Welcome!
Welcome to my website and blog, and thank you for taking the time to visit! I hope for this to be a place of sharing (blog), inspiration (gallery, patterns) and learning (workshops).
Ciobair Fibre Designs was born from a lifelong passion for knitting and crochet, and keen admiration for the many ways that skilled craftspeople turn fibre into items of utility and beauty. The word “ciobair”, pronounced similarly to the English word “keeper”, means shepherd. It was the distinguishing nickname of my grandmother’s family, the “Keeper” or “Ciobair” Camerons, of Lochaber. Nova Scotia, a community of descendants of Scottish settlers that included several distinct Cameron families. It is a common tradition among Scots to use nicknames to distinguish different families and individuals with the same or similar names. For my grandmother, however, it was perceived as a derogatory nickname indicating poverty and lower class as shepherds. Ciobair Fibre Designs takes back that nickname to an appropriate place of honour and pride. My heritage includes not only shepherds, but knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, quilters and seamstresses. Their influence is in my DNA. As part of a lifelong love of learning, I teach a weekly project-based knitting class in my local area, and have conducted single day workshops on a variety of topics in both knitting and crochet, including finishing techniques, beading, entrelac, and fairisle. In addition to teaching, I have designed original patterns for Fleece Artist and Hand Maiden, local yarn labels, and Baadeck Yarns, a yarn shop in Baddeck, Cape Breton.
I’m currently working to expand and update my pattern design portfolio, inspired by the many beautiful handspun, hand dyed, locally sourced yarns available on the market now, and how to use these yarns to bring out the very best in their colour and fibre content properties.
Please check back often to read about what I’m up to, check on upcoming workshops and events and new patterns as they are available. Your feedback is always welcome!
Nancy
