Wonder Wool Wales

This weekend I was treated to a child free day out to the fabulous WonderWoolWales - a festival dedicated to all things woolly! Situated at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells and with an emphasis on natural fibres in all their glory this is a great day out for the crafty!

There was plenty to see. I loved watching the spinners and weavers practising their craft with skill that made it all look so easy...

There was plenty of opportunities to get hands on too.  FlowerMammy fancied a go at blending fibres to create her own unique yarn...

 

Pulling the fibres together through a hole in a sea shell...

...until you have a bundle of blended wool ready to be spun.

It's not something that can be learnt in a few moments but she certainly got a taste for it and bought a blending tool, some gorgeous coloured wool tops and a drop spindle to have a go herself!  I got some blended roving and a drop spindle from the lovely Katie Weston at Hill Top Cloud who was more than happy to offer advice. (She also has an Etsy store here - stuffed full of her wonderful blended roving, hand carded batts and drop spindle kits for beginners. I shall be paying a visit again very shortly!)

Wandering around the festival stands (under cover, thankfully, given the weather!) was a visual treat...

A display of felted art

beautiful dyed mohair

 

The Wool Clip - Woolfest organisers stand showcasing some woolly wonders

Beautiful display on Oliver Twists stand - hand dyed natural fibres

The Natural Dye Studio. I felt like a kid in a sweetie shop...

And if all that colour is too much for you there were some lovely natural yarns to choose from...

...and if you fancy seeing all these fabulous fibres in their natural state, there were some very special guests in attendance too!

At the other end of the spectrum there were also a great many fine examples of finished products - hand and machine knitted, crochet, woven textiles and some amazing examples of recycling including the brilliant Raggedy & Wench

In all we had a fabulous day and returned home tired but inspired! I can't wait till next year's Wonder Wool Wales. Hopefully then I will have mastered, or at least got the hang of, the drop spindle and will be on the look out for more gorgeous fibres to spin and create with :-)

PS: Did I mention it was a child free day? Well I lied a little - FlowerMammy's adorable little Bear came too - and loved every minute of it!

My mum showing off her Kaffe Fasset AND her grandson ;-)