Happy Anniversay and Waulking Day September 2008

This past week end was our annual anniversay sale weekend, the last week end in September. We celebrated our 9th year in business, and began our 4th year here in this lovely old building in downtown Bellingham. Every year we "waulk" about 15 yards of woven wool fabric, woven from local weavers and friends of ours. This year we made connection with the Seattle Gaelic Language and Cultural Society -- Slighe nan Gaidheal. They came up and showed us how to Scottish waulk the wool fabric while singing, laughing, telling stories of old times. You can see by the photos how this is done: people sit around the table (traditionally women) and pass the cloth sun wise (clockwise) around, beating as it goes. It takes a while, or a few songs to complete the process. It is measured by knuckles as shown in the middle photo. When fulling is complete, the length of the fabric is rolled up, and blessed by the oldest, or most experienced woman, again accompanied by song!

Every year we've done this, it has been such a wonderful experience. To carry on the tradition of weaving together, and then bring the community together to full the cloth and sing builds such warmth and friendship. I look forward to this every year!

If this is something you would like to be a part of next year, please let us know -- we start weaving in August to prepare the annual waulking at the end of September!