A Bit About us.

Jubilee Fibres is a celebration of fibre, with wool being our main component and many other fibres too, for good measure. Aboard our narrow boat we produce one of a kind fibres & yarns for crafters to use for spinning, wet & dry felting, embellishing, knitting, crochet, weaving and other crafts too. We dye the fibres and yarns ourselves. In addition we have a range of handmade items, including some made from upcycled material. We will be offering a small range of drops spindles and kits.

Where possible we use natural dye stuffs harvested from the towpath and wool from British suppliers.

Jubilee Fibres, was established early 2020, is a micro business aboard narrow boat Burnt Oak. We live aboard our 60’ long & 6’10” wide boat quite comfortably, along with all our crafts. We continuously cruise the inland waterways of England & Wales and will announce where we will be moored to welcome customers.

The easiest way to pinpoint our trading locations is with ‘What3words’. We will publish our ‘what3words’ when we moor up. Using this method we can pin point our exact location so you are able to find us.

Members of Roving Canal Traders Association (RCTA).

EARLY MAY BANK HOLIDAY 2021

We are planning to open this weekend for the 3 days over the bank holiday, 1st-3rd May, 10.00-16.00hrs.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal, moored beside Frederick’s Ice Cream Shop, which is on the A6 south of Chorley. WHAT3WORDS. 


So we didn’t have the perfect year for the launch of Jubilee Fibres, but we’re really looking forward to 2021. We’ve had a dress rehearsal near Adlington.



The weather has been gorgeous which meant we’ve done some dying.

Dyed Shetland in, ‘bonkers after lockdown’, ‘caterpillar’, ‘covish green’ and ‘pink sky’ colourways!!



Natural Shetland tops in 4 natural colours, white, black, grey and moorit. These are airy, fluffy fibres perfect for spinning woollen yarn and felting.

 


Grey Suffolk tops, perfect to for learning to spin with.

Undyed yarns in lace, 4 ply, DK & chunky.

Prices vary, depending on type of fibre and whether dyed.

- 100g tops from £2 - £7.50

- 100g yarn from £6.50-£18

Wooden drop spindles £12

Up cycled CD drop spindles £4.50










 

The end of our first roving trader year

So, we didn’t choose the right year to launch our floating fibre business, but we’ve really enjoyed being broken in gradually. Trading out in the open is perfect for social distancing and our card reader has been worth it’s weight in gold. Although we’ve only opened a handful of times, our stock levels are down to a few hanks of yarn and even less tops.

The super weather during the first lockdown meant I was able to get lots of dying done. I’m tempted to dye during the winter with pots simmering on the multi-stove, but it’s drying the fibre and yarn that’s an issue indoors.




We’ve met lots of people and have been asked about mail order. However, as we continuously cruise and don’t have a permanent address it’d be tricky arranging for returns (should the need arise). In addition storing packaging for posting could take up valuable space. We have posted out to previous customers and Team Towpath Twizzlers the BritSpin team we sponsored. We’ll be seriously thinking over winter about the possibilities of postal orders for the new year.


Like everyone, we will have to just hang in there and wait to see what 2021 holds!!!! We’ll publish our locations when we get there.



Best wishes to everyone for a very different and hopeful, happy Christmas & New Year.



BritSpin

Jubilee Fibres is sponsoring ‘Team Towpath Twizzlers’ for the BritSpin event, by giving each team member some Shetland wool. It’s a 4 day spinning marathon with the main aims to have fun while spinning lots of yarn and to raise money for charity. This year the event is supporting the RNLI. PLEASE, if you can donate and mention Team Towpath Twizzlers or Jubilee Fibres.



The weather from now on until spring isn’t conducive to displaying wool and yarn outside, due to the dampness. So, Jubilee Fibres probably will not be open until next year.




Although we may not have chosen the right year to launch a new business we have been thrilled with the amount of trade we have done, thank-you everyone and we are really looking forward to upping our production for the new year.

 

 OPEN August bank holiday weekend – 10.00 – 18.00, Saturday 29th to Monday 31st August 2020 (weather permitting). The forecast is fairly good at the moment.



All ready to sell after our last trading and crafting session.



White and grey Shetland wool tops, solar dyed on the boat roof.

 


 

White and grey handspun Shetland wool.



800g of single breed ‘Whiteface Woodland’ DK yarn.


Spinning demonstrations with wheel & drop spindle.


We’re moored along a super part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with a very wide towpath in Chorley, between Crosse Hall Bridge 76 and Cowling Brow Bridge 75a.

https://w3w.co/envy.knee.stole

 

OPEN – all day from 12th - 15th August 10:00 to 18:00 (thunderstorms permitting).

Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath between Haigh Park Bridge and Sennicar Bridge, Wigan.

3words https://w3w.co/goats.yoga.divide

 


Small batch, one of a kind hand dyed yarns in double knit, 4 ply and lace. 

 

 

Single breed British sheep yarns:- Blueface Leicester, Dorset Horn.

Luxury yarns with merino, alpaca, silk and bamboo.

 


Wool tops (for spinning, felting & embellishing) in natural whites, greys and black. Plus, hand dyed British Blueface Leicester and Romney. Plus Falkland.


Hand crafted drop spindles, made in Northamptonshire for Jubilee Fibres.

 


Natural solar dying in progress.


Hand spinning demonstration with spinning wheel and drop spindle.


Cash or cards accepted. 

 

 

2nd batch

I’ve really gone out of my comfort zone with this batch of dyeing. Shocking pinks, jade and snazzy combinations of colours on the yarn.




The yarn is a Dorset Horn DK, I love these sheep as when Young’s Brewery was in London I met their mascot ‘Ram Rod’, who loved to be petted. The tops are Kent Romney, I chose this as my good friend lives on the outskirts of Romney Marsh, Kent.



John has cut up some copper pipe which is steeping in water & white vinegar, which I’ll use as a mordant for natural dying.


First batch of dying


The weather’s been glorious so I’ve dyed my first batch of wool, 800g of Falkland tops,1kg of Blue Faced Leicester/nylon yarn and 500g Aran yarn. They are a combination of natural dyes and acid dyes.













The additional 3 weeks of lock down should give me the oppertunity to dye a good bit more too.

End of May bank holiday

 Saturday 27 th , Sunday 28 th & Monday 29 th May 2023 11.00 – 17.00 Leeds & Liverpool Canal, right beside Frederick’s Ice Cr...