It’s set to be a special year for Orkney Cloth, with new ideas and open doors at the heart of it all.
Launched in 2019 by India Johnson after a successful crowdfunding campaign helped her buy her first loom, Orkney Cloth has spent the subsequent five years building up skills, collections, and a burgeoning customer base.
Now, with the imminent launch of its first weaving retreat, and a drive to welcome people into the studio to see the provenance behind the products, it feels as if all roads have led to this point.
“We’re really excited about the future,” says India. “We’re planning a lot more of our events in-person and we’re gearing up to our inaugural weaving retreat. It’s really important to us that we share our knowledge of weaving to continue its heritage and develop skills, and the fact we get to do it all in this incredibly inspiring place is such a privilege.”
India originally moved to Orkney to teach weaving and help revive this relatively lost art. There had been no commercial weaving in the islands since the 1970s and a once-thriving local industry had all but disappeared. She began by making blankets and scarves by hand and now sells collections worldwide, designing bespoke ranges and made-to-order items, and hosting workshops in her Kirkwall studio.
But heritage and tradition have always been a central part of the Orkney Cloth ethos, and India hopes the forthcoming weaving retreat will be able to mix that with Orkney’s special sense of community. “I’ve wanted to offer weaving retreats for a few years now, where I could give participants the chance to combine the inspiration of working in Orkney with the opportunity to learn this special skill,” says India. “I also see it as an ideal way to share my knowledge of weaving to help continue its heritage.”
The first week-long weaving retreat will be held in October, a perfect month for keeping cosy indoors and finding inspiration in the often-wild autumnal weather. Those taking part will be based throughout in the beautiful Merchant’s House, a stunning self-catering property found in the heart of Stromness overlooking the town’s harbour.
With looms, tools, equipment and materials supplied, all participants have to bring is their own creativity. India will be on hand to provide pre-retreat support so the retreat can be tailored to individual needs, and she’ll offer dedicated weaving tuition during the week itself too. From beginners to experienced weavers, India hopes the retreat will offer something for everyone.
“I’m really keen that people will just discover the joy of weaving in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, surrounded by like-minded individuals,” she says. “It’s a chance to enhance skills or develop new ones, and hopefully everyone will come away with increased confidence and weaving knowledge, not to mention a beautiful finished product!”
The retreat will help participants learn the fundamentals of weaving, and how to use colour, pattern and design to make their own textiles. There will be lots of inspiration in the surroundings to help spark ideas.
Stromness has long been a haven for Orkney’s creative community and tours of the Pier Arts Centre and around the vibrant town will form a key part of the week. There will also be visits to other Orkney makers, as well as a trip to Burnside Farm to meet Jane Cooper and her Orkney Boreray sheep, whose fleece India has used in a brand-new Orkney Cloth collection.
“Orkney’s textile heritage and the incredible range of talent across the creative landscape here plays a huge part in the business, so it’s really important to me that it’s part of our retreats too,” says India.
As well as building up to the weaving retreat, India has plenty of plans to develop the Orkney Cloth brand and product range this year, starting with welcoming folk into her studio to see the process first-hand.
“When I arrived in Orkney, I noticed there was a real rise in customers wanting to know how and where their products were made, she recalls. “I always wanted to create sustainable items and knew that’s what consumers were beginning to want, so it seemed like the perfect time to launch a weaving business where craftmanship was at the core of everything. Welcoming people in to see our whole process just seems like a natural extension of that.”
The focus will also be on growing the Orkney Cloth collection, as well as designing original ranges for the website and wholesalers. New items created using waste yarn have also been developed this year, too. With so many projects and ideas on the horizon, India is increasingly confident she’s in the right place to develop her business further.
“Orkney is a hugely inspiring place to live and work. We are always inspired by our surroundings, and the changing seasons in particular,” she says. “Texture and muted colour combinations form a big part of our work, and it is always inspired by what is outside our window.
“That’s why creating our retreats has been such a joy. We hope it allows our customers to get an insight into their own creative process and we can’t wait to see how Orkney influences their work during their time in this incredible setting.”
Visit the official website to find out more about Orkney Cloth. Head to the booking page to find out more about the Orkney weaving retreats.