One in a MILLION!
This week, we’re celebrating the incredible story of Susan Denhamsmith, 54, from Bradford. She said...
Grabbing yet another ball of brightlycoloured wool from my craft box, I got started on my next creation. Christmas was fast approaching and I was making my family’s gifts.
My parents had always been creative, so I guess you could say it’s in my blood.
In 2000, I moved to Cumbria with my family and that’s when I fell in love with spinning.
If I wasn’t at the wheel or teaching my wool workshops, I was exploring the peaks.
Putting my yarn down and instead opting for walking boots, I went from strength to strength.
And before I knew it, I’d climbed 214 peaks over the course of 17 years!
A few years ago on a particularly long hike, my son Bheinn asked if we could tackle them all again.
Only, with achy legs and blisters, I knew I’d rather be at home spinning.
And that’s when an idea struck – what if I could combine the two?
By the time I’d got home that evening, the idea was sewn in place.
I was going to climb all 214 Lakeland Fells and spin yarn in the process.
I decided to use the opportunity to raise money for the Lake District Calvert Trust – a charity close to my heart that provides outdoor activities for people with disabilities.
So, in June 2019, I started fundraising, planning to spin two rugs in total and auction them at the end.
Setting off up my first peak, it felt a little bit daunting.
Battling weather from hot sun to snow and lashing rain, the biggest challenge was finding somewhere stable enough to spin!
One day, everything fell apart and I had to get creative – using a corn on the cob skewer as a screwdriver.
It was no mean feat, but dotting my hikes over the weekends, I took it peak by peak.
And three and a half years later, on 1 October this year, I completed my final Fell!
I’ve managed to raise £1,000 for the Calvert Trust.
Reaching the summit of the final mountain – Hallin Fell – was an incredible feeling.
Some supporters at Calvert Trust joined me, as well as some friends I’d met along the way, and we popped open a bottle of fizz at the top.
I span 30 skeins of yarn overall and plan to auction them in aid of the Trust.
In the new year, my next mission is hand-making my own capsule wardrobe.
And, although the challenge is now over, who knows what I’ll put my own spin on next?
I’ve managed to raise £1,000