Gayle learns how to whittle a mushroom keyring and light a fire at a ‘woodswoman’ workshop in a secret forest near Cupar.
There’s something gloriously empowering about the word ‘woodswoman’.
Don’t worry folks – I’m not about to embark on a feminist rant – but really, what a fantastic sounding word.
I realise I’m not entirely sure what it means, though, as I head towards a ‘secret’ woodland near Cupar in Fife to meet woodswoman extraordinaire Kiri Stone.
I’ve signed up for one of her dedicated woodswoman workshops, drawn in by photos on social media of funky mushroom ornaments and keyrings she’d carved.
Circle of women
Rain starts to fall as I make my way to this hidden spot – thankfully Kiri’s directions are bang on – and I know I’m in the right place when I spot a group of women sitting in a circle of blankets on the forest floor.
I’ve dug out my best hippy gear – a clash of colours including geometric-patterned trousers that could result in an epileptic fit if stared at for too long, silver Doc Martens, a pink jumper and lime green jacket.
Kiri’s keen to get to know us, so we start off with informal introductions.
There are women here from all walks of life – one lady runs a forest school, another works in childcare, a few just moved to the area, plus there are two students from St Andrews University.
The here and now
Together, we enjoy a wee ‘grounding’ exercise, to root us in the here and now, to shake off any sense of busyness in our minds, and to encourage us to connect with our surroundings.
Kiri, 31, then hands out some super-sharp knives, shows us the safest way to hold them, and invites us to select pieces of silver birch. Why birch? Like willow and sycamore, it’s an easy wood to carve, she explains.
“It’s also one of the most sacred trees in Celtic Mythology,” she adds. “It symbolises new beginnings and protection, making it an extra special wood for trying something new!”
It’s more of an undertaking to whittle an ornament (they’re bigger than keyrings) so I go for the easier option, which means choosing a thinner, smaller log, and one with as few knots as possible.
Let the whittling begin
Then, the whittling begins. Using our knives, and wearing a protective glove on the hand holding the stick, we strip away bark around the tip, then carving the wood into a rounded end – to create the cap of the mushroom.
We leave a strip of bark at the bottom of the cap – the dark colour contrasts nicely with the white of the birch wood – and, with a saw, make a cut a few millimetres deep right round. This will become the mushroom’s stem.
To form this, we carve away the bark and wood right up to the saw line, turning our sticks round as we do so, and ensuring this section is thinner at the top and thicker at the base.
Finally, we cut our mushrooms from the stick with the saw. There’s the option of sanding our shrooms down at this stage, but I reckons it looks more rustic left as it is.
The very last step is to screw in a keyring chain, and then, once we get home, we’ve to oil them using linseed, rapeseed or olive oil.
Creation
I have to admit – I’m pretty chuffed with my creation. But whittling isn’t the only thing we try at this fab workshop.
We also drink silver birch tea, freshly brewed by Kiri in a camping kettle over a fire. It’s a tad bitter but the pay-off is that the leaves apparently have anti-inflammatory properties.
Some of us pick and eat wood sorrel, which is high in Vitamin C and tastes a bit like apples.
Fire starters
We also have a bash at lighting fires using a flint and steel.
Whoops of joy erupt among us – it’s hugely exciting when sparks, quite literally, fly, and pieces of cotton wool burst into flames.
There’s also the chance to chill out in a hammock that Kiri’s hung between two trees.
As I lie there and gaze up into the trees, I take the chance to ask Kiri about her life.
Conservation background
Growing up in Fife, she studied environmental science at university, then worked in conservation management.
She took a woodland leadership course in 2021 and fell in love with the idea of helping people connect with the outdoors.
She started running her Woodswoman courses at the beginning of the year. As well as evening courses, she also runs Women in the Woodland days.
“These create opportunities to connect with nature and each other, learning new skills in a calm and tranquil woodland setting,” she says.
“Whittling is such a mindful and skilful activity and helps concentration, and calms and improves mood with each piece created.”
She hopes to teach as many women as she can to whittle mushrooms, which she describes as a “basic starter piece”, with the aim of inspiring a new hobby and helping people to reconnect with nature.
Kiri calls this her “mushroom movement”, adding: “If each person takes the next step and buys themselves whittling knives, or teaches another friend to make a mushroom, then the movement takes effect!”
She’s got an infectious energy and enthusiasm – a special sparkle – and anyone who signs up for a Kiri course is sure to leave feeling that little bit more wilderness-warrior-woman, as well as hugely refreshed and rejuvenated.
- Kiri’s upcoming workshops include: Women Who Whittle, June 15; paracording bracelets and fire lighting, June 21; Women of the Woodland Day, June 25; whittle an owl, July 8.
- All take place in Cupar woodlands. For more details see Kiri’s Woodswoman page on Facebook, or email woodswomanworkshops@gmail.com
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