In a room at the St Margaret's Church in Frankton, a group of women is doing its bit to aid the survival of what some see as a dying art.
Mary Lines spins wool next to Barbara Taylor who is using a loom to weave fabric with beads threaded into the pattern; the fabric is likely to be turned into an evening bag.
A former spinning tutor at what is now the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill, Ms Lines hand-dyes wool before hand-spinning it then making items such as jerseys and socks.
Members of the group were all interested in creating items which were essentially ''one-offs in the world'' and not solely produced by a machine, she said.
''Hand-spun and hand-knitted jerseys are far warmer [than machine-made].''
She also is perhaps one of the most photographed spinners.
When the Arrowtown Autumn Festival rolls around each year she pulls on a period costume and sits with her spinning wheel on Buckingham St demonstrating the art - and drawing tourists.
Ms Taylor took up weaving three years ago and usually uses a 48-inch (1.21m) loom she was given by an elderly woman.
These days finding an available loom is easy, nothing like the six-month wait of 40 years ago.
The Wakatipu club is about 40 years old.
''There's a lot of experience in this group and the ladies are happy to pass it on,'' Ms Taylor said.
It meets on the first three Wednesdays of each month at the St Margaret's Church hall in Frankton. All are welcome, especially beginners.
To feature your club in this series, email news@queenstowntimes.co.nz
