Ada Lovelace & the Language of Weaving

Join weavers, designers and textile makers Ruth and Bea from Paradise Mill in Macclesfield for a playful hands-on introduction to Jacquard handweaving, exploring the connection between heritage craft and the origins of computing - and the women whose ideas and labour sit at the heart of both.

Inspired by Ada Lovelace’s insight into the jacquard loom as a system of coded instructions, the workshop invites participants to see weaving as a language shaped by pattern, repetition and choice. Working with reclaimed yarns using frame looms, you’ll experience the transformation from yarn to fabric – watching structure emerge thread by thread.

Each participant will create a woven element, which will be brought together into a larger shared piece as individual contributions become part of a collective work that echoes the circular, connected spirit of the festival.

Taking place at Masson Mill Textile Museum as part of the Cromford, Matlock and Wirksworth Hub’s Derbyshire Makes Festival day.

No prior weaving experience needed.