The Filature de Belvès on 7 -8th April opened for the Journée européennes des metiers d’art (JEMA) :
SudOuest 6 avril 2018 “Pour ce week-end spécial, trois professionnelles du fil sont invitées.
“La troisième invitée s’appelle Carol Miers. Déjà enfant, elle aimait les engins et les objets ingénieux. Bien plus tard, arrivée en France, elle a récupéré une machine à tricoter qui dormait dans un grenier à Urval. Pendant de longs hivers, elle a essayé de comprendre son fonctionnement. Et elle s’en est sortie grâce à Internet et YouTube. Aujourd’hui, elle tricote de jolis châles vaporeux et légers avec des couleurs acidulées ou pastels.” That is they said this about me:
That is, that even as a child she liked machines and she was able to get one working that was idle in an attic in Urval. Then during long winters she worked out how to use it through the internet, forums and youtube. Now she makes very pretty light weight and airy shawls in bright or pastel colours.”
Actually for the first time I took my Passap knitting machine with me and I had a few visitors knitting some rows of a hat and I did a little myself as well. The Filature sells a lot of wool of all kinds and also has a felt making machine and a shop with made products and kits.
It was pretty cold but fortunately Clarianne and Jennifer who work qt the Filature, lit the wood stove and I was right next to it so by Sunday afternoon the old mill house was warm and full of visitors.
The mill at Landes – à Catusse – Filature Catusse
For five generations one family have been running a mill at Catusse Filature Catusse.
Brigitte pictured left told ,e that her grandfather bought this machine that makes thick wool you can see that you can knit with your fingers into a blanket or a bedspread. And her father also makes and sells weaving looms. This small one is currently very popular.
The other professional was the weaver Marie-Jeanne Anglade who uses a loom that was actually made by Brigitte’s father that takes two days to set up.
He made so many – Brigitte said but now only makes the small ones. Marie-Jeanne lives at Groléjac and has been making handwoven fabric for jackets and berets and caps for thirty years. She says that the times have changed and whereas all her wool used to come from producers from within a 100km radius of where she is near to Groléjac now she imports it from Spain. It is hard to make affordable items when it takes her a couple of hours to make a metre and a half of fabric. But Marie-Jeanne does and they are for sale, as is the wool from Catusse, and my shawls and hats in La Filature de Belves.
