Ruth Hicken

Ruth is a member of the Tynedale Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, founder of Textiles Through Time and a qualified teacher. Born and bred in Derbyshire she comes from a line of women skilled in textile arts and literally learnt to knit at her mother's knee. After living in Bristol and Canada she moved to Northumberland and studied History and Medieval English at Newcastle University. Northumberland got under her skin and she never left.

History, textiles and the urge to teach led to work with living history group 'Rent a Peasant' in 1996. She teaches textiles in the persona of a Romano-British, Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Medieval peasant. This led to 'Textiles Through Time', whose aim is to encourage and involve adults and children in spinning, weaving and dyeing, ancient and modern.

Ruth delivers a range of activities which may include preparing fleece and spinning yarn with a spinning wheel and drop spindles, weaving bookmarks, snakes and caterpillars and God's Eye Weaving. She is adding indigo dyeing, tie dyeing and rainbow dyeing to her hands on activities.

This year Ruth has enjoyed events at Segedunun Roman Fort, Arbeia Roman Fort, Newcastle Green Festival, a street party in Newcastle, the Roman Road Show for Northumberland National Park and workshops at the Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead to support the Kim Lewis exhibition.