Heaven

Woolfest was created last year as a two-day festival of wool by the Woolclip (a cooperative based in north Cumbria who include farmers producing wool and mohair, creative textile and fibre artists and spinners, weavers, knitters and dyers with a shop at Priest's Mill in Caldbeck, Cumbria). Cockermouth may be a trek from most of the country, but all the traders in the spinning world you can think of plus many others, with the exception of Fibrecrafts, were there. I suppose the only comparison is with the shows you go to at the NEC, but at this one there were only two non-textile stalls I saw – both making baskets (one willow, one oak swill).

I somehow persuaded a friend to drive us up there and stay in Cockermouth Youth Hostel, which is an 18th mill. I promptly abandoned the friend after dinner to go spinning on the Friday night. This is the great Spin-in (think late 1960s love-in but with wool). About a hundred of us mainly with wheels but some knitting or spindling gathered in an agricultural show theatre. I joined a small group of Joy wheels and owners. One woman was pre-drafting silk, and kindly taught me. I have only tried silk a couple of times and had to fight with it which hurt my hands so I never thought I’d want to try again. But predrafting and winding the stuff onto a stick – I shall attempt this again. Got back to the hostel to find a Blue Peter session of needle felting going on.

The hostel had just over 20 of staying there – including a group of loud Yorkshire and Teeside women, plus an alpaca stallholder. The talk of mating alpacas before breakfast in the morning was a bit eye watering.

I had booked a class on long draw spinning with Freyalynn Close-Hainsworth for the morning. A select band with a variety of wheels, including a Hitchhiker. Now I think the Joy is beautifully portable but this one fits in a suitcase. It’s even shorter than the Joy. We were taught to card perfect little rolags, and take the plunge with spinning a yard at a time. Another thing to try at home.

And after that there was shopping. I had not only been saving money but had even thought about items I was after. I got a new top-whorl spindle as although I do spin occasionally with a spindle, they seem less effort (no faffing with half hitches). For those who don’t read the Journal there was an article recently on a new cross called Bowmont which is being developed which is ¾ merino and ¼ Shetland. The intention is to grow beautifully fine wool in this country, but it was not been too successful yet. I had to buy a bag of the fleece to try out. I also bought a book on learning to crochet for my mother who poor thing can no longer knit. Though there was much yarn , I resisted as I spin and dye I can’t really justify it…

There were also sheep, with several of the sheep societies present, fleece sale, and all these people to talk to about wool. Heaven.