I went along to the opening of a fascinating little exhibition at Kendal Library this morning. Kendal is an ancient wool town – the town’s motto is Pannus mihi Panis (Wool is my Bread) – and a sample book dating back to 1769 somehow survived the centuries to become one of the town’s treasures. This Kendal Pattern Book is now on display with interpretative panels about the wool industry, plus a modern recreation of the patterns by the Lancs and Lakes Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers.

I asked the Guild’s Chair why the modern editions were twice the size of the originals. She told me that it was no longer possible to source linen thread as fine as that produced in 1769. There’s a lesson there somewhere.

If you’re visiting the Lake District this summer, do pop in – it’s free.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 12th, 2010 at 8:52 pm and is filed under Kendal Town Council. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.