Sunday 6 October 2013

Yarndale - a colourful riot

Yorkshire is gorgeous with hills of dry stone wall fields full of sheep. This year, Yarndale promised to make it much more attractive for fibrey folk.


The entrance to the hall was a riot of crocheted bunting and the crowd was already writhing at roughly 10 am.



The knitted picnic was great


and creativity of the tea cosy challenge made me smile.


Moving was already challenging and we fled to the back of the hall passed these two from County Alpacas who were happily nibbling on their breakfast


The vendors were wonderful. I enjoyed meeting and talking to a number of them.

At Griffiths Mill, Karen stood working on a beautiful handmade woollen dress while we chatted about the mill and the fibre processing that the mill offers for individual fleeces.


I forgot to go back for some of this Castlemilk Moorit.


Jen from Fyberspates was charming and helped me choose some wool for a hat I am planning


and I as whizzed passed Wingham Wool, the gorgeous colours of their fibre display caught my eye making all kinds of ideas fly through my head.


At My Fine Weaving Yarn, Helen showed me several weaving samples and I came home with a weaving kit which I am very excited about.

At LazyKate's booth, I found her spinning and wished I had brought my wheel to sit and chat with her and sit looking at this loveliness.


Sheep and fluff was everywhere. These occupied the floor next the spinning wheel in the Twisted Yarns stall


and this one stood proud at Freyalyn's fabulous fibre stall.


Hiding at the back though, this chap reflected how I was feeling!


The booths were very compact as they are animal pens so there were few people spinning but I found another lovely lady enjoying her fibre and watching the madness pass.


There was a wonderful array of fibre from different places like Drifter's Mill.


These products are made with Dartmoor wool and are available from the Yarn Garden along with some pretty hand-dyed yarns.


Beautiful fibre and a wonderful display at Jillybean Yarns.

The Norfolk Knits stand was full of pretty knitwear



and the Knit and Natter room was also a riot of crochet colour.


Lace knitting at Artisan Yarns makes me want to cast on lace immediately



My favourite part of this festival was the amazing creativity of all the fibre artists those above and these below. 







Catherine was demonstrating silk-screen printing and she was such a joy to talk to, so passionate about her designs. 


Lucy Stor of teaseofwool 






A wonderful reminder of how much time, frustration, passion, energy, love and joy is spent in creating any new project.




The Ferocious Felter, Dawn told me that the cushion is a portrait of her cat.



The Lucet Co almost had me learning a new hobby. The shoe laces are beautiful.



The Braid Society stand was amazing, such talented folk, I believe their theme this year was Autumn



and the lace makers make me want to go out and buy bobbins immediately!