Workshop Wisdom - Crefft
An extension of Workshop Wisdom, Crefft pairs Hiut with makers whose approach to their craft shares something with our own: a respect for materials, knowledge earned through practice, and close attention to how a piece is made and used.
For each edition, we will select one piece from a featured maker. It might come from a potter, furniture maker, weaver or another discipline entirely. The piece will change, but the reason for choosing it will remain considered.
Each piece will be chosen for its usefulness, its beauty, and the knowledge required to make it well. These are objects intended to be used and lived with, where the quality of the making is felt in the way they work, wear and belong in everyday life.
Crefft is the Welsh word for Craft. For us, it is a way of continuing the Workshop Wisdom conversation through the objects themselves, and of introducing work we believe deserves time, attention and a place in the everyday.
THE STORY
Workshop WIsdom Crefft - Piece 01
Hiut Welsh Woollen Blanket
The Piece - Hiut Welsh Blanket
The Hiut Welsh Woollen Blanket is woven in 100% wool using the traditional Caernarfon pattern, a design closely associated with Welsh textile making. Its double-cloth construction gives the blanket two woven faces, allowing the pattern and Hiut colours to shift depending on which side is in use.
The wool has a substantial handle and is hand washed for softness, easing the cloth without losing the character of the weave. Finished with classic fringing, it has the warmth and structure of a traditional Welsh blanket.
At 2.18m x 1.70m, with a further 10cm of fringe, it is generously proportioned for a bed, sofa or colder evening. Made to be handled, lived with and returned to over time.
The Maker - Daniel Harris
Daniel Harris is the founder of The London Cloth Co. and owner of Elvet Woollen Mill.
A self-taught weaver, he began working with cloth after rescuing and restoring a Victorian shuttle loom from rural Wales. Since then, he has built a working mill around restored machinery, producing British wool tweeds, indigo cloth and bespoke fabrics for clients ranging from Ralph Lauren to film productions including Star Wars, as well as work connected with the International Space Station.
In 2022, Daniel took on Elvet Woollen Mill in Cynwyl Elfed, where he is restoring the historic mill and returning its looms to work. His approach is rooted in keeping skills, machinery and textile knowledge in active use.
The Place - Elvet Mill, Wales
The London Cloth Co. was founded by Daniel Harris in 2010–2011, growing from a single restored Victorian shuttle loom into a working mill producing British wool tweeds, indigo cloth and bespoke commissions. Daniel is self-taught, and much of the company has been shaped by his hands-on approach to weaving, restoring machinery and keeping older looms in active use.
In 2022, Daniel took ownership of Elvet Woollen Mill in Cynwyl Elfed. Dating from the 1840s, the mill is being restored as a working place of manufacture, with its looms, skills and textile knowledge brought back into daily use. The aim is not simply to preserve the building, but to give the mill a future through continued making.
