Sorry. really I am, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

It’s not really the world, not even Ireland, but we’re hoping to attract a few spinners, weavers or dyers.

What am I talking about?

I was on the telly!

Representing the Handweavers Guild of Cork – spinning and for once, I actually looked like I knew what I was doing.  Well I mean I do know what I’m doing, but getting my hands and feet to follow suit, isn’t always as easy.

The HGC decided to take part in the Senior Times 50 Plus Expo again this year.  We were there in 2017, but couldn’t be there last year and this year we’re on a big drive to try and get a few more members, which means saying yes to as many shows as we can.  It was via the Expo that we were contacted by RTE to find out if we’d be interested in appearing on the Today Show.  I say we, but the tv people actually spoke to another member, who sort of set me up, by checking if I was free that day 😱

Without giving my self time to think about it, I agreed and it was only after I put the phone down to my friend that it occurred to me that I’m not even 50 and in no rush to get there.

I mentioned this to the researcher when I spoke to her, in a half-hearted attempt to get out of the show, but it wasn’t enough and I found myself heading up to the RTE Studios in the early hours to be there for 8.30am.

The Today Show with Maura and Dáithí is a bit like a magazine on the telly.  The show covers a bit of everything from beauty and fashion tips to the news of the day and is on every afternoon here in Ireland.

I’d been told that two other makers from the Expo would be there and that the piece would only be about 10/15 minutes long in total.  I sat down with one of my wheels, a tapestry frame and a basket of fibre and handspun yarn and waited to be interviewed.

The two other people, Colleen Badarau a milliner and Noel Dempsey who makes models out of matchsticks, spoke to Dáithí before me.  When it was my turn, I launched straight into who we are, what we do and why I became a member.  Five minutes later it was over and not long after that, I was back in my car and on my way home via the supermarket.

I changed my clothes immediately after getting in so I could wear the same outfit at the 50’s Plus Expo in the hopes that anyone interested in finding out more about the guild would spot us (just in case the spinning wheel wasn’t enough).

Having packed the car the night before, I headed back up to Cork City early Saturday morning to meet fellow guild member and friend Maureen.  The two of us with a little help from Maureen’s husband set up the guild stand, filling every inch of space with weaving, spinning and dyeing goodies.  We then parked ourselves and our spinning wheels at the front of our stand.

Several other guild members joined us throughout the day and before long our stand was a hive of activity, which drew people to us to investigate what we were doing.

Did the tv appearance help I hear you cry?  Fingers crossed it may well have done because people seemed to actively seek us out and we even had one lady tell us I’d convinced her the Expo was all about crafts.  Several people mentioned my socks specifically – it’s one of the Arne & Carlos yarns from Regia if you’re interested 😉

Regardless of whether it was my promotion of the guild on the telly, our colourful display, or the fun and laughter we were all having running the stand that drew people to us, we’re all hoping it will result in a few new members to the guild.

I suppose I should probably unpack the crates and bags from the weekend at some stage?

Happy Making

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PS.  The farm is wet and cold, but the sun came out long enough to walk the boys earlier.