Skiathos Wool 2024


Phoenix Projects supports the Traditional Woollen Textiles of Skiathos.


Join us on our mission to put value back into traditional skills and natural materials on the Island.


Discover a new side to a beautiful, popular holiday destination as we guide you through its rich textile heritage.


Explore ways of working with wool using traditional techniques with the support of

a professional textile artist.

Reconnect, mindfully, with slow processes and renewable materials as we help each other search for the balance between economy, culture, history and sustainability.




Email us - info@phoenix-projects.org



Our project is based on the Greek island of Skiathos, in the Northern Sporades. Despite the islands relatively small size, it boasts lush pine forests and more than 60 beaches with crystal clear waters. No wonder it is a popular tourist destination between May and September.
The original Skiathos town was abandoned in the twelfth century. The local population took refuge from pirate raids on a natural fort known as Kastro. They remained isolated there until the early 1800s before returning and rebuilding the original town where it stands today.
The island was home to the famous Greek author, Alexandros Papadiamantis. The town’s main street was named after him and his preserved house now serves as a museum.
At the heart of the island is Evangelistria Monastery, dramatically situated on a hillside 4 km from Skiathos town. It was founded by a group of breakaway monks from Mount Athos in 1794. In 1807, a group of Greek freedom fighters met at the monastery and swore an oath of freedom over a flag woven on a monastery loom. It was the first flag of Greek independence and Skiathos was the first place it was raised. The flag and the loom are as important today as they were in 1807.
These days Skiathos, like many Greek islands, has embraced tourism and become reliant on this new found wealth. Simultaneously, traditional skills have dwindled and are no longer seen as viable or sustainable.
Our aim is to find ways, through education and collaborative projects, to reintroduce those traditional skills and designs. We want to put value back into Skiathos wool and also wool in general.
The carpets that once were a sign of wealth and status have been replaced by cheaper material. Once common silkworms are long gone and mulberry trees only serve as shade or the emblem of romantic era where musicians sing nostalgic songs about a simple life.
What we propose is a week that will embrace materials from the past and weave them into the future. We will take the wool from the sheep’s back and explore ways to give it the value it deserves.
So we have developed a bespoke holiday here on Skiathos, tailored for the person who wants more than a sun tan and is interested something different. It will start the moment you arrive, but will give the freedom to dip in and out as you decide. If you prefer to explore alone, or to split your stay between us and the beach, or even visit neighbouring islands, Skopelos and Alonissos, we are happy to assist.
We will collect you and your luggage for the short journey to your home for the week at Asimina’s House, conveniently situated in a semi-rural setting on the edge of the town. There you will stay with family integral to our programme as they juggle tourism with traditional small-scale farming, including sheep.

We will welcome you with a visit to Papadiamantis House, Skiathos Spiti and our local Church and cultural centre. Skiathos Spiti is a must-see traditional family home that has been restored with loving care and houses some personal island treasures along with hand woven rugs and silks. We end the day with a meal at a traditional taverna.
At some point during your stay (timing is weather dependent) we will gather at your accommodation. Here we will watch local shepherds shear sheep both in the traditional and modern way. They love to joke and tell myths and stories and give you a chance to get up close. If you are confident you may even get the chance to get busy with the clippers, as one of our previous visitors did last year!
Some of the fleece we have just sheared will then go with us to our workshop where the fun begins. Fleece selection, wool quality, washing and drying are all up for practice and discussion before retiring for a freshen up and dinner.
Workshop activities begin with processing washed fleece. We have a fully equipped workshop and can start with the swing picker before going on to hand or drum carders. Or you could choose to stick with the dog comb. We have drop spindles and spinning wheels, peg looms, table looms, a tapestry loom and a floor loom. We have felting needles, wet felting equipment and dye pots and pans. We aim to produce finished goods, accessories and wearables incorporating all these techniques, in a just a few days. Or you could choose to concentrate on honing one skill or technique. We are here to support and encourage you.
Before you leave we will spend a day touring the island. We will go to the Evange.listria Monastery by 4x4 to visit the museum and be guided and entertained by Papa Josef or Papa Gerasimos. It is a spectacular, peaceful and contemplative site as well as a nice stop for coffee. From there we will go on to Kastro. This route takes us up through the north side of the island with breath-taking roadside views before a walk to newly restored Kastro or a clamber down to the beach.
From there we drive back to town and on to the other end of the island and onto our favourite walk through the protected forest of Mandraki to one of the beautiful and wilder beaches.

This is an intuitive and hands-on experience that will allow everyone to collaborate, work as a team and discover new or develop old skills on one of the most beautiful places on earth. Skiathos is often referred to as a paradise but we aim to provide you with so much more than a beach holiday.
In amongst the programme, we plan to give you a full day to yourself to choose from many of the other activities or cultural attractions on the island. You will also get a free-range evening.
The accommodation at Asimina’s House has a small kitchen and there are some local shops/coffee shops where you can enjoy breakfast at your pace.
Whilst you are at the workshop, we will usually have a working lunch consisting of soft drinks and sandwiches, pastries, fruit and other snacks. Water, tea and coffee will be readily available.
Evening meals will be a group meal eating at “our table” at local tavernas sampling local freshly prepared meals.
Don’t worry if you have special requirement or allergies. Just let us know and we will be prepared and ready. We will send out a simple questionnaire asking for some helpful details and also contact information so we can set up a group WhatsApp chat. That way nobody is caught out by changes, opportunities or maybe even the weather.
We look forward to welcoming you into our dream and our home here on Skiathos. You will not be just another tourist - you can make a real difference both to our project and the future of the island!