Sadly our great friend and co-founder of The Wool Clip lost her fight against cancer on 24th July. Here is a fitting tribute reprinted by kind permission of Bridekirk Parish News.

by Rev'd Isobel Halsall, St. Bridget's, Bridekirk

"A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
She selects wool and flax, and works with willing hands… and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
(from Proverbs chapter 31)

The church was decorated with Carolyn's wool, spun, dyed and ready for knitting and weaving- such are some of the memories of Carolyn, evidence of her creativity and symbols of the person she was. We were gathered to give thanks to God for her, and to say our farewells to her.
Carolyn's personality shone through these examples of her work- colourful, practical, vibrant- and yes, a woman who feared and served the Lord, in her own, individual way; surely true reasons for us to give thanks and to praise God for her.

Where do I begin? Many of us have our own individual and special memories of Carolyn. I first saw her through her kitchen door, with Poppy the dog barking enthusiastically, on the day when we visited for the interview to come to Bridekirk. I only saw her fleetingly, but through the door I saw even then some of her work, balls and skeins of colourfully dyed wool, and sensed something of her cheerful personality. And since then it has been a privilege to get to know her and to work with her, especially in the music in our church. Her life is a rich tapestry of her creative gifts and generosity.

Carolyn's interest in spinning and weaving began while she was living in Canada- she had always loved knitting, spinning and dying her own wool. Here in Cumbria she joined the local guild of spinners and weavers, and was active in the formation of the Woolclip co-operative, based at Priest's Mill in Caldbeck.

Just over three years ago she had the idea for the Woolfest- which has grown and flourished, but only after much hard work, effort and, perhaps… worry! But it is a wonderful event, a growing success, and now a stall has been presented each year for an up and coming young artist, to be named the 'Carolyn Rawlinson Memorial Scholarship' as a fitting memorial for all Carolyn has done.

And at St Bridget's we have so much to thank her for. Her love of music has been reflected here over the years, including her dedication to playing the organ. This began in Frank Blanchard's day and she only stopped playing towards the end of June. She would painstakingly find appropriate hymns and music for each service, looking into their meaning and content; not letting us forget the older hymns, while being open to giving some of the newer ones a try. And she gave us her clavinola to use in church. Music and teaching the piano were an important part of her life. She was also an avid reader, the Tolkein books being her favourite.
It seemed so harsh when, in the autumn of 2005, Carolyn became unwell, but she characteristically fought so hard and determinedly to over come her illness. She had such a positive and optimistic outlook on life, and an infectious energy.
With the help of Robert, Jenny and Sarah- and their families- she made the best of what was happening to her as she went through the rigours of the treatment.
She will be missed, as a wife, mother, grandmother, and as a friend to many. Because of her creativity and her refreshing personality, she leaves a void in our lives.

In the Book of Proverbs we also read: "Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

Carolyn was a person of quiet faith, with a deep spirituality- this was important to her. Something of God and his creativity shone through her. We thank God for her.

Isobel

One of the last things Carolyn did for Woolfest was to write a brief resume of the story so far click here to see 'The Woolfest Story'