Yarndale 2015

This year I had the privilege of being more involved in Yarndale, a festival of all things woolly that is held in the auction mart in Skipton. It isn’t far from where we live – a 40-minute rail journey or drive – and so I was able to go over a couple of times beforehand to help out.

 

Wednesday morning was yarnbombing time! I met up with Lucy and Carole and helped wrap lampposts in woolly jumpers. They had been prepared carefully with cable ties and yarn, so the process was very smooth and efficient. My favourites are the lettered bunting and the fish blowing button bubbles. There’s more about it on Lucy’s beautiful blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Friday morning this friendly face welcomed me as I arrived. There were badges to prepare, bunting to hang up and more as part of a wider team of helpers of all ages.

Saturday required an early start and a cancelled train complicated things slightly but somehow I arrived in time and helped with various tasks, with some time at the hub and some on the door. Just catching a glimpse of the huge amount of work that goes into such an event was astonishing.

At the hub, I was able to gaze across at Sheila’s beautiful display of the flowers sent in from around the world, which our two girls had helped with as the parcels arrived over the summer.

After lunch it was time to catch up with some Instagram and Facebook friends. I’d gathered a list of exhibitors who I hoped to meet and purchase yarn and tools  – including some hooks for my Mum – from, and found most of them eventually! I came home with some wonderful yarn from Blue Moon, Manos del Uruguay and Araucania and a little piece of hand dyed blanket fabric. Most exciting of all, I met Joanne Scrace from The Crochet Project and bought a copy of The Shawl Project: Book Two, which I’m looking forward to working from. It includes a section on shawl design alongside the selection of Joanne and Kat’s beautiful shawl patterns.

My husband and daughters had spent most of their day at a puppet making workshop. We were back a week later for the Puppet Festival, where they absolutely loved joining in the parade with the fruits of their labours. These are just a few of the amazing creations that formed the procession through the town centre on Sunday, including our Big Small’s butterfly.