial spirit. I encourage all local crafters to get their needles at the ready and support this local woolly wonder!”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
- You can visit us at Ewe Felty Thing at 22 Madoc Street, Llandudno, LL30 2TL. Nikki can be contacted by calling 01492 878510. More information, and an online store, can be found at www.ewefeltything.co.uk.
Photos: Janet Finch-Saunders MS & Nikki Small