Childhood memories of her father's loom led a Donegal woman to weave her own magic

Love of textiles and a deep-rooted sense of place are more than inspiration to handweaver Cyndi Graham, they are at the very fabric of her being.

Little wonder, then, that the rich, earthy colours and moods of beautiful, wild St John’s Point make their way into her soft wool blankets, cosy ponchos, carefully crafted hats, handbags, and more.

Arriving at the thatched studio, you know this is the real deal.

“The cottage was lived in up until the 1940s and it is the last of these thatched cottages on the Point,” says Cyndi. “My grandfather kept two wee cows in it after that.”

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Her partner Brian added a small extension which blends seamlessly with the original cottage, and with the land- and seascape beyond. It is here that Cyndi’s loom is located, and a large window offers a vista of which she never tires.

“It is not about looking at a pretty picture or a view,” she says. “We are living in it. We have dolphins, whales and basking sharks out there in the bay. How could you not be inspired?”

Weaving their way into Cyndi’s work are hints of red-hot pokers and other flowers from her mother’s garden, the wild fuschia hedge, the mountains, the sea.

“The colours are different every time you look out,” she says. “The reflection of the sky on the sea is so soft it could give you a hug.”

Having trained as a hairdresser, Cyndi reflects on how the threads of her own life and those of her people came together to allow her a way of life that she describes as peaceful and satisfying.

“All the women in my life worked in textiles,” she says. “Mum worked as a dressmaker. The house never emptied with people getting work done, from wee repairs to bridesmaids dresses.”

Growing up on St John’s Point which at 11kms is among Ireland’s longest peninsulas, made for a childhood unlike most others. It was the perfect location for Cyndi to engage in her other great passion.

She recalls: “Horses took me outside on adventures on my own, along the Point and the wee fields, bringing me nose to nose with nature.”

With a love of art and a yearning to create, Cyndi took up watercolour painting but always sensed another calling.

“A meeting with a woman called Ann Morrow introduced me to weaving,” says Cyndi. “She took me on as an apprentice in the Craft Village in Donegal Town.”

This rekindled a cherished childhood experience.

“Dad weaved for Magee’s, and the loom I use here belonged to him,” she says. “I remember being very wee and standing in the shed, watching the fabric grow, and it was like watching magic happen.”

After training with Ann, Cyndi operated in the former Mountcharles premises, The Tannery. She then rented a space in the Craft Village before deciding to set up at home.

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Leaving the tourist hub of Donegal Town was a bold step, but Cyndi believes it was right for her, helped in recent times by The Wild Atlantic Way initiative.

“The Wild Atlantic Way introduced people to each other back when the whole concept was being discussed,” she says. “And suddenly there was this network of people working and living their lives along the coast, and we were sending visitors to each other.

“It means a lot, that Wild Atlantic Way concept. And it gives tourists the courage to come down wee roads like this.”

It has helped Cyndi to find the perfect balance, with time to weave and time to chat to customers.

“I love that I can show them what I saw when I was a kid, the cloth appearing,” she adds.

Cyndi uses only local natural wool that is in keeping with her inspiration, vision and ethos. Shelves are stacked with flecked yarns in a range of eye-catching colours, produced in Kilcar by Donegal Yarns and mirrored in finished products that adorn the studio.

“If you start with good quality yarn, you are halfway there,” she says. “These colours are so warm and beautiful. And it is lovely for me to be able to say that the raw material is produced just across the bay.”

Sitting at the loom and working the magic of the warp and weft, Cyndi muses: “To make a blanket that you can fold around you, a blanket that is the colour of a cold day and it will keep you warm, that is really special.”