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janary 2009
knitting 4544 knitting
janary 2009
Shop prole
Britt Breu
discovers that
Fibre + Clay
in Kntsord is mch more than jst a typical yarn shop
O
ten associated with
Cranford
athorElizabeth Gaskell and the annalRHS Flower Show at Tatton Park,Kntsord is now home to a richvariety o exqisite ceramics and textiles as wellas a hospitable yarn shop. Owners Riana andNigel Martin opened Fibre + Clay, a ceramics andtextile gallery and knit stdio over two foors, in2006. Having worked in art galleries in her nativeSoth Arica, Riana wished to contine this workater she let her native contry in order to bewith her hsband in Greater Manchester. Aterreceiving little response rom local exhibitionspaces, she and Nigel decided to open their own.“Right rom the beginning the emphasis was onniqe, hand-crated work”, says Riana, andFibre + Clay was born.As a knitter, crocheter and dressmaker, Rianahas cltivated a love and appreciation or textilesthroghot her lie. Throgh her travels in Aricaand Britain, she has also acqired a ormidablelove or and knowledge o contemporaryceramics. Whilst exploring a concept tocomplement a ceramics and textile gallery, Rianarepeatedly encontered the idea o a local yarnshop as a place o relaxation and the therapeticvale o knitting and crocheting. The space wasto be a place where people cold spend severalhors and relax while they browse, so opening aknit stdio in addition to the gallery seemed to bea logical pairing to both Riana and Nigel.
Ultimate relaxation
The Martins’ original intention or the galleryand yarn shop as somewhere or inspiration andrelaxation remains the nderlying philosophybehind Fibre + Clay. Every Tesday morning andThrsday evening, the knit stdio opens its doorsto knitting grops reqented by sometimesas many as 25 attendees. In addition to twiceweekly gatherings, the stdio holds nearly25 day-long knitting and crochet workshopseach year. The cople place great vale onthe therapetic qalities o the crats sch asredcing anxiety levels and qieting minds; andon the positive impact they have on the liveso their cstomers. The knit stdio is not jst aplace where people by what they need or thenext project; it is a place where the emphasisis on being inspired, exploring creativity andrelaxing in an ‘easy’ atmosphere.Riana began her career in social work btdiscovered a love o textiles and the handmadeat a very early age. “I learned to crochet at three,to knit at ve and by 13 or 14, I was making myown and my mother’s clothes,” she recalls. Sheattribtes her anity or crat and the handmadeto the women in her amily. Withot exception,every woman prodced some sort o textilecrat. Her ather was also an avid tapestry makerand knitter. Riana cannot single ot a avoritetype o knitting project. She enjoys instantgratication pieces as well as making complexgarments. Since opening Fibre + Clay, Rianaadmits to having become less ocsed abotthe crat. “I’m scatterbrained when it comes toknitting and that is a direct reslt o having theshop. There is too mch and I want to knit witheverything,” she laghs.
Fibre + Clay Facts
First Opened:
2006
Moved Shop:
2007
Number of Staff:
5
Total Yarns Stocked:
200
Ceramic Artists Displayed:
40
Textile Artists Displayed:
30
Years of Combined Knitting Experience:
Nearly 90
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm
Knit gatherings:
Tesdays 11am-1pmThrsdays 7pm-9pm
Wool for mass delight
Nigel, whose proessional backgrond is inmetallrgy, is integral to the management,aesthetics and philosophy o the bsiness. Hedescribes himsel as ‘chie helper’, bt his roleincldes gallery operations, bookkeeping anddeciding with Riana which and how objects willbe displayed. Despiteknowing how to knit,Nigel preers to bestimlated by the sheercreativity srrondinghim at Fibre + Clay. Hisconviction that creativityis essential to liebecomes apparent as heshares one experienceto illstrate this point.In 2006, Nigel attendedthe Festival o Qiltsin Birmingham wherehe was greatly movedby the creativitydemonstrated by theexhibition. Shortlythereater, he visitedthe Leeds Armoryand was overcomewith a sense o deathand destrction whichso starkly contrastedwith the creativity andlie he saw jst daysbeore. Since then,he has appropriatedthe acronym WMD,not ‘weapons o massdestrction’, bt ‘woolor mass delight’. “It maysond peacenik”, hesays, “bt I don’t care.”
Out of Africa
Fibre + Clay showcases a variety o British ceramicand textile artists, bt representing Soth Aricais a great priority or Riana and Nigel. Not onlyis the gallery home to the only Soth Aricanrepresentatives at the annal London CeramicsFair, bt many o the beatilly crated pieceson display are made by and directly benetmembers o Soth Arican artisan cooperatives.In Soth Arica, the combination o creativity andentreprenerial skills is on the rise. “It is reallyadmirable how people nd things to do with verylittle skills and how people are teaching theircreative and entreprenerial skills to others to startbsinesses and make prodcts that are being soldall over the world. I am very prod to be a part oand contribte to that,” Riana comments. “Weboth wanted to import some o what we sell rom
Since then, Nigel has appropriated the acronym WMD,not ‘weapons o mass destrction’, bt ‘wool or mass delight’“It may sond peacenik”, he says, “bt I don’t care.”
Shop prole
Shop owners Riana and Nigel Martin
P H O T O G R A P H S B y B R I T B R E u u N L E S S O T H E R W I S E S T A T E D P H O T O G R A P H B y A L E x M c C L O u G H L I N
t
Gallery interior
Fibre + Clay
11-13 Minshll Street,Kntsord, Cheshire, WA16 6HG
Tel/Fax:
01565 652035
Website:
www.breandclay.co.k
P H O T O G R A P H B y M A R I E E S T E R H u y S E
Every Tuesday and Thursday the knitstudio opens its doors for workshops.
More than jst a yarn store
K59_P44-46_Fibre & Clay V2.indd 44-459/12/08 09:20:28
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