Day 4 started with surprises...first off this startlingly yellow pair of marigold gloves which were unveiled by one student to keep protect his hands. (Yes, you read that correctly 'his' hands!)
Fortunately they did not last very long, too hot, unmanageable and generally uncomfortable.
Then there was the disappearing holdfast...(see below) caused by over enthusiastic cutting!
And finally the silence that descended as the students got stuck into welting.
Emotions swung from euphoria as stitches were completed to very unladylike language when threads were knotted, bristles came off and welts wobbled. But every student has taken home a shoe for homework, so the day didn't totally put them off.
And for the marigold fan, please see below for the perfect welting gloves. Bicycling gloves with the fingers cut off. Perhaps less cool than a welting mitt, but twice as effective (i.e. one for each hand)!
Finally, here's the first welted shoe off the 'production line' today...
