The National Wool Museum’s Exhibition of Hope

Nia Meleri Evans, 17 June 2020

These are unprecedented and challenging times for everyone, and we hope you’re keeping safe and well. Creativity and a sense of community can support us through this difficult time. The Museum therefore has launched the Exhibition of Hope which aims to be a tangible form of Hope for everyone.

People, including Museum Wales staff and volunteers, from across Wales have been taking part in creating squares which will form part of giant rainbow knitted blanket and will be stitched together by our wonderful National Wool Museum volunteers. In addition, we’re also collecting photographs of people’s radiant rainbow creations which have been adorning windows up and down the country. These will then be made into one piece of artwork and displayed alongside the giant rainbow blanket.

Rainbows are often used as a symbol of peace and hope and as we know, they often appear when the sun shines following heavy rainfall. They serve to remind us that following dark times, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Following the Exhibition smaller blankets will be created from the giant blanket and donated to charities.

Everyone can take part in this Exhibition. We’re inviting people to create an 8” or 20cm square in any way they would like, whether that be knitted, woven, felted or crocheted, in any pattern and any rainbow colour. As well as this, participants are invited to send in photographs of their wonderful rainbows. For more information on how to take part please visit our Exhibition of Hope article.

The National Wool Museum has many craft volunteers and gardening volunteers who maintain the Museum’s Natural Dye Garden. They have been busy contributing to the Exhibition. Garden Volunteer, Susan Martin created natural dyed yarn which she spun herself. The rainbow colours are from woad, weld and madder which Susan blended together with white to give a lighter and tweedy effect and all these plants can be found in the National Wool Museum’s Dye Garden.

Multicoloured knitted squares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some wonderful creations by Cristina, a craft volunteer at the Museum:

 

Row of knitted squares
Multicoloured knitted squares


 

 

 

 

 

 

and by craft volunteer Amanda:

A row of multicoloured knitted squares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who is taking part. For the latest information on the National Wool Museum’s Exhibition of Hope and photographs find us on Facebook or Twitter @amgueddfawlan.

Covid Stories: "It's brought me back to church regularly and I love that"

Ariane, Bryncethin , 16 June 2020

Ariane's contribution to the Collecting Covid: Wales 2020 questionnaire project.

I'm living in Bryncethin (near Bridgend and Aberkenfig) in a detached house with my parents and my boyfriend. It's over three floors with a decent sized garden.

I've been on Skype with my family. We've done a birthday party and a pub quiz. I've also Skyped friends. I've also helped my mum out with her virtual church services by helping with the worship and helping her to communicate online with her congregation. Lewis controls my mum and my dad's phones which stream to Zooms and Facebook Live. Mum also has Zoom on her laptop which screenshares the service (liturgy and hymn lyrics). Me and dad lead the worship with guitar and singing. It's like a normal service from my mum's study but minus the congregation. It's brought me back to church regularly and I love that.

I was furloughed at the beginning of lockdown, so other than cleaning and gardening, I’ve been helping my mum with church, playing video games and watching telly. I also blog a bit – my sleeping pattern is horrendous. Lewis is a student nurse who was called up to work with the University Hospital of Wales, so I also drive him to and from his shifts, and if he's on nights then I affectively am too.

Straeon Covid: “Diolch byth am Zoom!”

Mair, Bangor, 14 June 2020

Cyfraniad Mair i broject Casglu Covid: Cymru 2020.

Dw i wedi gweld mwy o fy mab fenga sy’n byw ym Mangor, ar ei ben ei hun. Dw i wedi gweld gweld llai o fy mab a’i deulu yn Sir Fôn, a dim o fy mab canol a’I deulu sy’n byw ym Mryste. Diolch byth am Zoom!

Dw i’n deffro a gofyn i fy hun pa ddydd ydi heddiw a be nes i ddoe? Hefyd pendroni: be sy mlaen heddiw? Unrhyw pilates ar Zoom, unrhyw drefniant mynd am dro, gyrru meddyginiaethau ar ddydd Mercher o Ysbyty Gwynedd, cyfarfod efo rhywun lleol, derbyn bocs llysiau, nôl ‘click a collect’. Braidd yn ddiog weithiau! Ond lot mwy o goginio, a dipyn bach mwy o arddio.

Ar ôl tua tair wythnos ron i’n reit drist am ryw ddydd neu ddau, ond ar y cyfan wedi arfer rwan ar ôl tri mis. Teimlo’n emosiynol o gwmpas fy wyrion pan yn deud ffarwel achos yr amser yn rhy fyr a dim cyffwrdd.

Ar ôl sylweddoli fod hyn yn parhau, y teimlad trwm na wrth ddeffro a sylweddoli fod hyn yn reality, ond mi basiodd hynny ar ôl chydig wythnosau

Straeon Covid: “Mae fy nheimladau'n dod fel tonnau”

Leri, Caerdydd, 14 June 2020

Cyfraniad Leri i broject Casglu Covid: Cymru 2020.

Rydw i'n 49 ac fe ges i'r feirws… roedd popeth yn brifo. Dannedd, llygaid ac anadlu'n galed. Es i ddim i'r ysbyty, diolch byth, ond arhosodd y problemau anadlu a theimlo'n wan ac yn racs gyda fi am 8 wythnos. Rwy'n cyfri fy hunan yn ffodus iawn.

Ar hyn o bryd mae dydd Llun i ddydd Gwener yn gyfuniad reit heriol o sicrhau bod fy mhlant yn dysgu adref. Mae'r ddau â gwaith i gwbwlhau mewn cyfuniad ac ymarfer eu cyrff, cael awyr iach ac ar adeg dysgu ar lein gyda'i athrawes. Rhaid darparu digonedd o fwyd a byrbrydiau a glanhau'r ty hefyd. Rydw i'n paratoi gwaith, marcio gwaith, gwneud galwadau ffôn i blant a rhieni yn fy swydd fel athrawes Blwyddyn 1. Rydw i hefyd yn dysgu mewn ysgol Hwb – dysgu plant gweithwyr allweddol. Mae fy ngwr yn gweithio o adref ac yn trefnu offer i'r NHS – gwaith holl bwysig yn ystod y cyfnod yma. Mae'r penwythnosau'n adeg i ymlacio –allan am gyfnodau hirach, gwylio ffilmiau, creu celfweithiau, cloncan a chwarae.

Mae'r ddau [blentyn] yn gweld eisiau rhyddid. Rhyddid i fynd allan cyn hired â hoffant a thu hwnt i'w hardal leol. Maent yn colli ffrindiau a diffyg chymdeithasu'n anodd. Mae dysgu adre'n newid o ddydd i ddydd – ambell dro'n awyddus i ddysgu ac ar adegau'n emosiynol a rhwystredig. Ar y cyfan, maent yn agored i drafod am eu teimladau ac yn mwynhau cwtsh cynnes!

Mae fy nheimladau'n dod fel tonnau. Gallai fod yn ddiolchgar, derbyn y sefyllfa a trio gweld positif yn y sefyllfa ar y mwyaf, ond reit ddagreuol dros pethau bach adeg eraill… Y cysur mwyaf yw gwbod bod fy nheulu'n ddiogel, fy rhieni, fy chwaer a'i theulu a'r teulu estynedig. Rydyn ni'n ddiolchgar ac yn meddwl am rhieni sy'n diodde.

Men’s Sheds at Big Pit National Coal Museum

Sharon Ford, 14 June 2020

The Coal Shed at Big Pit was launched in May 2019 and was the first Men’s Shed to be launched in Torfaen. Located in the museum’s old fitting shop the group have brought an historic building back to life in the spirits of its original purpose, previously the pick sharpening shop for the mine, where miner’s mandrels were repaired. Each individual shed’s activities depend entirely on the skills and interests of its members.

The Men’s Shed idea originated in Australia 12 years ago and was developed by the health board to tackle growing concerns of social isolation amongst their male population. They identified that high numbers of men had too much time on their hands (due to retirement, unemployment, illness etc.) and these things often manifested themselves in boredom, men suffering in silence with declining mental health and in the worst cases of suicide. The Men’s Sheds movement is based on the understanding that men are more likely to help themselves and attend something they have set up or have some control over.

Men’s Sheds Cymru, a Big Lottery funded project, has been created to help communities across the country set-up their own Men’s Sheds

The Coal Shed has been supported by Blaenavon Town Council and funding has been received from Western Power Distribution and People’s Postcode Lottery. For more information on the Coal Shed, please email Sharon Ford. For more Men’s Shed information visit www.mensshedscymru.co.uk