Two Carmarthen School of Art graduates enjoyed a busy time exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales 2025 and are looking forward to showcasing their work at a big event in London.
Textile artists Rachel Thomas from Aberystwyth and Nancy Una Simmons from Milford Haven, were awarded £1,000 bursaries by Wonderwool Wales after graduating from their BA Textiles course.
As part of their award, they were also given exhibition space at Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd.
Both Rachel and Nancy are now looking forward to showcasing their skills, ideas and creations at New Designers in London in July.
New Designers is an annual exhibition that brings together the best graduate design talent from across the UK. Over two weeks, the event showcases the work of more than 2,500 talented graduates in a range of disciplines, including textiles, graphics, product design and more.
Rachel, who has also secured a weaver in residence post at Newtown Textile Museum last summer, said she has been busy developing her textile work, working on commissions and experimenting.
In the future, she would like to develop fabrics for costumes to be worn by actors in films and TV productions.
“Hopefully, I shall be exhibiting here again in a few years’ time,” she said.
Nancy, who has been developing her wall hangings, throws and cushion designs since graduating, plans to register her own company focused on weaving and running natural dyeing workshops. She grows plants in her garden for natural dyeing.
Both said the bursaries from Wonderwool Wales have provided valuable support to help them develop their future career direction. Rachel has purchased a loom and Nancy plans to use the bursary to subsidise her visit to New Designers.
They both also said how much they had enjoyed exhibiting their work and networking at Wonderwool Wales.
Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said:
“It was lovely to see Rachel and Nancy exhibiting at the show and we are pleased that the bursaries are supporting them to develop their careers as textile artists. We wish them success at the New Designers event in London.”
A wool art exhibition celebrating VE Day was unveiled for the first time at last weekend’s Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd.
The ‘Britain at War’ exhibition – The Longest Yarn 2 – had nine panels for its launch but will grow to 80 as extra panels are added during a tour of the UK over the coming months.
The first nine panels include VE Day, Bucklngham Palace, The Lorry on the Strand, The Street Party, The Conga at The Ritz with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, War is Declared, Coventry Cathedral is Bombed, Windows Taped up, The Few – Spitfire pilots with their dogs and Lumber Jills.
Founder Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters and crocheters are creating the new installation to follow on from the great success of The Longest Yarn, an 80 metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings in France on June 6, 1944, which toured the UK last year and is currently touring America.
Tansy and Claire Holmes at Wonderwool Wales
More than 1,000 knitters and crocheters from across the world contributed to the first project which snowballed from Tansy’s initial idea of a display for a garden wall at her home in Normandy.
“We were thrilled that Tansy and her group of fellow knitters produced the fantastic VE Day exhibition to be premiered at Wonderwool Wales,” said event director Chrissie Menzies.
“The exhibition attracted huge interest and so many positive comments over the weekend and I am certain it will meet with a same response as it tours the UK.”
The ‘Britain at War’ exhibition moves to Wells Cathedral until May 10, Gosport from May 12 to June 4, Plymouth from June 5 to 29, a venue to be confirmed from June 30 to July 21, Brecon from July 22 to 31 and Chiltern Open Air Museum August 1 to 31,
By September 3, at Southwell Minster, all 80 panels will be on show. The exhibition then travels to Stoke on Trent Minster in October, Sherborne Abbey in November and Leek in December.
War declared
Lorry on The Strand
In 2026, the tour heads to Kilkeel, Northern Ireland in January, Enniskillen in February, Penrith in March, Belfast in April, Lichfield Cathedral in May, Peterborough Cathedral in June, Nothe Fort, Weymouth in July, Gosport in August, Welshpool in September, Wrexham in October and Chorley in November.
“Due to the positive reception and success we have experienced with the Longest Yarn, we are excited to further develop our initiatives to ensure these significant commemorations continue to be recognised,” said Tansy, who attended Wonderwool Wales shortly after returning from America.
“Britain at War examines how Britain navigated the war from September 3, 1939 to VE Day on May 8, 1945. Visitors to Wonderwool Wales were the first to see the start of 80-panel work we are currently working on.
“We have taken all aspects of life, rationing, evacuees, The Blitz, terrible headlines, when Britain was looking at ‘The Darkest Hour’, to end with the euphoria of peace.
“Our first 80 metre work, The Longest Yarn, which was done in time for the 80th anniversary of D Day, is basically a knitted and crocheted storyboard on June 5, 1944, showing the decision making, build up, invasion and local impact.
“It reminds everyone of the destruction and ramifications of an event like this, plus it actually took 80 days to get to Paris with a bloody battle every day.
“When I first had my lightbulb moment, I really had no idea that it would lead to this incredible rollercoaster that I’ve been on for almost two years. 250,000 people have visited the first exhibition and raised the same in monetary terms.
“Through our efforts, we have actually strengthened the relationship between the historical remembrance and local engagement, demonstrating that celebrating history can also yield remarkable economic benefits.”
She explained that she is hoping to double the £250,000 raised so far to establish a halfway house for British veterans, whilst also supporting dog charities which support people with disabilities and medical conditions.
Tansy is also hopeful that The Longest Yarn will raise enough money in the USA to establish a halfway house for American veterans.
Coventry
Lumber Jills
She is also hoping to find a permanent home for both exhibitions following their tours. A book ‘A Thread Through History’ is now on sale to raise funds. More information at: thelongestyarn.com .
A visitors who made a special trip to Wonderwool Wales at the weekend was Claire Holmes, leader of St Macartin’s Cathedral Knitwits Knitting and Crafting Group in Enniskillen.
She was instrumental in bringing The Longest Yarn to Enniskillen in January and February this year, having previously seen it in Normandy last summer.
Thousands of people from across Ireland and beyond travelled to see the exhibition at St Macartin’s Cathedral, giving a great boost to town traders during a traditionally quiet time of the year.
Claire and The Knitwits group is now working on a panel for ‘Britain at War – The Longest Yarn 2’ focused on the Americans arriving in Belfast during the Second World War.
“I was really pleased to see Tansy and the first panels on display at Wonderwool Wales, which was a great event,” she said.
Feature image: Spitfire – One of the panels from the first part of the ‘Britain at War’ exhibition premiered at Wonderwool Wales last weekend.
Last weekend’s Wonderwool Wales 2025, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, has been declared one of the best ever, with an expected record-breaking attendance.
A huge crowd on Saturday resulted in many exhibitors having to re-stock ready for Sunday, as most customers were on a mission to buy a wide range of wool-related products at the 19th annual event, held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells.
The organisers were busy calculating the final figures from the event late this week, but the consensus was that the show was a record-breaker, boosted by a bigger than usual Sunday attendance.
“We were delighted with this year’s show in terms of both the attendance and the business transacted by exhibitors.
“We received so much positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors which is a tribute to the whole team involved in delivering this annual event, which is probably the largest of its type in the UK and possibly Europe.”
One of the stars of the weekend was a special installation to mark this year’s 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which is being created by a group of knitters in France and across the world.
Oliver and Helene Lucas from Yarn Food, first time exhibitor at Wonderwool Wales.
Wonderwool Wales 2025 was chosen to lunch the ‘Britain at War’ exhibition, which will now tour the UK for the next 19 months. The exhibition was launched with nine panels but will grow to 80 by September 3 as it tours six other venues
The VE Day project has been organised by Tansy Forster from Normandy and her fellow knitters who also created The Longest Yarn installation for D-Day. More than 1,000 knitters from across the world contributed to that project.
Wonderwool Wales had a truly international flavour, as Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado, jetted in to showcase her hand dyed, multi-textured, yarn bundles and knitting and crochet patterns.
Sheep Walk fashion shows, Woolschool Workshops, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of the exhibitors all proved popular with visitors.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process involving wool. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Helen Hickman, owner of Nellie and Eve, Llanwrda, which creates plant dyed yarns from sustainably sourced Welsh and British wool, was delighted with the business she secured at the show.
“It’s such a lovely, well organised show that gets better every year,” she said. “The standard and quality of exhibitors is very high. A lot of customers were there for the weekend and many said they were amazed by how much can be done with wool.”
Phia Ingham, a fashion designer from family business Window of Woolly Wonders, Bangor, said:
“We absolutely love the show because there is something for everybody and the people here are so friendly.”
Kerry Moyle from Ginger Pink Yarns was a first time exhibitor at Wonderwool Wales.
First time exhibitor Kery Moyle from Ginger Pink Yarns, Frome, said:
“It’s like no other yarn show I have been to. I didn’t know what to expect but can’t believe how big it is. It’s fabulous.”
Another new exhibitor was Yarn Food, launched by Oliver and Helene Lucas in Buckfastleigh two months ago, after two years of development. They make a specialist yarn crafter’s detergent to clean and preserve yarn fibres.
“We want to gain awareness of Yarn Food, so Wonderwool Wales is a great place for us to do that,” said Oliver. “The response has been brilliant.”
Feature image: The Buckingham Palace VE Day celebration panel in the ‘Britain at War’ exhibition.
Wonderwool Wales 2025, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, is on course to be a record-breaker with advance ticket sales ahead of previous years.
The popular, award-winning show will be held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells on April 26 and 27 with 220 exhibitors and is expecting more than 6,000 visitors.
A star attraction will be special installation to mark this year’s 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which is being created by a group of knitters in France and across the world.
The knitters are so enthusiastic that the installation, which will be in Hall 3, is going to be much bigger than originally envisaged.
“It has grown from eight to 10 metres and could well be even larger by the time of the show!” said Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director. “People from around the world are knitting panels for the installation which is quite amazing.
“They previously knitted an 80 metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings, which toured the UK, before going off to America, and wanted to do another one for VE Day to showcase at Wonderwool Wales before it tours the UK, with panels being added at each destination.”
The VE Day project has been organised by Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters who also headed The Longest Yarn installation for D-Day. More than 1,000 knitters from across the world contributed to that project.
Wonderwool Wales will have a truly international flavour, as Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado, will be showcasing her hand dyed, multi-textured, yarn bundles and knitting and crochet patterns on stand M1 in Hall 1. She’s the first exhibitor to fly in from America.
Chrissie revealed that there will be more than 15 new exhibitors at the show, including Paint-Box Threads from near Leominster and Cold Harbour Mill from Devon.
Zoe Acketts, of Paint-Box Threads, specialises in beautiful, hand-dyed threads along with fabric for the textile crafting market.
“I’m sure we will all be coming away with some of Zoe’s threads,” said Chrissie. “Her curated boxes of colours are just too good to use, you just want to display them in your studio and look at them!”
Cold Harbour Mill will be joining other working mill exhibitors who use heritage machinery to produce yarn collections and woven textiles.
The company’s yarns are 100% British wool, with single breed Blue Faced Leicester and Shetland collections in a range of natural and woodland inspired colours and four registered Tartans designed and woven at the mill.
Away from the show, Newtown Textile Museum is opening early to attract people visiting Wonderwool. Run entirely by volunteers and housed in two weavers’ cottages, the museum will be open from April 24-28 from 12 noon to 4pm.
The British Coloured Sheep Breeders’ Association will be adding natural colours to the show by bringing sheep for the first time. Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of the exhibitors are regular features.
Limited places are available for some of the Woolschool Workshops – visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk for details. Book advance tickets for the event on website also.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
For the latest news about the show, like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Instagram @wonderwoolwales .
This year’s Wonderwool Wales show in the heart of Mid Wales will have a truly international flavour, as an exhibitor from America will be showcasing their products.
Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado, who produces hand dyed, multi-textured, yarn bundles and knitting and crochet patterns, will be exhibiting on stand M1 in Hall 1 at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells during the popular weekend show on April 26 and 27.
Wonderwool Wales director Chrissie Menzies has also had an enquiry from an Icelandic producer whom, she says, is likely to attend in 2026.
It will be the first time an American business has exhibited at Wales’ premier wool and natural fibre festival, although a tour group from across the Atlantic has been coming to the event for a number of years and will be attending again this year.
Cat Mountain, Kimberly
“The booking from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts is probably a direct result of the tour group that attend every year, and we are delighted to welcome them,” explained Chrissie. “A few of them may also have attended the felt workshop that I organise each year for Rowan Tree Travel, following the show.
“Cat Mountain Fibre Arts had originally planned to share a stand with Phoenix Fibre Mill from Colorado, but they have had to pull out due to a family illness. I hope even more American producers will be encouraged to attend in the future.
“It’s good for Welsh tourism, as I’m sure they will want to visit other places whilst they in Wales.”
Kimberly, who founded her business in 2008, said she is working on a new pattern for the show where she will be exhibiting multi-textured bundles of Fusion Yarn.
She specialises in natural fibre yarns which she hand-dyes in her studio in Fort Garland. Her exclusive colourways are inspired by literature, art, nature and the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains.
“I heard about Wonderwool Wales from a customer at The Knitting and Stitching Show many years ago and I am hoping to meet and network with other artists and shop owners,” said Kimberly.
“I love visiting the UK and am always looking for an excuse to come. I will be taking a few days’ holiday in Wales in April. In particular, I want to visit Hay on the Wye, and hike part of the Offa’s Dyke Path.”
Chrissie revealed that advance ticket sales are ahead of the same time last year and that there will be up to 15 new exhibitors at the show, taking the total to 220 stands, the same as 2024.
A special installation to mark the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day this year, which is being created by a group of knitters in France and across the world, will be a centrepiece at the 19th Wonderwool Wales.
The knitters are so enthusiastic that the installation is going to be much bigger than originally envisaged.
“It has grown from eight to 10 metres and could well be even larger by the time of the show!” said Chrissie.
“People from around the world are knitting panels for the installation which is quite amazing. They previously knitted an 80 metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings, which toured the UK, before going off to America in April, and wanted to do another one for VE Day just for Wonderwool.”
She joked:
“I hope they stop knitting soon otherwise we won’t have enough space in Hall 3 for it!”
The VE Day project is being organised by Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters who also headed The Longest Yarn installation for D-Day. More than 1,000 knitters from across the world contributed to that project.
Limited tickets are available for the Woolschool Workshops at Wonderwool Wales 2025, including Bringing Eyes to Life, Peg Loom Weaving, Quirky Birds, Dorset Buttons and Art Yarns.
The British Coloured Sheep Breeders’ Association will be adding colour to the show by bringing sheep for the first time this year.
An award-winning two-day event celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, attracting around 6,000 visitors from across the UK and worldwide.
Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of the exhibitors are regular features of the popular event.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Tickets for the show and the Woolschools are available online at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk . For the latest news about the show, like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Instagram @wonderwoolwales .
A special installation to mark the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day in 2025, which is being created by a group of knitters in France, will be a centrepiece at next year’s Wonderwool Wales event in the heart of Mid Wales.
Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters have agreed to create the new installation especially for the 19th Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales which will be held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells on April 26 and 27.
The new work follows the great success of The Longest Yarn, an 80 metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings in France on June 6, 1944, which is currently touring the UK.
The Longest Yarn installation features 80, one metre long panels, each depicting scenes of the build-up to D-Day in England, the horrors on the landing beaches and the bloody inland battles.
More than 1,000 knitters from across the world contributed to the project which snowballed from Tansy’s initial idea of a display for her garden wall.
Now she is turning her thoughts to the next wool art installation to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, when Germany surrendered unconditionally on Tuesday, May 8,1945.
“We are thrilled that Tansy and her group of fellow knitters in France are producing the VE Day display just for us and it will take pride of place as our exhibition for 2025,” said Wonderwool Wales director Chrissie Menzies.
“I am certain that the exhibition will attract a lot of interest here in Wales and across the UK. It’s exciting to have this work made exclusively for our 2025 sho2 and I can’t wait to see their work.”
Knitted soldiers from The Longest Yarn, an 80 metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings in France, which has been touring the UK.
An award-winning two-day event, Wonderwool Wales celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, attracting around 6,000 visitors from across the UK and as far away as America, Canada and Australia.
Woolschool workshops, Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of more than 200 exhibitors are regular features of the popular event.
Already booked for Woolschool workshops in 2025 are Moebius Knitting with Kath Andrews, Andean Pebble Weave using a back strap loom with Helen Deighan and An Introduction to Indian Block Printing, Art Yarns – Corespinning with Sarah Stacey, a Wonderwool Wales director,
Other workshops include Dorset Buttons and Peg Loom Weaving with Sharon Smith of Wild Welsh Wool, Bringing Eyes to Life in needle felting with Emma Fountain, Beaded Keyrings with Rosie of Moon Beads while Ruth Packham will be showing students how to felt one of her Quirky Birds.
Tickets for the show and the Woolschools are now available online at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk . For the latest news about the show, like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Instagram @wonderwoolwales .
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Feature image: Tansy Forster with some of the knitted soldiers from The Longest Yarn on Utah beach.
Two Carmarthen School of Art graduates have each received a £1,000 to launch future careers using the skills they have learnt.
Textile artists Rachel Thomas, 24, from Aberystwyth and Nancy Úna Simmons, 29, from Milford Haven, are this year’s winners of annual bursaries awarded by Wonderwool Wales to graduates from the BA Textiles course at Carmarthen School of Art, part of Coleg Sir Gậr.
Held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells every April, Wonderwool Wales is the premier wool and natural fibres show in Wales. The event brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
As part of their bursary, they will be given free stand space at next year’s Wonderwool Wales, which will be held from April 26-27.
Rachel was weaver in residence at Newtown Textile Museum this summer and has now taken up a graduate residency at Carmarthen School of Art.
“I’m really looking forward to another year of developing my skills and experimenting with new techniques to expand my portfolio,” said Rachel, who graduated with First Class Honours after a three-year Multi Disciplinary BA (Hons) in Textiles and Fine Art.
“I am over the moon and truly grateful to the Wonderwool Wales panel for choosing me to receive a bursary. The money will go towards buying my own loom, which will enable me to weave from home and start my journey as an independent maker.”
She has attended Wonderwool Wales since beginning her degree in 2021.
“Being able to meet a wide variety of people, from those who are interested in the college to all of the amazing makers and sellers on their stands, makes this a truly unique and wonderful event,” she said.
The Wonderwool Wales judges were impressed by Nancy’s exploration of body image and empowerment in her exhibition work.
Nancy is a graduate in residence at Carmarthen School of Art for the next year and is considering doing a Masters Degree at Swansea University.
“My goal is to start a small business selling naturally dyed, hand woven interior products, such as throws and pillows, and to run workshops in natural dyeing,” said Nancy who plans to use the bursary to help buy a 16 shaft table loom.
“I attended Wonderwool Wales last year when I had many really positive and enthusiastic conversations with fellow textile lovers. The sheer number of people there was amazing and really encouraging for my desired career direction.
“Following a chat with the lovely people at ‘Wonky Weavers’, I gained the confidence to pursue learning how to indigo dye, which in turn led to my final degree show weaves.”
Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said:
“We loved the work of both bursary winners who had inspiring stories behind their work and were deserved winners.”
Feature image: Rachel Thomas and Nancy Úna Simmons display their work as they receive their bursaries from Wonderwool Wales directors Chrissie Menzies, Olwen Veevers and Sarah Stacey, watched by BA Textiles programme director at Carmarthen School of Art, Nia Lewis.
Two Carmarthen School of Art graduates have each received a £1,000 boost to launch their future careers using the skills they have learnt.
Jade Carey Holt, 22, from Aberystwyth and Kay-lee Davies, 34, from Capel Dewi, near Llandysul, are this year’s winners of annual bursaries awarded by Wonderwool Wales to graduates from the BA Textiles course at Carmarthen School of Art, part of Coleg Sir Gậr.
Kay-lee Davies with one of her cushion designs.
Held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells every April, Wonderwool Wales is the premier wool and natural fibres show in Wales. The event brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
Jade Carey Holt with one of her wall hangings.
Jade, who completed a multi-disciplined BA Textiles course, plans to use the bursary to buy a loom to set up her own business in Swansea.
She wants to spend some time experimenting and collaborating with the creative community in Swansea, but sees herself designing and making bespoke woven products, including wall hangings, clothing and accessories in the future.
“When I joined the course, I immediately fell in love with weaving,” said Jade. “I take a lot of inspiration from colours, shapes and Celtic influences.
“I am really happy to win the Wonderwool Wales bursary. Out of all the bursaries available, it was the one that I wanted the most because it’s an amazing opportunity to exhibit my work next year and to buy a loom.”
Kay-lee completed her BA Textiles course as a part-time student over six years, with funding support from the Welsh Government. She has secured residencies at Carmarthen School of Art next year and Newtown Textile Museum this summer.
She joined the course after initially doing one year of a graphic design degree at Cardiff University and then working as a restaurant manager. Using her skills to make textiles for interior design, she hopes to have her own studio and become a recognised textile designer in the future.
The stars aligned to guide Kay-lee to Carmarthen School of Art, beginning with a last minute opportunity to join a coach trip to Wonderwool Wales in 2017. A friend then told her about the course and the rest is now history.
“I had the best time at Wonderwool Wales,” explained Kay-lee, who currently works as a freelance knitter. “It was just so exciting and remember thinking to myself this is where I want to be.
“I had been teaching myself hand knitting and crochet, and the show opened my eyes to weaving and how much more there was to do with textiles. It was inspirational to see people doing textiles to such a high level.
“I had some of my work on display at Wonderwool Wales last year which was a big moment for me. Winning the bursary is amazing and feels like a full circle moment.
“My work is inspired by graphic design and typography linked to composition. I like to work with collages to find the balance between colours, shapes, forms and pattern.”
Nia Lewis, BA Textiles programme director at Carmarthen School of Art, thanked Wonderwool Wales for offering the bursaries to launch the post-graduate careers of Jade and Kay-lee.
“It really gives them something to aim for creatively and is a great springboard for the next stage in their careers,” she added.
Wonderwool Wales directors Chrissie Menzies, Olwen Veevers and Sarah Stacey awarded the bursaries after viewing the work of graduates and interviewing them.
Chrissie said she and her colleagues were impressed by the clean lines of Kay-lee’s work and how she incorporates her graphic design skills. The judges were attracted to Jade’s colourful work and her plans for the future.
“It was lovely to hear that Kay-lee had been inspired by Wonderwool Wales and that we had been instrumental in her choice of career,” she added. “It was also pleasing to hear that our bursary was the one Jade wanted the most.
“It’s so nice for Wonderwool Wales to be able to put something back and help these graduates to buy the equipment and materials they need when they leave college.”
Around 6,000 visitors from across the UK and around the world were attracted to the hugely successful Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, at the weekend.
Many of the 230 exhibitors described the 17th show, held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, as the best yet and several first time exhibitors pledged to return next year following buoyant sales over the two days.
The annual festival brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, goats, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
A new, short documentary, highlighting the forgotten potential of wool in textiles and the industry’s urgent need for sustainable solutions, was well received on its Wales premier at the event.
The work of four students from the University of West England in Bristol, Forgotten Fibre delves into the applications of wool in the textile industry and its sustainable uses, as an alternative to synthetics made from plastics.
Two of the people interviewed in the documentary – Jen Hunter from Fernhill Fleece and Fibre near Bristol, Marina Skua, a yarn dyer and hand-knit designer based in Wiltshire – exhibited at the show.
Sally Davies and Jonny King of Garthenor Organic, Cardigan.
Students Tristan Sherfield and Alex Stevenson talk to visitors about their short documentary Forgotten Fibre.
Two new books were promoted at this year’s event. Ria Burns, who designs and makes sustainable knitwear in Bristol, chose to launch her new book, Dyeing Yarn Naturally, at Wonderwool Wales, where TOFT founder Kerry Lord’s latest publication, Alexandra’s Garden: Flowers, which features patterns to make 30 crochet flowers, was also promoted.
A special exhibition of map wall hangings, depicting seven different places around the UK, was a popular feature. It was the first and last chance to see all the wall hangings, which celebrate the combined creativity of more than 180 knitters, together in one place
The exhibition was co-ordinated by Sue Howell, who founded the Knit Your Town Project in response to the immense amount of interest shown in a knitted map of Llandysul, exhibited at Wonderwool Wales 2017.
Many visitors grabbed the chance to attend the ever-popular Woolschool workshops to learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert, while the Sheep Walk fashion parades of garments made by exhibitors attracted packed audiences.
Wonderwool Wales director Chrissie Menzies was delighted with the attendance and the positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors.
“We were overwhelmed with the number of visitors on Saturday – the show was really buzzing,” she said. “There has been so much lovely feedback, with both visitors and exhibitors saying that Wonderwool Wales is the best and only show to go to now.
“They also commented on what a friendly show it is, having a wonderful atmosphere and nothing but positive vibes, and how happy and helpful our lovely stewards are.”
Teri Evans (right) of Ewe & Ply with customers on the company’s busy stand.
The audience at the Sheep Walk fashion parade.
Exhibitor Helen Hickman, owner of Nellie and Eve, who hand dyes British wool yarns using botanical extracts and natural dyeing methods from her base near Llanwrda, said:
“It was an amazing event. Everyone attending appreciates wool and all its benefits.
“Wonderwool Wales has really gathered momentum and people have it in their diaries as a place to go to. There is nothing like it in the UK or Europe and that’s why it attracts visitors from around the world.
“I met visitors from the USA, Sweden and Netherland and another German lady, who usually brings a team with her, was very disappointed that she was unable to attend because of strikes in Germany.”
One of the visitors from the USA was Donny Schultz from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania who said:
“This is my first time at Wonderwool Wales and I am having a great time. I have found some really unique pieces, yarns and wools and I am just learning about the craft. It’s a pleasure to be here in Wales.”
Exhibitor Becca Tansley from Ewe and Ply, which has shops in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, said: “For us, it was the best Wonderwool Wales yet. The attendance was up on last year and people were genuinely interested in what we had on our stand.
“Wonderwool Wales has got a tremendous following and people come to the event to have a good time with the intention of looking at what’s on offer and spending their pocket money.”
Wendy and Graham Thorner, who run Mid Wales Willow near Llanidloes, exhibited for the first time at Wonderwool Wales and their willow dragonflies and baskets were very popular with visitors.
“The show was right up there with the best we have done,” said Wendy. “We enjoyed the ambience and everything about the show, including the visitors who, without exception, were all lovely. The show has inspired me to take up knitting again after a 40-year gap.”
Another delighted first time exhibitor was Torie Wilson, of Feral Fibres from Sussex, who makes bespoke woven wares, such as shawls, rugs, clothing and homeware, from sustainable, handspun and hand-dyed British wool yarn.
“The response from everybody, including visitors, exhibitors and staff, was just overwhelming,” said Torie who launched her business online in 2020. “I didn’t know what to expect, as I know my stall is a bit different, but it was wonderful and couldn’t have gone any better.
“I secured a couple of commissions and made contact with other exhibitors about possibly working in collaboration. There were more than 200 exhibitors at the show and everybody offered something different. It’s really important to highlight the variations of wool.”
Thousands of visitors to Wonderwool Wales next weekend, April 22-23 will have a chance to see a new, short documentary, which reveals the forgotten potential of wool in textiles and the industry’s urgent need for sustainable solutions.
The work of four students from the University of West England in Bristol, Forgotten Fibre delves into the applications of wool in the textile industry and its sustainable uses, as an alternative to synthetics made from plastics.
The students will be attending Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, at Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells to promote their documentary, made as part of their course.
“During the making of the documentary, we discovered that wool is a renewable and biodegradable material, composed of atmospheric carbon,” said Tristan Sherfield, who directed and produced the 10-minute film which he describes as traditionally British with a folk music soundtrack.
“This unique property makes wool a valuable asset in combating the growing damage caused by the expanding clothing and textile industry. Despite its remarkable qualities, wool makes up a meagre one per cent of the global textile market.
“We hope that our film raises awareness of the potential of wool as a sustainable alternative to other materials and the urgent need to prioritise eco-friendly solutions in the industry.”
Tristan says he and fellow students Alex Stevenson, Robert Loud and Maurice Wren were keen to discover why wool has gone from being such a crucial part of our lives to something almost entirely forgotten.
Student filmmakers (from left) Maurice Wren, Alex Stevenson and Tristan Sherfield interview Jen Hunter during the filming of Forgotten Fibre.
They filmed with Andy Wear and Jen Hunter, who focus on a holistic and regenerative way of farming at Fernhill Farm, Bristol, Marina Skua, a yarn dyer and hand-knit designer based in Wiltshire and David Wilkins at Rampishamhill Mill at Beaminster, Dorset.
“In recent years, fast fashion has taken over our textiles and clothing industries, introducing a system more concerned with quantity over quality that pumps out cheaply made garments that are in ‘trend’ one month and out in the next,” added Tristan.
“Despite being biodegradable, renewable and natural, wool has seen a huge decline whilst synthetics have taken over. But clothes made from synthetics are just clothes made from plastic and we’re just beginning to see the impact that they are having.
“Plastic microfibres are being shed and sent straight down the drain every time we wash our clothes.
“This combination of low-quality, low-cost garments and their quick production has led to a whole host of issues, including exploitation of both people and our planet. We have become less attached to the clothes we wear and how they are made.
“So, was the answer right there in front of us all along, in the form of wool?”
Jen Hunter believes so. In the documentary, she says:
“Wool is right here under our noses and we are not using it.”
The documentary is perfectly suited to Wonderwool Wales, the annual festival that brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
The weekend event, which has more than 230 exhibitors this year, covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Wonderwool Wales tickets, costing £12 per day or £22 for the weekend, may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales .
Partners in a Shropshire-based business which sells a huge range of natural and ethically sourced wool, yarn and fibre from the fleeces of their own sheep and other local flocks, will be exhibiting at an award winning show later this month.
With shops in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, Ewe & Ply – eweandply.co.uk – are longstanding supporters of Wonderwool Wales, which celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres.
More than 230 exhibitors have booked their places at this year’s 17th show at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on April 22 and 23.
The annual festival brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Especially for Wonderwool Wales, Ewe & Ply will be launching its latest batch of Shropshire Ply yarn which is spun from a small, local flock of Shropshire Sheep.
The fleeces, which are chosen after meeting the flock owners and checking the welfare of the sheep, come from within 20 miles of Oswestry.
The wool is spun in New Lanark and is hand dyed by Ewe & Ply partners Becca Tansley and Teri Evans using both conventional and natural dyes.
“A lot of love, care and dedication goes into producing Shropshire Ply,” explained Becca.
“The welfare of the sheep and the people working with them are in our set of core values. Our customers need to have faith that we are providing them with high quality, ethically sourced goods.”
Becca and Teri opened their first Ewe & Ply in Shrewsbury Market Hall in 2016, having “escaped” careers as a psychiatric nurse and medical herbalist respectively.
The business now has shops in The Parade, Shrewsbury and 11, English Walls, Oswestry. Their range of products includes exclusive Shropshire Ply, a woollen yarn traditionally spun from the fleeces of small, local sheep flocks. The wool is then kettle-dyed by Teri and Becca in semi-solid colours.
Ewe & Ply shops also stock a wide variety of needles, notions, buttons and books and run Knitting Schools, a Stitchin group and a Sweater Society.
Both Becca and Teri are passionate about Welsh wool and the skills they learnt as children. Having survived the economic challenges of the pandemic, the business is thriving, thanks to the support of customers.
“We realised from the start that the business belonged to Teri and me, but the shops belong to our customers,” explained Becca. “We are certainly a determined bunch, as the skills require patience, perseverance and, at times, bloody-mindedness.”
Last year, a dozen customers answered an appeal for knitted plant creations on the theme ‘Wild’ to fill Ewe and Ply’s colourful shop window display which won the Oswestry in Bloom competition.
Wonderwool Wales tickets – cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend – may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. .
For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales and Instagram @wonderwoolwales
The founder of a West Wales company, who hand dyes British wool yarns using botanical extracts and natural dyeing methods, can’t wait to launch two new products at next month’s Wonderwool Wales.
Helen Hickman, owner of Nellie and Eve – www.nellieandeve.com – based near Llanwrda, is a massive fan of the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres.
“It’s the best show ever,” says Helen, who named her business after her grandmothers, Nellie and Eve.
“It never fails to amaze me that every stall in the three halls has something completely different. I remember going to my first show and being absolutely amazed at how incredibly inspirational it was.”
More than 230 exhibitors have booked their places at this year’s 17th Wonderwool Wales at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on April 22 and 23.
The annual festival brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Nellie and Eve will be launching two yarns that have been spun especially for Wonderwool Wales.
One is a Blue Faced Leicester yarn made from fleece selected by Helen from a local farm. The other is a yarn spun from the fleece of a small flock of Shetland sheep from the farm next door to where she lives.
“The important things for me are that I am supporting local farms and the footprint of having the yarn produced is as small as possible,” said Helen, who moved to Wales from Somerset with her husband, Simon, 20 years ago.
As she was surrounded by sheep, it seemed only natural that she launched a wool-based business, having been taught how to knit and crochet as a child in Surrey. She learnt how to spin in weave in Wales.
Helen, who also runs workshops on spinning and plant dyeing wool, says there’s a “lost generation” of people who didn’t get taught the creative skills but are now keen to learn.
The colours of the Nellie and Eve’s yarns are inspired by the landscape and changing seasons of a Welsh mountain.
Sourced from small, local farms, the entire production of exclusive ‘Limited Edition’ and ‘Single Farm’ collections is kept to within 50 miles of Helen’s studio and spun at a family owned woollen mill, Curlew Weavers at Rhydlewis, Llandysul.
Mindful of the environment, yarns are dyed in small batches using water from a natural spring, compostable materials and plastic free packaging.
Wonderwool Wales tickets – cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend – may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. .
For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales and Instagram @wonderwoolwales .
Image: Nellie and Eve founder Helen Hickman with some of her yarn. Credit: Nellie and Eve/Helen Hickman.
A special exhibition of map wall hangings, depicting seven different places around the UK, will be one of the features of this year’s Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres.
It will be the first and last chance to see all the wall hangings, which celebrate the combined creativity of more than 180 knitters, together in one place.
The exhibition has been co-ordinated by Sue Howell, who founded the Knit Your Town Project in response to the immense amount of interest shown in a knitted map of Llandysul, exhibited at Wonderwool Wales 2017.
Held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on April 22 and 23, Wonderwool Wales is an annual festival that brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
The event covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Since the Llandysul map’s last appearance at Wonderwool Wales, several maps have been completed and this year there will be a selection on display. Llandysul will be joined by Camberley and Bramley (Hampshire), as well as a commemoration of Queen Elizabeth ll’s Platinum Jubilee.
Llandysul map.
Bramley village map.
Maps unable to attend are Newbury and Leeds, both of which are now installed in local museums and Painscastle. The organisers hope Wolverhampton may be able to be there but there will be images on display of the missing pieces in any event.
Other projects that have been produced are Greenham Common from the Newbury knitters. This group was asked to produce a piece of artwork for the café in the Greenham Tower in Newbury, Berkshire.
The artwork comprises three panels, representing pre 1900, the Cold War and the Common now, and is on permanent display there.
Another commission was a personal story of Ugandan refugees, 50 years ago, covering the background of their eviction from their home country and their arrival and subsequent lives in the UK. This was part of an exhibition locally and it went on tour to mark the anniversary.
Bramley’s map was a lockdown project and a great way to help with the isolation of having to stay at home. Wool was collected and shared via a porch and knitters communicated via email.
The knitters enjoyed being able to meet up at last and begin to place the buildings on the base. This map has been on display at The Vine, a National Trust property at Sherborne St John, near Basingstoke, for several months.
Camberley map.
The Bramley knitters then wanted another project and the Queen’s Jubilee seemed a suitable topic. The seven decades are represented on separate smaller panels to create memories of the 70 years.
This artwork has been installed at a local care home and residents absolutely love to look at the intricate details, jogging memories of an earlier time.
The majority of these wall hangings are knitted but crochet and even felting has been incorporated. Knitters rely on photos and pictures, which are transposed to paper or grids and patterns made from that.
It is not possible to estimate the amount of wool used or the cost, but they have involved hundreds of hours of dedication and skills.
Wonderwool Wales tickets – cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend – may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate.
For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales and Instagram @wonderwoolwales.
More than 230 exhibitors have booked their places at this year’s Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres.
Buoyed by support from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund, the organisers are delighted with the positive response from exhibitors to the 17th show, which will be held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on April 22 and 23.
The show hopes to feature five knitted maps and a record breaking longest scarf, more details of which will be release closer to the event.
Tickets for the show, which traditionally attracts more than 6,000 visitors, can be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk. There will also be tickets for sale at the gate. Tickets cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend.
With 36 new exhibitors confirmed, there will be plenty for visitors to see and do at Wonderwool Wales, which was judged best event in Mid Wales at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards in 2019.
Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 to promote the market for Welsh wool and to add value to products made by small wool and fibre producers in Wales.
The festival celebrates the green credentials of Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
For those seeking creative inspiration, there will be demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some exhibitors. When the shopping is done, there will be plenty of tea and coffee stops and a tempting selection of refreshments from Street Food vendors.
Many visitors grab the chance to attend one of the ever-popular Woolschool workshops and learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert. These are available to book on line.
“After the two year absence enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic, we were delighted to bring back Wonderwool Wales last year,” said Chrissie Menzies, a director of Wonderwool Wales. “After receiving so many positive messages about the show, we are delighted that an extra 36 exhibitors have booked to attend this year.”
Find out more about the 2023 show at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales
“It’s great to be back” was the comment that best summed up the feelings of exhibitors and visitors after more than 5,000 people flocked to Wonderwool Wales at the weekend.
Following a pandemic-enforced absence of two years, the two-day show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres made a triumphant return to the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.
More than 190 exhibitors packed three halls, with many reporting a virtual sell out of their goods, which ranged from hand dyed yarns and fibre to equipment and quality finished products.
Developed to promote the market for Welsh wool and natural fibres, Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 and has grown in scale and popularity alongside a knitting, crochet, felting and textile craft making boom.
A series of Woolschool workshops was well attended and Sheepwalk fashion shows, where exhibitors showed off their wonderful creations, were packed over the weekend.
The wow factor was supplied by a special, eight-metre long exhibition entitled Alice in Wonderwool. The eye-catching, hand crafted interpretation of Alice in Wonderland installation featured an array of captivating characters, all crafted from felt and fibre.
Show regulars, Alex Johnstone and Kathy Smart, joined forces with felting and fibre art friends, including prolific knitter and crochet enthusiast Terry Moncion, to recreate Alice’s dreamland journey and her marvellously wacky tea party. Janna Turner from Flock2Felts was project lead and felting advisor.
The installation was originally made for Wonderwool Wales in 2020, which was postponed due to the pandemic. Alex, Kathy and Janna used the lockdowns to add extra features to the exhibition which was assembled for the first time at this year’s show and what an impression it made.
“We have been working on Alice in Wonderwool on and off for three years and it’s lovely to see the smiling faces of people when they see it,” said Kathy. “They come up and say ‘Wow’. That makes it all worthwhile.”
Janna added: “It’s a first time an installation of this size and type has been delivered and we are all very proud of it. We have been invited to other craft exhibitions and clubs, but nothing has been confirmed yet.”
Alex said: “It was quite emotional and overwhelming when we assembled it for the first time.”
The exhibition and various other fundraising ventures at the show raised £706 for the Wales Air Ambulance and £1,000 for NGO Molotok, a Ukrainian project established 13 years ago by Nataliya Cummings near the border with Belarus, to support young people from disadvantaged rural communities.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the project has become a shelter for more than 100 young people and families fleeing the war.
Nataliya Cummings from Experience Ukraine & Beyond with one of the bags bearing the flag of Ukraine.
Nataliya, who now runs Experience Ukraine & Beyond based in Pontrilas, near Hereford, had a stand at the show selling posters and bags printed with the Ukrainian flag for NGO Molotok. She also donated 20% of her profits from hand-spun and handwoven wool rugs and Ukrainian textiles which she sells.
“The response from people has been brilliant,” said Nataliya. “They are donating money, talking to me about Ukraine and supporting in any way they can
“It is wonderful to be raising money for this project that I founded and people are really supportive. I set up a JustGiving page and raised £65,000 in the first week which was overwhelming.”
Another feature of the show was a special exhibition of work created by textiles students and graduates at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Carmarthen School of Art throughout the pandemic.
This exhibition gave visitors an insight into their design process as well as beautiful textile outcomes in knit, weave and mixed media. “People have loved finding out how the exhibits were made,” said Lindsay Williams from the college.
For those seeking creative inspiration, there were demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by exhibitors.
The continuing impact of Covid-19 variants caused the late withdrawal of some exhibitors, as newcomers accounted for about a third of the stands at the show, which was supported by the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund.
The show is organised by an industrious group of five people, including three directors. The main organiser Chrissie Menzies, said:
“It was lovely to be back to some kind of normality.
“We had some amazing feedback from exhibitors and visitors, including an American tour group. They absolutely loved Wonderwool Wales, saying it was the best wool show they had ever been to and they would like to come again. Everything went really well.”
It was first time at the show for Hayley and Nick Dunn from Ducky Darlings, Hognaston, who make hand-dyed yarns inspired by the Derbyshire Dales.
“This show puts others to shame,” said Nick. “Everybody is commenting on how good it is. Customers have time and want to listen to what you have to say. We have loved the show.”
Chrissie Crook, from Woolyknit at Diggle, Saddleworth, who sell Warth Mill yarn and 100% wool socks, said:
“The show is fabulous, so well organised. We have been really busy and, like many exhibitors I have spoken to, we have nearly sold out.”
Feature image: The Alice in Wonderwool exhibition and creators Janna Turner, Kathy Smart and Alex Johnstone.
Wonderwool Wales 2022, the two-day show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, makes a welcome return this weekend following a two-year, pandemic enforced absence.
The organisers are delighted with the enthusiastic response to their 16th show at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on Saturday and Sunday.
Such is the demand that Saturday is nearing a sell out with around 3,000 tickets already sold, but there are tickets available for Sunday either online at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. Tickets cost £12 per day.
“We are delighted with ticket sales and the general response to this year’s show,” said Wonderwool Wales director Chrissie Menzies. “A lot of people have been talking on social media about the show and we are expecting to sell a lot of tickets at the gate over the weekend.”
The pandemic continues to have an impact, however, with four exhibitors having to withdraw this week, having been struck down by Covid-19. There will be around 190 exhibitors this year.
“We have probably lost around a third of our usual exhibitors for a variety of reasons, including the impact of the pandemic. However, the good news is we’ve attracted a lot of new exhibitors, so it promises to be an exciting show,” added Chrissie.
A feature of this year’s show, which has been supported by the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund, are two special exhibitions in Hall 3. Visitors will have the chance to see work created by Coleg Sir Gâr’s Carmarthen School of Art textiles students and graduates throughout the pandemic and a zany, hand crafted interpretation of Alice in Wonderland.
Supported by Carmarthen School of Art throughout the pandemic, students kept working on their briefs at home to create exciting and challenging work. Visitors will get an insight into their design process as well as beautiful textile outcomes in knit, weave and mixed media.
The massive, specially-created ‘Alice in Wonderwool’ installation features an array of captivating characters, all crafted from felt and fibre. This exhibition will be raising money for this year’s Wonderwool charities – the Wales Air Ambulance and NGO Molotok Ukraine.
Show regulars, Alex Johnstone and Kathy Smart, joined forces with felting and fibre art friends, including prolific knitter and crochet enthusiast Terry Moncion, to recreate Alice’s dreamland journey and her marvellously wacky tea party. Janna Turner from Flock2Felts was project lead and felting advisor.
Halls on the showground will be filled with beautiful, hand dyed yarns and fibre, along with equipment and quality finished products, giving visitors an opportunity to stock up on supplies.
Teeswater sheep at a previous Wonderwool Wales. Image by John Teale Photography.
Airedale Yarns will be displaying Barra yarn, a strong blend of wool and nylon for weavers, luxurious silks which are ideal for hand and machine embroidery, delicate weaving, lace, tassels and braids and Axminster yarn, perfect for weavers and rugmakers.
For those seeking creative inspiration, there will be demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by various exhibitors including needle felting make and takes with Mum’s Makery and The Makerss.
Ever-popular Woolschool workshops will be held on both days, with topics carefully chosen to appeal to a wide range of interests and levels of ability.
Developed to promote the market for Welsh wool and natural fibres, Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 and has grown in scale and popularity alongside a knitting, crochet, felting and textile craft making boom.
To find out more about the 2022 show, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk, like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales
Two stunning and unique exhibitions will feature as Wonderwool Wales 2022 returns next month after an absence of two years during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Buoyed by support from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund, the organisers are looking forward to welcoming visitors to the 16th show at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on the weekend of April 23 and 24.
Tickets, costing £12 per day or £22 for the weekend, must be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk. There will be no tickets for sale at the gate.
Celebrating all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, Wonderwool Wales 2022 will feature special exhibitions in Hall 3. Visitors will have the chance to see work created by Coleg Sir Gâr’s Carmarthen School of Art textiles students and graduates throughout the pandemic and a zany, hand crafted interpretation of Alice in Wonderland.
Lockdowns and disruption did not stop creativity at Carmarthen School of Art. Supported by the art college throughout the pandemic, students kept working on their briefs at home to create exciting and challenging work.
Characters from the Alice in Wonderwool exhibition.
Characters from the Alice in Wonderwool exhibition.
Visitors can expect to see an insight into their design process as well as beautiful textile outcomes in knit, weave and mixed media.
Coleg Sir Gâr’s BA Textile Programme director Nia Lewis said:
“Wonderwool Wales has always been hugely supportive of our graduates and we are delighted to have this opportunity to showcase the work undertaken through this time. We are so proud of our students’ resilience and creativity.”
The Wonderwool Wales Bursary has been running for several years, awarded to a BA Textiles Knitting & Weaving graduate.
The massive, specially-created ‘Alice in Wonderwool’ installation features an array of captivating characters, all crafted from felt and fibre. This exhibition will be raising money for this year’s Wonderwool charities which include the Wales Air Ambulance.
Show regulars, Alex Johnstone and Kathy Smart, joined forces with felting and fibre art friends, including prolific knitter and crochet enthusiast Terry Moncion, to recreate Alice’s dreamland journey and her marvellously wacky tea party. Janna Turner from Flock2Felts was project lead and felting advisor.
Show visitors will meet a manic and frantic white rabbit that is always late, a perpetually grinning Cheshire cat and a contemptuous caterpillar. As their adventures are set in Wonderwool, all of the characters are made using felt and fibre.
The characters, scenery and flowers, food, crockery and woodland creatures are made of a mixture of wet and needle felt techniques, knitting and crochet with a bit of sewing and embroidery thrown in.
With several new faces amongst the 210 exhibitors, there will be plenty for visitors to see and do at Wonderwool Wales, which was judged best event in Mid Wales at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards in 2019.
The show was also Highly Commended for the last two years in the Best Event category at the Let’s Knit British Knitting & Crochet Awards.
The organisers are aiming to fill the halls with beautiful, hand dyed yarns and fibre, along with equipment and quality finished products, giving visitors an opportunity to stock up on supplies.
Teeswater sheep at a previous Wonderwool Wales. Image by John Teale Photography.
For those seeking creative inspiration, there will be demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some exhibitors. When the shopping is done, there will be plenty of tea and coffee stops and a tempting selection of refreshments from Street Food vendors.
Visitors can also pre-book to attend one of the ever-popular Woolschool workshops and learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert.
“We’ve gathered together a range of skilled tutors to lead a choice of four morning and five afternoon workshops on both days,” said Chrissie Menzies, a director of Wonderwool Wales. “The topics have been carefully chosen to appeal to a wide range of interests and levels of ability – there should be something for everyone.”
The Woolschool workshops include the following morning sessions: Spinning with a spindle for beginners led by Freyalyn Close-Hainsworth, Colour wheel Bargello with Tina Francis, Needlefelting with Sam Loughlin from Mum’s Makery and Delightful decorative crochet baby boots with wool felt soles led by Amanda Blackwell from Joe’s Toes.
The topics for the afternoon workshops are: Creative freeform knitting and crochet with Lisette Webley, Core spinning for light and airy textured yarn with Amanda Hannaford, Beautiful bee buttons and brooches with Lydia Needle, Natural weave macrame wall hangings with Alice Thomas and Wet felting – ‘The Solitary Tree’ with Susan Mulcock.
Developed to promote the market for Welsh wool and natural fibres, Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 and has grown in scale and popularity alongside a knitting, crochet, felting and textile craft making boom.
Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, is planning to return in style in 2022 following a pandemic enforced absence of two years.
Buoyed by support from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund, the organisers are pressing ahead with plans to hold the 16th show on April 23 and 24 next year at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, subject to any restrictions at the time.
Tickets for the show, which traditionally attracts more than 6,000 visitors, must be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk and will be available mid-December. Tickets will cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend.
Two stunning and unique exhibitions – a collection of knitted and crocheted maps of seven different places around the UK and a zany, handcrafted interpretation of Alice in Wonderwool – will feature in Hall 3 at the show.
Both exhibitions, which were originally planned for the 2020 event, will be raising money for Wales Air Ambulance.
With several new exhibitors already confirmed, there will be plenty for visitors to see and do at Wonderwool Wales, which was judged best event in Mid Wales at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards in 2019.
Spinning
Teeswater Sheep
The event was also highly commended in the Best Loved Knitting Show or Event category in last year’s British Knitting & Crochet Awards.
The December 31 closing date is fast approaching for exhibitors to apply for a place at the event. The organisers are aiming for 210 exhibitors to fill the halls with beautiful, hand dyed yarns and fibre, along with equipment and quality finished products, giving visitors an opportunity to stock up on supplies.
For those seeking creative inspiration, there will be demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some exhibitors. When the shopping is done, there will be plenty of tea and coffee stops and a tempting selection of refreshments from Street Food vendors.
Chrissie Menzies, a director of Wonderwool Wales, said whilst it had been very disappointing to cancel the last two shows due to the pandemic, the directors were encouraged by the many positive messages received from supporters.
“We are very grateful for grant support from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund which has enabled us to press ahead with plans for Wonderwool Wales in April next year,” she added. “Tickets for the show are being sold online so that we know exactly how many people are coming.”
Developed to promote the market for Welsh wool and natural fibres, Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 and has grown in scale and popularity alongside a knitting, crochet, felting and textile craft making boom.
Find out more about the 2022 show at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales.
Every so often we see something of real interest that we just have to share with you all. This article is one of those times:
Hi I’m Chrissie Menzies and I am a textile artist living and working in Mid Wales, I am also a director of Wonderwool Wales, the largest wool and fibre festival in Wales and one of the largest in the UK. I do most of the organising and running of the event which is held annually at the end of April at the Royal Welsh Showground.
I work mainly using wet felting techniques to produce a range of bags, rucksacks and accessories, I also use eco printing for scarves & homewares. Years ago I used to do a lot of patchwork and quilting and started a patchwork group at Rotherwick WI, where we met every month at one of our member’s houses. I taught them lots of different techniques and we had great fun. I also taught patchwork for beginners one afternoon a week through the council’s adult education classes.
When I want a break from felting I revert to dressmaking. During 2019 I managed to finally finish a log cabin quilt that I had started 28 years ago! It is a double bed size and reached the floor. It was lovely to get it finished and on the bed for the winter and was the first patchwork that I had worked on for years. Having inherited my Mother’s bed top quilt which I made my parents for their Ruby Wedding, and which resides on the spare bed, I decided to make another bed top quilt using William Morris pattern fabric as I have always loved his designs.
Recently I acquired a beautiful Willcox and Gibbs hand crank sewing machine through a local auction, I couldn’t believe my luck as they don’t come on the market that often & definitely not in such good condition. My hubby, Andy, checked it over and oiled it up and it was ready to go. It stitches a beautiful chain stitch. I couldn’t resist using it for this quilt. I had a pack of squares in William Morris Fall colours and purchased a pack of fat quarters in plain autumn colours. Not having done any piecing for years it took a while to get the template right but after some good advice from the group I managed to get the pieces matching up when sewn. I am still making the squares but I should have enough sewn to make the top soon.
Manufacture in America of the Willcox and Gibbs chainstitch sewing machine, invented by James Edward Allen Gibbs, began in 1858, it was half the size and price of other machines on the market, not to mention half the threading! They originally produced treadle machines with very ornate base castings. You could have the machine on trial at home, no one would want to give the machine back once they had tried it out! The 1867 models had two tension discs made out of glass, in 1875 this was replaced with the automatic tensioner, which I have on my own machine. If you look from the back of the machine it is in the shape of a ‘G’ for Gibbs. In America the treadle version was the most popular but in Europe the hand crank version was far more popular.
The machines were manufactured for Willcox and Gibbs by J R Brown & Sharpe of Providence, Rhode Island, who were originally clock and watch makers so used to precision work working with super fine tolerances and to a very high quality, thus every part of the machine was interchangeable meaning that a machine could be assembled in less than half an hour. Competitors’ machines could take a week. Manufacturing ceased later in the 20th century. It was the longest production run of any sewing machine in history.
In the early advertising ladies with treadle machines were advised to purchase the hand crank adaptor to enable them to take their machines on holiday with them so that they didn’t miss a day’s sewing!
I always think of making patchwork as an old craft, which it obviously is, that should be made on an old sewing machine. My log cabin quilt was pieced together on my beautiful old Frister Rossman hand crank machine and the quilting was done on a large Singer hand crank machine which has a wider spacing to fit bulky fabric through. I have an old Jones hand crank machine that made a pieced and quilted jacket for a godson when he was a baby. Now the Willcox and Gibbs is in use with the William Morris fabric, which seems quite fitting. The next project, fabric is on the way, will be produced using one of my other machines in the collection, maybe I will try and get to grips with the Singer treadle machine!
Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about wool and natural fibres, is planning to return in style in 2021.
The two day event became a Covid-19 pandemic casualty when it had to be cancelled this spring. However, buoyed by support from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund, the organisers are pressing ahead with plans to hold the 16th show on April 24 and 25 next year at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, subject to restrictions at the time.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the show attendance will be limited to 2,000 each day – it traditionally attracts more than 6,000 visitors – and tickets must be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk
The restrictions have also ruled out the show’s popular Woolschools and Sheepwalk, a woolly take on the catwalk, which will hopefully return in 2022.
However, there will be plenty for visitors to see and do at the show, which was judged best event in Mid Wales at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards in 2019. Wonderwool Wales was also highly commended in the Best Loved Knitting Show or Event category in this year’s British Knitting & Crochet Awards.
Two stunning and unique exhibitions – a collection of knitted and crocheted maps of seven different places around the UK and a zany, hand crafted interpretation of Alice in Wonderwool – will feature in Hall 3 at the show. Both exhibitions, which were planned for this year’s event, will be raising money for Wales Air Ambulance.
The organisers are aiming for 220 exhibitors to fill the halls with beautiful wool, hand dyed yarns and fibre, along with equipment and quality finished products, giving visitors an opportunity to stock up on supplies.
For those seeking creative inspiration, there will be demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some exhibitors. When the shopping is done, there will be plenty of tea and coffee stops and a tempting selection of refreshments from food vendors.
The December 31 closing date is fast approaching for exhibitors to apply for a place at the event.
Chrissie Menzies, a director of Wonderwool Wales, said whilst it had been very disappointing to cancel the 2020 event, the directors were encouraged by the many positive messages received from supporters since it was announced that the 2021 show was going ahead, subject to Covid-19 regulations in April.
“We are very grateful for grant support from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund which has enabled us to press ahead with plans for Wonderwool Wales in April next year,” she added.
“Tickets for the show are being sold online so that we know exactly how many people are coming. Everyone will be asked to wear masks, carry hand sanitiser with them and adhere to social distancing and any other Covid-19 rules in place at the time.”
Developed to promote the market for Welsh wool and natural fibres, the show has grown in scale and popularity alongside a knitting, crochet, felting and textile craft making boom.
Fantastic fibre workshops come high up the list of must-do’s at Wonderwool Wales 2020 – the award-winning annual extravaganza that celebrates all that’s great about wool and natural fibres.
Alison Ellen hat photo Colin Mills: Alison Ellen, the maker of this knitted hat, will show how to knit 3D shapes. Photo: Colin Mills
The show, now in its 15th year has grown in scale and popularity alongside the surge in interest in knitting, crochet, felting and textile crafts. Held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells over the weekend of April 25-26, it brings fibre fans flocking from all over the UK and abroad. In recognition, it has just won an award for best event in Mid Wales at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards ceremony and now goes forward to represent Mid Wales at the National Tourism Awards for Wales in March 2020.
Visitors to the show are ever eager to stock up on raw products, supplies and luxury hand-made items from more than 200 high quality stalls and many grab the chance to attend one of the ever-popular Woolschool workshops and learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert.
Organisers are delighted to offer a breadth of topics for 2020’s pre-bookable Woolschools. Said organiser Chrissie Menzies:
“We’ve gathered together a range of skilled tutors to lead a choice of six morning and six afternoon workshops on both days. The topics have been carefully chosen to appeal to a wide range of interests and levels of ability – there should be something for everyone.”
Lydia Needle buff-tailed bumblebee: A needle felted bumblebee by Woolschool tutor Lydia Needle. Photo: Lydia Needle
For those keen to learn or improve needle felting skills, there’s an unmissable Woolschool with Lydia Needle where they will learn to craft their own beautiful button or brooch depicting a bee. They’ll spend the first part of the workshop practicing the technique and learning bee anatomy by working on samples which will contribute to a major creative project which Lydia is currently engaged in. Called Fifty Bees, it is intended to highlight the plight of the British bee. Their samples will be added to a growing installation, which will form part of an exhibition in Somerset in 2022.
Those new to macramé can make a wall hanging, using recycled, hand-dyed cotton cord; prospective weavers can try their hand making an individualistic, rustic, framed wall hanging using a selection of hand-spun yarns; beginners in Bargello stitching can have a go at creating colourful wall art and there’s also the chance to learn how to spin with a spindle.
There’s a workshop suitable for any level of experience, showing how to make a collage using felt and Kantha stitch and for those with a basic knowledge of Tunisian crochet, Sharon Carter will show how to use Tunisian Intarsia to make a mug rug or plant coaster.
Daisy Fay Ray with her handwoven meditation blankets. Photo: John Beynon
Competent basic spinners can extend their skills in a workshop with Amanda Hannaford who will show how to use create textured yarn. Those with some knitting and crochet knowledge can experiment with freeform knitting and crochet or learn how to knit 3D shapes which can be turned into hats, bags or cushions. There’s also the chance to join a discussion about options for processing fibre to yarn led by spinning mill owner Sue Blacker.
All these opportunities to get creative with wool and natural fibres are presented alongside a wealth of special exhibitions, daily demonstrations and have-a-go sessions and the ever-entertaining Sheepwalk (a woolly take on the catwalk).
Visitors to the 2020 show can also admire work by Jourdan Williams and Daisy Fay Ray, two award-winning graduates from the BA Textiles: knit, weave and mixed media course at Carmarthen School of Art, part of Coleg Sir Gậr in Carmarthen. The creative and enterprising pair have each received a £1000 bursary from Wonderwool Wales to boost their future business plans and their prize also includes a stand at the show.
The two have very individual styles: Jourdan, aged 21, from Carmarthen, will be displaying work influenced by the theme “the manipulation of people’s human rights” interpreted for her degree show through a series of knitted swatches and a real statement piece, a knitted straitjacket. In contrast, the prize-winning handwoven meditation blankets made by 26-year-old Daisy Fay Ray from Llandissilio, Pembrokeshire have a more soothing theme, emphasising the connection between creativity and healing.
Find out more about the 2020 show at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk. Like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales
Feature image:Jourdan Williams with some of her knitted swatches. Photo: John Beynon
Wonderwool Wales, a weekend wool and natural fibre festival that attracts more than 6,000 visitors to the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells every April, has won an award for staging the best event in Mid Wales.
The festival received the accolade at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards ceremony held at The Hafren, Newtown and now goes forward to represent Mid Wales at the National Tourism Awards for Wales in May 2020.
The awards ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas and the event compere was Welsh tourism personality Jonathan Jones, CBE.
Designed to celebrate and showcase the region’s exceptional tourism industry, the biennial awards were organised and managed by MWT Cymru on behalf of Mid Wales Tourism Forum and supported by Visit Wales, the Welsh Government’s tourism arm. A dedicated Tourism Awards Advisory Group was established specifically to assist with the awards.
Wonderwool Wales’ director Chrissie Menzies and Sarah Stacey said:
“We are overwhelmed by the award because it means an awful lot to us. We work really hard and so do our standholders and others who come to the event. We work with a good team and this award is for them as well.”
Wonderwool Wales attracts visitors from across Wales, the UK and overseas, all of whom are interested in either knitting, crochet, felting, weaving, spinning and dyeing.
The festival, which has been running for 14 years and attracts more than 220 exhibitors, promotes Welsh and British wool and the vast array of fibre crafts that use it.
Exhibitors are selected on the quality of their products or work and workshops are run throughout the weekend, covering diverse topics such as spinning, knitting, felting and crochet. Masterclasses have been added to the workshop itinerary, with internationally known tutors set to be invited to next year’s event.
An online ticket booking system ensures visitors a smooth, speedy entry to the event, reducing queuing times for pay on the day tickets and giving the organisers an idea of the overall number of visitors and coach parties to expect.
Most of the visitors and all of the exhibitors and staff stay in local accommodation and eat locally during their stay. Local accommodation providers are listed on the event’s website and tour groups are given a list of other destinations that may be of interest to include in their itinerary.
An annual bursary, run jointly with Coleg Sir Gar, awards a graduate from the BA Knitting and Textiles course £1,000 and a free stand at Wonderwool the following year.
Wonderwool Wales uses local tradesmen and suppliers and also supports several charities with free stands and money raising opportunities throughout the event.
Runners up for the award were Welshpool 1940s Weekend and Glanusk Estate Fayre and NGS Open Garden.
Granted an Awards Trust Mark by the Independent Awards Standards Council, the awards were open to all businesses, organisations and individuals who contribute to tourism within Mid Wales.
MWT Cymru is the regional destination marketing and membership organisation for Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd district of Southern Snowdonia. As a not-for-profit social enterprise company, MWT Cymru supports and represents more than 550 tourism businesses and organisations across the region.
Feature image: Chrissie Menzies (centre) and Sarah Stacey, directors of Wonderwool Wales, receive the Best Event Award from Mid Wales Journal editor Peter Kitchen at the Mid Wales Tourism Awards held at The Hafren, Newtown
Its fun, it’s friendly and it’s filled with fabulous fibre – Wonderwool Wales is back at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells on April 27 and 28, with knitting, crochet and crafting workshops, demonstrations of spinning, weaving and felting and stalls brimming with temptation.
The go-to diary date for fibre fans, knitters, crochet enthusiasts and felt makers from the UK and abroad, the annual showcase of wool and natural fibres also has plenty to interest the whole family. There’ll be exhibits of live sheep and goats, the entertaining Sheepwalk (a woolly take on the catwalk), a flock of colourful crocheted and knitted seagulls (the result of a community arts project led by Vicky Harrison of Bristol’s Crafting the City) and a display of some of the thousands of poppies from Wonderwool Wales’ commemorative Curtain of Poppies which took centre stage at the 2018 show. A series of friendship banners, created by Colwinston Crafters will also be on show.
The show’s first masterclass, with 2018 British Craft Awards Crochet Designer of the Year, Jane Crowfoot of Janie Crow, is a sell-out success. However, for those who book quickly there are still plenty of other opportunities to get creative with wool and natural fibres. Join a Woolschool workshop to learn how to hand felt a cute bunny; make a wet felt merino wool bowl; weave a beautiful willow wall hanging; choose fleeces for hand spinning and yarn design; learn braiding; do block printing; knit fingerless gloves or create an up-cycled, wool Christmas Tree.
With more than 200 stalls, keen shoppers have a choice of thousands of beautiful natural yarns in a rainbow of colours; knitting, crochet and felting equipment; books, patterns and kits and a range of accessories. There are also beautiful gifts, fashionable clothing and items for the home from the wide range of stalls selling individually crafted wool and natural fibre products.
As well as the popular show regulars, this year there are a host of new stalls. First timers include Unique Yarns with their very pretty yarns, Elfn with their felted clothing and BA Textiles graduate Helen Evans of Helen Margaret Textiles, who has been given the chance to exhibit her range of beautiful woven cushions as part of a Wonderwool Wales bursary scheme.
There are also lots of new products and inspiration from returning exhibitors. For rug hooking enthusiasts, a new book, Yarn Hooking, by Carole Rennison of Hooked by Design is full of great projects. The Makerss are back again with some new needle felting designs and their new book, Making Simple Needle Felts. Multipom, with their stand full of pompoms, will also be bringing their new project book to the show.
For hungry shoppers, there’s also an exciting choice of street food from a range of vendors plus artisan food stalls in Hall 2, ice creams outside Hall 1 and stands in all the halls selling delicious teas, coffees and cakes.
Wonderwool Wales is also delighted to promote and encourage a range of charities and initiatives at this year’s show. Since 2011 it has supported Wales Air Ambulance, raising more than £5000 for the cause from the bag crèche, mini buses and exhibitions. Ravelry, who run the show’s interactive area, also raise money for the charity by selling yarn, equipment and other items donated by members. This year a knitted helicopter pattern devised by show organiser Sarah Stacey will be available from the Information Desk in return for a donation to the charity. New Wonderwool bags, designed by show steward Sarah Evans, will also be on sale at the show, with a donation of 50p for each bag sold heading to the Wales Air Ambulance. UK charity Knitted Knockers are sharing a stand with Macmillan Cancer Support to raise awareness of their wonderful work handcrafting free bespoke replacement breast prostheses for women that have undergone a mastectomy. This year the show is also pleased to support Octopus for a Preemie UK with a stand to promote their work to make and supply special care baby units and neonatal intensive care units with crochet and knitted octopus and jellyfish.
There’s also a chance to get an update on the Blyth Tall Ship Williams Gansey project, which has involved volunteer knitters from all over the world in making bespoke navy ganseys and watch hats for the crew of the Williams II – a tall ship that has been restored and refitted in Blyth, Northumberland as part of a project to recreate the voyage that discovered Antarctica. This is the fourth year that the gansey project’s leaders, Astrid Adams and Janice Snowball (also a Wonderwool Wales show steward) have been invited to promote the project at the show. Right now, the Williams II is travelling round Britain in ten legs as a training exercise for future voyages and over the past year, Astrid and Janice have also raised £2,500 to have grey ganseys and watch hats knitted for the shore based team.
Photos in order of appearance: Feature image: The Makerss: Felted items by The Makerss. Photo: Faisal Khouji Seagull 3: One of the woolly seagulls created as part of a Crafting the City community project. Elfn: Elfn’s felted clothing. Photo: Dimitris Koutroumpas Helicopter 1: Pick up a pattern for a knitted Wales Air Ambulance helicopter. Photo: Sarah Stacey
Visitors to this year’s Wonderwool Wales will be able to admire and buy beautiful, award winning woven cushions designed and made by the show’s bursary recipient, Welsh textile artist Helen Evans.
The pretty, pastel-coloured houses which give Aberaeron harbour its distinctive charm inspired Helen’s prize-winning portfolio while she was a student at Carmarthen School of Art. The BA Textiles graduate captured her memories of the views from her childhood home, in Portland Place, Aberaeron, to produce a range of beautiful woven cushions. The stunning designs are influenced by the town harbour’s palette of colours and Regency architecture.
Helen is the latest recipient of Wonderwool Wales’ annual bursary to a graduate from the BA Textiles; knit, weave and mixed media course at Carmarthen School of Art, part of Coleg Sir Gậr. Judges and Wonderwool Wales organisers Chrissie Menzies and Olwen Veevers, who presented Helen with a cheque for £1000, said they were impressed both by the quality of her work and her business plan.
Part of Award winning textile artistHelen’s prize is the opportunity to showcase her creativity at the wool and natural fibres extravaganza, Wonderwool Wales, at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells on April 27 and 28, 2019. See her work on Stand C1 in Hall 1. Show tickets are on sale now
Feature image: Award winning textile artist Helen Evans, centre, with Wonderwool Wales organisers Olwen Veevers (left) and Chrissie Menzies (right). Photo: John Beynon
Wonderwool Wales vast textile stage was the venue for a wall-to-wall Curtain of Poppies, featuring 79,300 knitted, crochet and felt poppies, drawing comments of “breath-taking”; “amazing”; “inspirational”; “a marvellous tribute.”
The curtain brought together contributions from knitters and fibre fans from all over the UK and abroad. It formed a colourful highlight of the showcase of Welsh wool and natural fibres at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys on April 28 and 29. It’s a show which draws thousands of visitors to see and buy a range of wonderful products, some brought direct from the farm gate, and where they can also view and learn techniques for making their own beautiful felted, knitted and hand-made creations.
The show’s Curtain of Poppies caught the imagination of today’s community of knitters and fibre fans and encouraged them to recreate the united determination of the women at home during World War 1, who “did their bit” to support the troops overseas by knitting gloves, scarves, balaclavas and socks.
Individuals contributed everything from one poppy to more than a hundred, some sending them in memory of named members of their own family who died in the Great War. A serving soldier sent a single, embroidered felt poppy, saying she had never made anything else by hand in her whole life. One contributor knitted poppies in memory of her grandfather and sent in 100 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the War. Schools, Knit and Natter groups, WIs, craft groups and even whole communities got involved. St Bernard’s Primary School, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire invited parents to come into school and sew a poppy with their children, giving each child the name of a soldier from the town who died during WW1. Among the largest number donated by one group were 3446 from pupils from Porthcawl Comprehensive. Other group efforts included Y Fenni Rangers; Powys Radnor Federation of WIs; the Afternoon WI Group, Abergavenny; the community of Llanfyllin, Powys who made 558; the community of Ludlow who sent in 2500 ….and the list goes on.
Jane and Olwen Veevers, organisers of A Curtain of Poppies. Photo: John Teale
Curtain of Poppies organisers, mother and daughter Olwen and Jane Veevers were delighted by the response. Said Olwen:
“We would like to thank everyone who has contributed. Poppies have piled in from all over the UK and even from Europe and North America, often accompanied by cards, photos and notes explaining contributors’ reasons for getting involved. It’s been truly amazing.”
After its debut at Wonderwool Wales, A Curtain of Poppies was taken straight to Powys County Council County Hall where it will remain on display during May. It will then be exhibited at the National Wool Museum of Wales from May 26 until the end of June. It will be on display at the Gower Heritage Centre during July and August, the Newtown Textile Museum during September and next year (2019) it has been offered a permanent home at the Gower Heritage Centre.
Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in the Principality, has become an annual fixture for wool and natural fibre enthusiasts from all over the UK and abroad. This year’s event featured stalls selling equipment, accessories, books, kits, natural fibre products and designer items alongside beautiful Welsh or British wool and wool products, some of them from rare breeds. Several fibre producers brought their products to Wonderwool Wales direct from ‘field to fibre fan’ and others exhibited some of their animals too – there were sheep, Angora goats and Angora rabbits.
There was a treasure trove of new and innovative products and ideas on display including the chance for crochet enthusiasts to see and buy the new Bohemian Blooms crochet blanket kit from the 2018 British Craft Awards Crochet Designer of the Year, Jane Crowfoot of Janie Crow.
Bringing an international element to the event, there were also stallholders selling glorious yarns or handmade textiles from all over the globe, from Scandinavia to Southern Chile.
This year’s festival also featured the work of the joint winners of the inaugural Wonderwool Wales bursary, Kathleen Lloyd and Julia Davies, both BA Textiles graduates from Carmarthen School of Art.
A popular programme of pre-bookable Woolschools gave participants the chance to learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert and included hooking with carpet yarn; the chance to arm-knit a beautiful cowl and an opportunity for needle felt students to make a charming animal brooch with Jenny Barnett.
Crocheted crocodile. Photo: John Teale
Visitors to this year’s show were also able to snap up the chance to see a life-size crocodile whose coat was made up of hundreds of crochet motifs – the result of a community arts project led by Bristol’s Crafting the City.
Joining the exhibitors showing off their wares on the ever-popular Sheepwalk, a woolly take on the catwalk, were Purl Alpaca Designs with their new jumper, Monroe. The Sheepwalk also featured a beautiful “boudoir coat” made with a pattern available from Belinda Harris-Reid; a new Side Winder jumper design from Find Me Knitting in collaboration with Luxury Yarns and a prize-winning dress made in Alpaca wool from Norweft.
For more details visit: www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk. Like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales
Feature image: Wonderwool Wales see Jane and Olwen Veevers unfurl the final poppies to add to the curtain of 79,300. Photo: John Teale
Fascinating textile exhibitions at this year’s Wonderwool Wales include a knitted map of Llandysul, a felt model of Llareggub Village and displays brought together to mark the centenary of the First World War.
To further commemorate the Great War there will be costumed re-enactors wearing authentic reproduction clothing from 100 years ago at Wonderwool Wales and show organisers are inviting hand-made contributions for their Centenary Textiles Community Project: A Curtain of Poppies.
The hugely popular wool and natural fibres festival on April 22 and 23 at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells will showcase a Centenary Textiles Exhibition in Hall 3.
Organiser Jane Veevers said:
“This will explore the role and development of handmade textiles including knitted, crocheted and felted items, during World War 1. It will include Centenary Stitches, a project co-ordinated by costumier Pauline Loven, a range of Circular Sock Knitting Machines demonstrated by Hilary Kendall and various displays telling the story of textiles 100 years ago.
“Alongside this, we’re hoping to bring together our community of textile makers to recreate the united determination of the WW1 volunteers. There’ll be an interactive area where volunteers can make a textile poppy for an installation we’re planning for Wonderwool Wales 2018, to mark the end of the Great War. Our ‘Curtain of Poppies’ will include 887,858 textile poppies, to commemorate each person from the UK who died serving their country.” Jane added: “If individuals or textile groups would like to make a larger contribution, they are invited to make lengths of poppies. Instruction leaflets can be picked up at the show or find the patterns and further information on the show website.”
Centenary Stitches, part of the special Centenary Textiles Exhibition, is a display of clothing from the WW1 film ‘Tell Them of Us’ by WAG Screen not-for-profit filmmaking group. The exhibit shows how a modern-day international army of knitters was created almost by accident, helping to costume the film and shedding light on the extraordinary range of knitted items produced by the women back home for the men in the trenches.
Alongside this Hilary Kendall will be exhibiting some of her collection of fully restored and operational circular sock knitting machines, developed at the end of the 19th Century. By WW1 these had enabled socks to be produced much more quickly and a popular British-made model, the Cymbal, was adopted during the war effort not only for sock knitting but also for producing bandages.
Visitors to Hall 3 can also admire The Llandysul Map, a 10ft x 6ft knitted map produced by a small group of Llandysul knitters and a model of Llareggub Village, made from felt and other materials and created for the Dylan Thomas celebrations in 2014 by Swansea-based Itchy Fingers Textiles.
See the Centenary Stitches Exhibition at Wonderwool Wales 2017. Photo: Pauline Loven
All this can be enjoyed at a show which bursts at the seams with stalls brimming over with supplies and ideas for fibre fans and also features a full programme of Woolschools, with opportunities to learn techniques from felting to weaving. There will also be have-a-go sessions on some of the stalls; demonstrations by members of the Welsh Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and the ever-entertaining Sheepwalk, a woolIy take on the catwalk.
