Mitchell's Lakeland Livestock Centre,
Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK
29 and 30 June, 2007

woolfest 2007 promises to be best yet

woolfest 2007 is already promising to be the best yet with 100 market area stalls already reserved, advance bookings coming in for the various workshops and lectures that form the core of the programme and organisers expecting to exceed the 5000 or more visitors to last year's event.

woolfest 2007 will take place at Mitchell's Lakeland Livestock Centre, on the A66 just outside Cockermouth in Cumbria, on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 June. It will be open to visitors from 10am to 5pm on each day with additional events on Friday evening.

The Vikings are coming

There is a definite Nordic flavour to the workshop programme with Ruth Hicken teaching tablet weaving techniques to make braid - a method that was popular with the Vikings - and Gyro Knutsdotter Homme explaining traditional nalebinding (finger knitting) that was used to make socks in Viking times. Gyro comes from a mountain farm in Setesdal, a remote valley in southern Norway, where traditional textile skills such as nalebinding are still valued and practised.

Amy Lightfoot, also from Norway, is lecturing at woolfest 2007 and she will be explaining the history and social significance of the unique woven blankets used by fishermen in communities on Norway's west coast.

Rare breeds and fleeces, musk ox and bison

As in previous years, there will be live animals at woolfest as well as a sale of raw fleeces. The rare breed sheep area will include at least 10 breeds from the north of England and beyond such as Herdwicks and Rough Fell and there will also be alpaca, llama, angora goats and angora rabbits. For the fleece sale, any individual can enter a maximum of five fleeces. A large selection of good, varied fleeces, especially from rare breeds, has been an almost irresistible attraction for spinners in the past and this has always been a highlight of woolfest as well as a useful commercial opportunity for breeders and farmers alike.

Unusual natural fibres are also covered elsewhere in the woolfest programme. Donna Druchunas from Colorado in the US will be teaching workshop participants how to design and knit their own lace from musk ox fibre, based on techniques developed by a cooperative of Inuit women in Alaska. Representatives of Buffalo Gold, also from the US, will be lecturing on bison and how the downy undercoat of these fascinating animals provides a luxury spinning fibre.

"This is just a taste of what will be on offer," says June Hall, a member of the organising team from The Wool Clip cooperative. "Since we launched the event in 2005, many people have travelled from overseas to take part or visit woolfest and we are expecting the varied programme for 2007 to attract returning regulars and new visitors alike."

A knitted river, knitting café and On and Off advice

The woolfest 2007 programme includes something for everyone who knits, whatever their style and whatever their experience.

On and Off is an informal workshop and exchange being organised by members of The Wool Clip and it is a chance for hand knitters to learn different methods for casting on and off. "We often stick with the method we were first taught," explains Cecilia Hewett, a member of the cooperative, "but the aim of On and Off at woolfest is to show just how many variations there can be and how useful some of these alternatives are for different styles and approaches. Anyone with a novel or unusual method should come along prepared to show other knitters how it works."

There is a Knitting Café running throughout woolfest and the WaterAid charity will be bringing its amazing knitted river to Cockermouth. This monumental project is made up of more than 40,000 knitted squares and it is about 1,200 feet long. Since completion last year, it is now being used to raise awareness (and funds) for WaterAid's work in areas affected by drought and poor water supply.

And finally

Evening events on Friday 29 June include a Hogg Roast - that's Hogg as in Herdwick lamb roast - and a Spin In that is already attracting spinners from all over the country and beyond.

Visitors are welcome to visit woolfest at any time over the two days (29 and 30 June) but booking is essential for the workshops and lectures and recommended for the Hogg Roast and Spin In as places are limited. Full details and booking forms are available online at www.woolfest.co.uk or from The Wool Clip on 016974 78707 (11am-4pm) or at The Wool Clip shop in Priest's Mill, Caldbeck, Cumbria CA7 8DR.

500 Handbags

Lark Books seeks images of striking, stylish, and out-of-the-ordinary handbags for a juried collection of work from artists, makers, and designers from around the globe for the upcoming book 500 Handbags. Professional fashion designer Jay McCarroll, winner of Bravo's debut season of the hit show Project Runway, will be jurying images submitted for this book. A diverse assortment of bags will be considered - from teeny evening clutches to rugged bags designed for men - with one-of-a-kind, handmade, and/or limited edition pieces strongly preferred. A wide range of materials, techniques, and looks are desired. To be released in the fall of 2008, this book aims to showcase a fabulous, fun, and funky collection that will inspire amateur crafters, professional designers, and everyone in between.

To be considered for inclusion, please submit high-quality transparencies, slides, or digital images with entry forms. There is no entry fee. Entries must be postmarked by July 16, 2007.

Guidelines & entry forms can be found on the Lark Books web site:
www.larkbooks.com/submissions/ArtistEntryForm-500Handbags.asp

Bring Your Knitting on Holiday!

Hand Knitting Breaks in
Blackpool's North Shore

Treat your self to a knitting holiday, meet other knitters and relax in comfortable surroundings. All rooms en-suite, home-cooking, friendly atmosphere, nationally accredited.

Monday - Friday 'knit and natter' break includes:

• Full Board
• Full day workshops with Susan Crawford and Fiona Morris
• Shopping Trips
• Blackpool Show
• Evening Activities

Price £220
Dates available June 1st - 4th and June 25th - 29th.

For further information please contact Angela Whigham on 01253 352932 or Paula Chew on 01253 352943. PDF version of leaflets available for download from www.westcliffehotel.com/knitting.htm

Join the Knit a river march to Downing Street

By Gerard Allt of I Knit London and WaterAid

I Knit London and WaterAid are very pleased to announce news of our first major event with the knitted river: a march to Downing Street to End Water Poverty. We knew you, as a knitter, would want to know about so you could plan your trip to march with us on the day!

WaterAid are currently lobbying the G8 to put water and sanitation on this year's agenda. Despite the thousands of postcards sent by supporters to this year's G8 president, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, they still haven't. So, as we have received such an amazing amount of support throughout the Knit a river campaign, as our final push, ahead of this years G8 Summit in June, we've decided to take the 'river' or 'knitition' to Downing Street on Saturday, 12th May.

The assembly point will be Spring Gardens near Vauxhall station, check the WaterAid website for updates. From there we will march a short distance with the river to Whitehall and Downing Street. We are very excited and really want all the knitters to join us on the day.

Invite as many people as you can. We need as many supporters as possible to be part of the historic moment when we carry the river through central London to the UK government and demand they do more to End Water Poverty. Please call 020 7793 4523 or e-mail campaigns@wateraid.org to confirm your attendance if possible.

The river is truly a wondrous spectacle and I hope you can join us to march to Downing Street to End Water Poverty on 12th May.

We hope to see you there

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th May, 2007
Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys, Wales.

Wonderwool wales celebrates the creative and imaginative uses of welsh wool and other natural fibres. Thanks to its previous success, this year's event has doubled in size with over 85 exhibitors. Exhibitors will include knitwear designers, weavers, woollen mills, spinners and dyers. Craftspeople will be able to stock up on wool and natural fibre products, such as alpaca, mohair, angora, hemp, flax and silk, as well as creative threads, knitting patterns and kits, buttons. For the spinner fleece, carding, spinning and weaving equipment will all be available.

A new addition will be exhibits by Sheep Breed Societies, including Shetland, Welsh Mountain, Leiciester Longwool, Wensleydale Longwool, Llanwenog and Coloured Reyland, and there will be demonstrations by the British Wool Marketing Board, Guild of Spinners Weavers and Dyers and National Welsh Woollen Museum.

Wonderwool also includes a Wool school featuring a packed programme of workshops, talks and lectures led by local, national and international experts such as Di Gilpin, Pauline Turner and Sasha Kagan. Visitors of all ages and abilities will be able to learn ways with wool and have fun with fleeces and fibres at "hands on" workshops, taster sessions, family activities and master classes. Sessions include felt making for beginners, led by Faith Roper of Moral Fibre, and workshops in felt picture-making, jewellery and animals led by Sue Terrey.

Workshops are appropriate for all ages and abilities and a full programme and programme and booking form is available on their website www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk. Workshops cost £5 plus materials, and talks and lectures are £3.

Brenda Dayne, host of www.cast-on.com will also be presenting a pod cast from Wonderwool Wales.

To book tickets for the show visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk

Alternatively please contact Lee Price on 01982 552224

Click to see larger image

Extreme Textiles Crafts
with Rachel John

Rachel John produces hand crafted textiles using 10-200 yarn strands simultaneously. This changes everything; the tools, supply quantities, what you can actually make - it all changes.

The practicality and longevity of the pieces simply adds more value. For four years now Rachel's work has been to illustrate what this yarn mixing does for textiles - making samples, prototype tools and patterns, running workshops and technique demonstrations.

Rachel's work can be viewed at the following venues:

Apr-May 2007. Yew Tree Gallery, Penzance - 'Glorious Things' exhibition.
John family displays with David (Sculptor), Marianne (Painter) and Rachel (Textiles). Details soon at www.yewtreegallery.com

May 12-26 2007. Trackside Gallery, London - 'Closely Linked' a family exhibition of arts and crafts.
Marianne (Hellwig- John (Painter & Poet), Sarah John (Painter & Illustrator), Clare John (Silversmith). Rachel John (Textiles & 3-D). With help from David John (Sculptor), Simon John (Graphics) and Kyli John (Animation, Graphics & Painting). Details soon at www.tracksidegallery.co.uk

Jun 2-4. TNNA, Columbus, Ohio. Extreme Knitting goes flying out to the USA
again by popular demand. Demonstrations and displays with BagSmith. Further details at www.bagsmith.com and www.tnna.org

Jun 20 Wed. St John's, Northwood.
Demonstration and 'have a go' at Extreme Knitting. Details at www.artreach.biz

Nov 10. Extreme Knitting Starter workshop at The Black Swan, Frome.
Details of the venue at www.blackswan.org.uk

2008 (May, Jun or Sep):
Tentative arrangements are being made for an exciting week long organic Extreme Knitting holiday on the Cornish coast. Knit yourself a beautiful luxurious heirloom quality double or king size blanket from a choice of 1000's of yarns - every colour and type of yarn will be available for you to choose from. Cost is £900 per person all inclusive of full board (home grown and local organic produce), trips out for inspiration, tools, patterns and materials. Maximum 10 people in the group - early booking advised. Please register interest by writing to Rachel John at info@racheljohn.co.uk. Further details about the venue can be found at www.yewtreegallery.com

Susie's Training Diary

Susie Hewer keeps us upto date with her on going preparations for the London Marathon on 22nd April. You can read Susie's regularly updated diary.

A Few of Our Favourite Things