Knockando Woolmill is a historic mill producing high-quality woollen textiles, including throws, scarves and accessories. Established in 1784 in the heart of Speyside, Scotland, it is a rare example of a rural district woollen mill that has lasted through the centuries. Today, the mill is preserved and managed by The Knockando Woolmill Trust, a Scottish charity dedicated to its care and legacy.
August and Coonstance received three days of on-site training with Colin Haworth, an Engineer from Allertex. During this period, the trainees learned how to carry out re-alignment, basic maintenance and cleaning on the 1989 Dornier looms.
August, Trainee weaver at Knockando, had no prior experience of loom tuning and found the course valuable:
“Being able to receive an introduction from someone with as much expertise as Colin has helped me understand the mechanics thoroughly and set me up well to work on looms in the future. As a tour guide, a lot of our visitors are interested in the engineering, so I’m now able to talk to them in more depth.”
August went on:
“For both Constance and I, being trained in loom tuning and having specific advice on the problems we encounter on our machines means we can now fix these issues ourselves, meaning fewer stoppages in production and less time spent mending cloth. Being able to keep on top of regular maintenance also ensures our cloth remains consistently high quality.”
This training was supported by UKFT’s Young Textile Technician fund. The Young Textile Technician Fund will cover 50% of the costs of in-depth training for young textile technicians, thanks to the generous support ofThe Worshipful Company of Weavers,The Worshipful Company of ClothworkersandThe Worshipful Company of Drapers.
August found the UKFT fund to be a valuable opportunity. She explained:
“I got so much out of my three days training with Colin, and it was great to get hands-on experience fixing and re-aligning the Dornier machines. I also learned a lot about the mechanics of the loom, common issues and the reasoning behind the adjustments, which I can use going forward.
The UKFT funding has been a pivotal part to further training as Mill Technicians at Knockando. We are now able to produce cloth reliable on both looms which is a big step for the Trust.
Being able to produce cloth in house will have a positive financial impact for the mill and allow us to expand the product range. It will also allow the visiting public to witness the craftsmanship of weaving cloth firsthand alongside the other historic features of the mill”
Below you can watch a video on August’s experience as a trainee at Knockando and what she learned:
