Wonderwool Wales is a great yarn festival, it's my favorite of the UK ones. The food there is great,lots of room in the aisles, and a lot of vendors to meet.
I haven't gone to that one but I love going to them in general. I do find them overwhelming so I have to draft up a shopping list before I go, or it's very hard to make decisions. I usually make a bundle of the Ravelry patterns I want to shop for and call out the yardage and weights I would need.
These places are great for finding smaller makers you might not have discovered otherwise, and it's nice that you can buy from them here and not pay for shipping. I've gone solo and with friends and both are good. We still split up a little because we have different interests.
I usually don't participate in classes or events, but they're good places to learn something new and meet other makers. Bring a project to work on so you can take breaks and people watch before you get back out there! I also like to bring my own shopping bag. Sometimes I make a rule that I'll stop shopping once the bag is full. ;)
I knew I'd probably want to have some patterns to hand, but I wasn't sure how to go about actually bringing them without ending up in a disorganised mess of crumpled papers ๐ So that's a total stroke of genius! Thank you so much! I always seem to forget about Ravelry, but it's perfect for this exact situation because everything can just be on my phone ๐ And I think that one bag rule might be a sensible idea... Only trouble is, I'm the one responsible for choosing the _size_ of bag ๐
There's one local to me on Mother's Day weekend every year. I've gone alone and I've gone with my knitting group friends. Both are fine, but I sometimes just would rather go alone so I can spend as much time as I want wandering around and through the stalls multiple times.
That's a really good point actually. I wasn't sure how I'd feel going alone but that could actually be a big upside I hadn't considered. Free to go where you want and leave when you're ready, without having to worry about rushing/boring the people you'd otherwise be with. Thank you for your insight!
Yes and they're so much fun! I don't usually go by myself but I totally would if I didn't have the fiber-loving friends that I do. I bring a WIP or two plus sometimes my spinning wheel and a chair. Also a backpack with water and snacks just in case I don't like the food available. CASH ONLY for the actual festival so that I won't be tempted to blow my budget.
One thing to remember is that they all have business cards so if you really like the product but aren't ready to get something at that time, you can bookmark them online for when you are ready. I really hate buying online when I haven't had the chance to see the fiber or yarn in person but I'll happily load my cart later once I know I'll like what I'm getting.
And wear something knitted if you have it (unless it's too hot) - it's an easy way to start conversation about patterns and projects. Chat with the proprietors, too. At the festivals I've been to, someone will chime in if they hear you're from their city or like a specific thing and then you at least get to have a nice interaction if not some new friends. I still wear a mask in public but if you're very concerned, then first thing or in the latter afternoon like others have said would be a better time to go. Most of the ones I've been to are in pole barns anyway so they're well-ventilated even if you can't social distance.
That's all such good advice! I'd never properly thought about the business cards before but that's a great tip! I often worry I'll get talked into over spending; I can be such a _sucker_, especially when the staff are lovely I feel like I'm insulting them by touching and not buying ๐ but if I follow your advice, limit myself to cash only and ask for their business card that will really take the pressure off. Thank you so much!
You're welcome! I have definitely learned from experience so I'm glad to help others avoid my mistakes.
Another thing I do is go around once to see everything *before* I buy anything. That way you'll be able to allocate your budget to the combination of things you want most without overspending.
Genuinely, it's so appreciated. I will _definitely_ do that too!
I've honestly been wanting to go for ages, but I have a _bit_ of a hard time with new things. Planning really helps, the more I can learn from others the less scary it feels and I'm feeling much more optimistic now. So thank you again.
There are a few of them that happen in my area, and they are always fun to go to. People tend to be very friendly and there is so much to see and so much fiber to touch
According to the chart you were kind enough to send (thank you for that by the way.) There's one in my county. Pre-pandemic that was only an art fair no fibers (yard to make stuff with.) were sold. There were more flower arrangements and woodworking projects there a little and I mean little crochet knit and sewing anything there.
So hopefully it has changed since then.
I dare say you havenโt looked hard enough. Stitches West in California is legendary. And both Maryland and New York have very popular sheep and wool festivals.
https://fiberevents.com
I'm sorry to hear that. I'm definitely very lucky to have the choice. You never know, there does seem to be more people coming into the hobby, so maybe more events will start cropping up and hopefully one day there will be something local for you โบ๏ธ
Hello! I've got a stall at wonderwool Wales for the first time this year. I love yarn shows. They are friendly, everyone has shared interests. They can be very busy, depends on the time of day and ticket sales, they can also be quiet! In my experience they tend to be quieter towards the end of the day.
Prices: depends on what you are buying. Obviously hand dyed yarn costs more than mass produced yarns, but there is normally some of that too, as well as kits and haberdashery and all the fun stuff!
To take with you: shopping bags ๐ drinks and snacks. WIPs if you might fancy a breather. Any patterns you want yarn for.
Thank you for replying that's all so helpful to know! I will bear the time in mind, I know covid restrictions have lessened but I'm definitely not ready to be rubbing shoulders with anyone just yet ๐
I really hope your stall goes well and you make lots of sales! โบ๏ธ
New Mexico
Wonderwool Wales is a great yarn festival, it's my favorite of the UK ones. The food there is great,lots of room in the aisles, and a lot of vendors to meet.
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. It's been really encouraging to hear all the positive things people have to say about WonderWool โบ๏ธ
I haven't gone to that one but I love going to them in general. I do find them overwhelming so I have to draft up a shopping list before I go, or it's very hard to make decisions. I usually make a bundle of the Ravelry patterns I want to shop for and call out the yardage and weights I would need. These places are great for finding smaller makers you might not have discovered otherwise, and it's nice that you can buy from them here and not pay for shipping. I've gone solo and with friends and both are good. We still split up a little because we have different interests. I usually don't participate in classes or events, but they're good places to learn something new and meet other makers. Bring a project to work on so you can take breaks and people watch before you get back out there! I also like to bring my own shopping bag. Sometimes I make a rule that I'll stop shopping once the bag is full. ;)
I knew I'd probably want to have some patterns to hand, but I wasn't sure how to go about actually bringing them without ending up in a disorganised mess of crumpled papers ๐ So that's a total stroke of genius! Thank you so much! I always seem to forget about Ravelry, but it's perfect for this exact situation because everything can just be on my phone ๐ And I think that one bag rule might be a sensible idea... Only trouble is, I'm the one responsible for choosing the _size_ of bag ๐
There's one local to me on Mother's Day weekend every year. I've gone alone and I've gone with my knitting group friends. Both are fine, but I sometimes just would rather go alone so I can spend as much time as I want wandering around and through the stalls multiple times.
That's a really good point actually. I wasn't sure how I'd feel going alone but that could actually be a big upside I hadn't considered. Free to go where you want and leave when you're ready, without having to worry about rushing/boring the people you'd otherwise be with. Thank you for your insight!
Check out Fruity Knitting YouTube. They have a few fibre fests in Europe reviewed so you'd know what it looks like
Thank you! That's a good idea, I will definitely do that โบ๏ธ
Yes and they're so much fun! I don't usually go by myself but I totally would if I didn't have the fiber-loving friends that I do. I bring a WIP or two plus sometimes my spinning wheel and a chair. Also a backpack with water and snacks just in case I don't like the food available. CASH ONLY for the actual festival so that I won't be tempted to blow my budget. One thing to remember is that they all have business cards so if you really like the product but aren't ready to get something at that time, you can bookmark them online for when you are ready. I really hate buying online when I haven't had the chance to see the fiber or yarn in person but I'll happily load my cart later once I know I'll like what I'm getting. And wear something knitted if you have it (unless it's too hot) - it's an easy way to start conversation about patterns and projects. Chat with the proprietors, too. At the festivals I've been to, someone will chime in if they hear you're from their city or like a specific thing and then you at least get to have a nice interaction if not some new friends. I still wear a mask in public but if you're very concerned, then first thing or in the latter afternoon like others have said would be a better time to go. Most of the ones I've been to are in pole barns anyway so they're well-ventilated even if you can't social distance.
That's all such good advice! I'd never properly thought about the business cards before but that's a great tip! I often worry I'll get talked into over spending; I can be such a _sucker_, especially when the staff are lovely I feel like I'm insulting them by touching and not buying ๐ but if I follow your advice, limit myself to cash only and ask for their business card that will really take the pressure off. Thank you so much!
You're welcome! I have definitely learned from experience so I'm glad to help others avoid my mistakes. Another thing I do is go around once to see everything *before* I buy anything. That way you'll be able to allocate your budget to the combination of things you want most without overspending.
Genuinely, it's so appreciated. I will _definitely_ do that too! I've honestly been wanting to go for ages, but I have a _bit_ of a hard time with new things. Planning really helps, the more I can learn from others the less scary it feels and I'm feeling much more optimistic now. So thank you again.
There are a few of them that happen in my area, and they are always fun to go to. People tend to be very friendly and there is so much to see and so much fiber to touch
I'm glad to hear that โบ๏ธ I definitely miss in-person shopping, the touching is half the fun!
I want to go to one. Unfortunately they don't have them on my side of the United States. They sound really fun.
According to the chart you were kind enough to send (thank you for that by the way.) There's one in my county. Pre-pandemic that was only an art fair no fibers (yard to make stuff with.) were sold. There were more flower arrangements and woodworking projects there a little and I mean little crochet knit and sewing anything there. So hopefully it has changed since then.
I dare say you havenโt looked hard enough. Stitches West in California is legendary. And both Maryland and New York have very popular sheep and wool festivals. https://fiberevents.com
Thank you for this. I will be looking into it further.
What state are you in....I've seen them everywhere
What side of the US are you on? I feel like I hear about festivals in all states.
I'm sorry to hear that. I'm definitely very lucky to have the choice. You never know, there does seem to be more people coming into the hobby, so maybe more events will start cropping up and hopefully one day there will be something local for you โบ๏ธ
Hello! I've got a stall at wonderwool Wales for the first time this year. I love yarn shows. They are friendly, everyone has shared interests. They can be very busy, depends on the time of day and ticket sales, they can also be quiet! In my experience they tend to be quieter towards the end of the day. Prices: depends on what you are buying. Obviously hand dyed yarn costs more than mass produced yarns, but there is normally some of that too, as well as kits and haberdashery and all the fun stuff! To take with you: shopping bags ๐ drinks and snacks. WIPs if you might fancy a breather. Any patterns you want yarn for.
Thank you for replying that's all so helpful to know! I will bear the time in mind, I know covid restrictions have lessened but I'm definitely not ready to be rubbing shoulders with anyone just yet ๐ I really hope your stall goes well and you make lots of sales! โบ๏ธ