Last weekend’s event was fun. Lots of fun. The North West Winter Wool Festival was held at The Imperial Hotel in Blackpool and was a first in many ways.
It was the first time I have stayed at the same venue as the yarn show. That in itself was lovely. There was no travelling once I’d arrived and set the stand up. I could just go for a walk if I wanted to or relax in my room or the bar of the hotel. Several of the other vendors were staying there too, and it was really nice to be able to sit and chat in the evening or share a table at breakfast. Having breakfast in the morning before the show was also super. It was a buffet style and both mornings I helped myself to a plate full of mini hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans. Plus tea – of course.
It was also the first time I’ve done a show at the seaside! I was in the ‘overspill’ room, rather than the main room, but that was no hardship. The room was beautifully light, with amazingly high ceilings and chandeliers, and looked out over the front of the hotel to the sea. I literally had a sea view all weekend, as from my room I could see Blackpool Tower, the pier and the sea.
This show was also the first time I have been the designer for a show pattern. Lots of people came with their completed Imperial Cowls (mostly in bags or tied to bag straps as the hotel was so well heated you didn’t need to wear any woolly goodies) and it was so good to hear their enthusiasm for the pattern as well as see their finished knitting.
And, it was the first time the North West Winter Wool Festival has taken place, and it was the very first time Shirley had organised a yarn show and she did a splendid job. I really hope it happens again next year – I will definitely be signing up!
The show was super busy for most of Saturday and was almost as busy as times on Sunday. I was concentrating on talking to customers and other vendors so much that I completely failed to take photos of anyone else’s stand, but the vendors (and the lovely Bowland Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers) with whom I shared the room were all super and I highly recommend having a look at their websites: Handmade at Harcles, Why Knot Macramé who trades as Kiln and Craft on Etsy, 3 Seas Yarn, Little Likac Yarn, Farm Yarn UK, Riverside Knitting Yarns, and Super Effective Fibres.
We were only 8 of the 40 vendors present! During the weekend I gave a few mini demos of how brioche knitting works and made some connections with folk for possible future workshops and collaborations.
I also took possession of these beauties from Penny Stitch Craft at the weekend:
This is a Tencel DK weight hand dyed yarn and I can’t wait to play with these skeins and see what they want to become! Keep your eyes peeled for a new pattern later in the year…
It won’t be long until my second show of the year – East Anglia Yarn Festival (or EAYF) in Norwich, which will be held at the Norfolk Show Ground Arena on March 15th-16th. I will also be teaching at this show! Workshops have just gone up on the website. My Introduction to Two-Colour Brioche Knitting workshop is on Saturday 15th March, 1-3pm.
The workshop is £36 and all handouts and yarn are included. You just need to bring a 5mm circular needle (60-80cm long) and something to write with so you can annotate your handouts.
If you’re coming to EAYF and you’d like to learn to knit two-colour brioche – now is your chance! Just make sure you come on the Saturday as I’m not teaching on the Sunday.
Shortly after that, and much more local to me, I have a trunk show at my local yarn shop!
Yarn O’clock in Mold is hosting me and my designs for the day on Saturday April 12th. The shop is open from 10am-4pm, there is no charge to come in, so why not pop over and say hello, and see what lovely yarn Anne has that you could use for one or more of my patterns?!
That’s all from me for now, apart from to let you know that my donation to Treasure Chest YGC (50% of sales of Bodelwyddan sock pattern during February) is currently standing at £33! I wonder if we can get it over £40?
Take care, and I hope you are able to do something that makes you happy this week. K x