THIS week is usually a highlight of the summer for me as a knitter. Woolfest is one of the biggest festivals of natural fibres in the world, and it takes place right here in Cumbria.
Due to COVID-19, the event will not be held at Mitchell’s Auction Mart in Cockermouth this year – but will take to the world-wide-web for the Virtual Woolfest2020 starting this Thursday (25 June 2020).
My purchases from Woolfest2019 have been such a great comfort in lockdown, providing me with the materials to create handmade items for our home and wardrobe.
I’ve always hated the way the footstool didn’t quite look right with the light tartan of the other soft furnishings in our living room – and with time on my hands and a large cone of beautiful, Cumbrian Herdwick wool I knitted a cover in just two days!
With one success under my belt and hardly a dent in the cone of wool, I made one cushion cover, then another, and a third from that one wool purchase!
Next, I had two balls of sock wool in my bag, so two weeks later, I had a super pair of soft, multi-coloured walking sock.
Hunting through the cupboard (as we all did in the initial weeks of lockdown, clearing out the old, creating space) I found a bag of giant wool I’d bought for my daughter. One evening later, after battling with the equally giant knitting needles, we had the final lockdown cushion completed.
Sadly, that was the end of my 2019 Woolfest stash, and wool-less I look forward to inspirations for new projects this year from Woolfest2020 online. And I can also now visit The Wool Clip shop at Caldbeck where all social distance and hygiene measures are now in place. I’m looking forward to choosing my new materials for 2020-21 knitting projects.
Those who love to visit Woolfest to by raw fleeces, the sale will still go ahead on Saturday morning and the fact that the Wool Clip shop in Caldbeck is actually open (with social distancing) throughout.
One last thank you to the members of The Wool Clip cooperative who organise Woolfest, and for their determination to ensure the show must go on!
Blog post by K
- Wooldfest2020 takes pace in six sessions from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 June, and there is lots more information, including a full schedule of stallholder posts, online at www.woolfest.co.uk.
- Read more about Woolfest2020 on eBusinessCumbria
