Ardbeag Crafts
Ardbeag Crafts is the creative enterprise of Sarah Rosenthal-Almirall, a self-taught weaver, spinner and dyer living on the banks of the Gare Loch. She makes rugs, runners, shrugs, scarves and home textiles from raw fleeces that would otherwise go to waste, emphasising sustainability in each step of the process. She takes inspiration from the glassy loch, quiet forest and heather-strewn hills around her, foraging for natural dyes that reflect the colours of the South Highlands.
Sarah has taken a particular interest in the early history of weaving in Scotland, and has recreated a Bronze-Age style warp-weighted loom using wood and stones from the hill behind her cottage. On this she makes traditional Viking-Age varafeldurs, or ware-cloaks, which were great shaggy fleece cloaks worn by chieftains and kings in the 12th and 13th Centuries.
As a curator for Forgotten Fleece Tales, Sarah is excited to create a meeting-place for like-minded textile artists from across Scotland, where crafters and creators can discuss, showcase and promote the inherent value and versatility of Scottish wool, which is too often considered a waste product. She hopes to shed light on the long history of Scotland's sheep farming and textile production, as well as working toward a more sustainable future for crofters, crafters and consumers of wool.
Sarah's Pieces for Forgotten Fleece Tales
Sarah has contributed a traditional Viking cloak or “varafeldur”, made using historical methods based on fragments found in Scotland and Scandinavia. The shaggy cloak was woven on Sarah's home-built traditional warp-weighted loom, and dyed with local plants from the Rosneath Peninsula to give it a golden-brown hue, evoking the Golden Fleece of legend. The wool was hand-spun using waste fleece from a South Highlands farm, and teased into long, curly locks, which Sarah has knotted into the weave using traditional Rya knots.
Sarah has also made a striking wall-hanging featuring a dragon, made using tartan selvedge from Lochcarron Tartans in the Borders. This piece serves as a reminder of Scotland's legendary history, represented both by the mythic dragon of ancient tales and by the repurposing of tartan fabric - without a doubt one of the country's most recognisable emblems.
Finally, Sarah has created a pair of rugs made from tweed selvedge, collected from Lovat Mill. These offer a more down-to-earth example of how industrial textile waste can be repurposed into sustainable, durable and beautiful homewares, inspired by the beautiful South Highland landscapes around Sarah's home.