Great UK craft shows

Veryimportantknitterarea
Festival time!
Veryimportantknitterarea
Antony WorrallThompson was at last
year’s Wonderwool.
Great UK
craft shows
24-26 August Creative Stitches &
Hobbycrafts Liverpool
Visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425
277988 for more information.
Have a great day out at a fibre festival and discover new yarns, dyers
and fibres as well as learning more about the local fibre scene.
Woolfest
Tops and batts, fleeces and
yarn, laceweight, DK and super
chunky, merino, Herdwick –
wool comes in so many
different forms, and this show
celebrates them all.
Organised by members of
The Wool Clip, a Cumbrian
women’s co-operative
producing yarn and fibre goods,
Woolfest is packed with great
finds for knitters, spinners and
fibre enthusiasts of all kinds.
The festival encompasses the
whole process of working with
wool, from keeping rare breed
sheep to fleeces, spindles and
spinning wheels through to
independent yarn dyers and
knitwear designers.
An extensive schedule of
lectures, masterclasses and
hour-long workshops will help
you take your skills to the next
See wool being spun on
the historic machinery.
22
SimplyKnitting May 2009
Wonderwool Wales
Catch the spinning
bug at Woolfest…
level. Learn about Estonian lace
knitting with Nancy Bush or try
a completely new skill like
spinning with a drop spindle,
felt making or even knitting
directly from Spelsau fleece.
The Lake District provides a
stunning backdrop for the show
as well as an excellent incentive
to let someone else drive so you
can look out the window while
you knit!
…or snap up highquality artisan yarns.
WHEN 26-27 June 2009
WHERE Mitchells Lakeland
Livestock Centre, Cockermouth,
Cumbria CA13 0QQ
Stalls 100+
TICKET PRICE £6, accompanied
children free
MORE INFO Visit the site at
www.woolfest.co.uk or phone
the Wool Clip shop on 01697
478707 (11am - 4pm)
28-30 August The Stitch &
Creative Crafts Show Manchester
Visit www.sccshows.co.uk or call
01822 614671 for more details.
Fibrefest
Discover a new fibre and meet
the skilled people who made
it with over 100 stalls
packed with yarn, fibre –
and even a chance to
meet some of the
fluffiest fibre producing
animals around!
The show is based at
Coldharbour Mill, a
200-year-old water mill
which still spins yarn and
entry to the mill is included in
the ticket price, so you can
discover how commercially
spun yarn was made in days of
yore. Taking place every other
Using a drop spindle
is a good way to
begin spinning.
year, Fibrefest is a great chance
for knitters in the South West to
learn a bit more about their
woolly heritage and buy some
unusual yarns and fibres.
WHEN 22-23 August 2009
WHERE Coldharbour Mill,
Welsh wool and Welsh
delicacies combine to make this
a rare treat for fibre-fans and
non-knitters alike.
A celebration of local yarn
craft, Wonderwool Wales has
teamed up with the Mid-Wales
Mouthful food festival to create
a mouthwatering event which
is great fun for the whole family.
As well as stalls packed with
delicious food and drink from
Powys and beyond, there are
plenty of events to entertain
and amuse, including the
‘Sheepwalk’ fashion show – last
year’s star model was chef
Antony Worrall-Thompson!
There are also sheep-shearing
and wool spinning
demonstrations and rabbits,
alpacas and other fibreproducing animals to look at.
Once you’ve got the family
settled, dive into the 150-odd
knitting and fibre stalls and
wallow in the amazing range of
beautiful fibres from down the
road and around the world.
Many of the yarns are brought
to the show by their makers so
this is a great opportunity to
meet the people behind the
yarn and
get tips on
using their
products,
feel a new
blend before
purchasing, or
pick up the tools you’ll
need to take your first steps into
spinning, dyeing or any other
fibre craft.
If you’d like to spend some
time improving your skills, sign
up for a workshop with top
knitting and crochet teachers
including stars of the fibre
world such as Pauline Turner
and Sasha Kagan. With most
courses coming in at around
£15 for two hours’ class time
and materials, they’re really
great value.
28-31 August Chilterns Craft Show
Henley-on-Thames
11-13 September Weald of Kent
Craft Show Tonbridge Wells
Visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425
277988 for more information.
18-20 September The Stitch &
Creative Crafts Show Surrey
Visit www.sccshows.co.uk or call
01822 614671 for more details.
24-27 September Creative
Stitches & Hobbycrafts Exeter
1-3 October Creative Stitches &
Hobbycrafts Cardiff
Visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425
277988 for more information.
Explore the possibilities
of natural fibres.
WHEN 25-26 April 2009
WHERE Royal Welsh
8-11 October The Knitting and
Stitching Show London
Visit www.twistedthread.com or
call 020 8692 2299 for details.
22-25 October Crafts for Christmas
Glasgow
22-25 October Hobbycrafts
Glasgow
Visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425
277988 for more information.
Showground, Llanelwedd,
Builth Wells, Powys LD2 3SY
Stalls 150 fibre, 50 food
TICKET PRICE £6, children
under 16 free
MORE INFO Visit the site at
www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk
or call 07980 337951
29 October – 1 November The
Knitting and Stitching Show
Dublin
Visit www.twistedthread.com or
call 020 8692 2299 for details.
Uffculme, Cullompton, Devon
EX15 3EE
Stalls 100+
TICKET PRICE £5.50-£7 (one
day), £10-13 (both days)
Includes entry to the Mill
MORE INFO Visit the site at
www.fibrefest.co.uk or call
01884 841442
5-8 November Hobbycrafts &
Crafts for Christmas Birmingham
Visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425
277988 for more information.
19-22 November The Knitting and
Stitching Show Harrogate
Visit www.twistedthread.com or
call 020 8692 2299 for details.
Small producers sell
unique products at
fibre festivals.
Remember,
if you have a
subscription problem,
you need to email
simplyknitting@
subscription.co.uk
27-29 November Creative Crafts &
Gifts for Christmas Edinburgh
Visit www.sccshows.co.uk or call
01822 614671 for more details.
May 2009
SimplyKnitting 23