The Wonderfully Woven Story of the Barrydale Weavers

Barrydale Hand Weavers has emerged from a proud, small-town venture to become a modern producer of exceptionally crafted hand woven products.

For owners Kate and Arran Bastable, the journey to Barrydale Hand Weavers has been both a long and a short one. The couple were visiting family in the tiny Karoo town of Barrydale when they came across the business. They instantly loved its products, and even wrapped their firstborn baby in a Barrydale Hand Weavers blanket. When the opportunity arose in 2018 for the couple to acquire the business from family friend Carol Morris, their commitment was swift and decisive, though not taken lightly: after all, it involved three small children recently moved from Scotland to South Africa, two significant career pivots, and one full reassessment of the pair’s priorities. In short, Barrydale Hand Weavers was born of an intentional decision to slow down. We had a few questions for Kate & Arran, so join us in getting to know their business a little better.

Q: Where are you based?

A: Barrydale, Klein Karoo, Western Cape, SA.

Q: What year was Barrydale Weavers started?

A:  2007

Q: who is “Barrydale Hand Weavers”?

A: Barrydale Hand Weavers is, as our name suggests, at its core about the craftspeople behind the products. Our team has been growing with the business for years, developing their skills and creating textiles we’re proud to share with our customers Today, we’re excited to place a renewed focus on upskilling weavers according to their individual needs and talents.

Q: What was the idea behind your brand?

A: Retain hand weaving skills in SA and create beautiful homeware products from locally grown and spun cotton.

Q: How many people work for you?

A: 26

Q: What are your best sellers?

A: Towels, table runners, rugs & blankets.

Q: What is YOUR favourite product of your collection?

A: Probably our small towels which are great as guest towels, dish cloths or tea towels.

Q: Why would you say it is important for customers to support local?

A: To make sure that our local economy is as healthy as possible to foster longterm employment and prosperity in our country.