The sheep at Spitalfields City Farm finally got rid of their winter coats on Sunday. This badger face sheep’s fleece is destined to be part of a rug or carpet.

The farm had a Sheep & Wool Fair to celebrate the sheep shearing, with stalls selling tea, craft, and plants. We drooled over yarn from Yarn to Knit and Travelknitter and enjoyed the demonstrations of felting, weaving, spinning and tapestry.

At teatime there was a fashion show by local design students and the models wore wigs made of fleece. There were also some happy people wandering about dressed as sheep.

Spitalfields City Farm is a couple of minutes walk from Brick Lane and full of lovely animals including sheep, goats, rabbits and a guinea pig village. If you fancy spending the summer down on the farm, check out our handy guide to London’s city farms.

Spitalfields City Farm – free admission www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org

If you’re one of London’s fashionable set, you’ll know that it’s quite the thing to sew and knit your own clothes and create couture on a budget. And in fashion tradition, now you’ve got used to the idea, it’s time to raise the stakes – you need to be spinning your own yarn and weaving your own cloth!

The Handweaver’s Studio can help. From bundles of sheep fleece, to cones of dyed silk, this shop meets all your fibre needs. You can buy a spinning wheel or weaving loom and take classes to learn how to use them. Weaving isn’t for hippies, it’s for your own handwoven Chanel-style jacket.

The Handweaver’s Studio has just reopened in Finsbury Park, selling everything a textile fanatic could ever need. The new shop is light and airy with a big space out the back for crafting. The Handweaver’s Studio is under new management but they’ve retained the great stock and best of all, kept all their knowledgeable staff. Happy crafting.

www.handweavers.co.uk