How are you making yarn with that?

I was originally considering calling this post a yarn fest. virgins weekend, but I realised that could apply to many people. Instead I used a question I was asked more than once in various forms, including a direct quote from one enquirer, 'How are you making yarn with that?'

I have only recently picked up the needles, spindle and hook so going to a yarn festival was a big thing. I budgeted and saved since October and managed to go with a good amount of pennies. I also made a decision that as I am still a newbie to most yarn things I would not go to a class. After all, I don't know what I need to learn yet with professional guidance as I've theoretically still got almost everything to learn. So, with a suitcase to carry things home in and a packed lunch I headed off to Edinburgh Yarn Festival (EYF). I had arranged to meet two people from an on-line competitive knitting group I am a member of and was buzzing with excitement for the event for weeks.

Did it live up to expectations? YES, Oh yes. Arriving before 10am, the queues were huge. Out the door and round the side of the venue, the Edinburgh Corn Exhange. However, once the doors opened it did not take long before I was inside and thinking of the places to hit first.

On my way into the main hall I spotted La Maison Tricotee. They had a beautiful stall just inside the main hall filled with rare in the UK brands. I had a glance and parted with my first pennies that day on two skeins (green and central grey) of yummy yarn from Riverside studios (Canada).


Having started with the purchasing I knew I had to beware, so much yummy stuff everywhere. I knew I wanted to buy more fibre, more yarn and was still on the look out for dyes so I made a beeline to one of the vendors I HAD to go to, John Arbon. By the time I had finished with John and basically said give me one of everything (fibre not yarn), I had my suitcase full of fibre and had some yarn as well. His 2-3ply Alpaca (black) was just too yummy to not take one home.

Straight opposite Johns stall was another must visit, Adelaide Walker. This lady stocks lots of breed specific fibres. I was able to buy a nice selection to continue my spinning education on the day and there is more I could get next time. A few things I grabbed included white Jacob (I hand dyed my last lot and needed some to go with that hand dye and my grey), Gotland, Herdwick (both I have heard interesting things about) and Manx Loughtan.

Having filled up on fibre I went and hunted down my local yarn shop as it was in the seating area next to that stall I was meeting my friends. We ended up moving to the Podcast lounge to squish British wools with KnitBritish and show each other our purchases so far. We also did some knitting.

Photo thanks to Knitbritish (Louise) - I am stood at the back squishing with my friends.

Proof of suitcase of doom. :) The fibres in this were squished to compare them to the ones Louise had for us.

Having chilled we split up again to grab lunch and meet later. I stayed in the big hall with my packed lunch and met two ladies from Norway. A general theme for every meeting was 'What have you brought?' This was always followed by ooohs and ahhh's and quite often - which stall. OK I'm off to get some. Never underestimate the power of large seating areas on sales. Many sales come from the sat down squishing sessions and chats which we all had.
As people were knitting and crocheting I pulled out my mayan spinner and set about spinning some of my hand dyed (home dyed) jacob fibre. This was where I started fielding enquiries. The Mayan spinner is rare and gets a lot off attention. I was asked time upon time how it worked and had to demonstrate, it was an interesting reaction. The best one was when I was asked 'How are you making yarn with that?' by a lady who's spindling friends at another table had been puzzled. I think next year I may take some along to sell and see what happens. I may even have my own fibres and yarn for sale by then.

My hand dyed fibre caught the eye of one of the event photographers.

Which meant I also caught the attention of the event photographer and ended up with an action shot of me with my spinner spinning.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon happily chatting and spinning. Then the wait for the evening event began.

Not everyone had brought tickets for the event, it would have been impossible with the numbers of people at the day time to have all sat down together without us using a stadium. However, a significant number of the people I had chatted to that day had, including the 'How?' lady and her spindling friends and the two ladies from Norway. That evening we all ended up together on a table for the Ca-baa-rette. A night of sheepy and yarn filled entertainment and a pub quiz which included making a sheep out of given materials in a specific time. Our table called ourselves '10 points to stitcherin' and we managed to make a very passable sheep which made Clara Parkes go 'Awwwww'.

The morning afterwards I wondered if I would make it back to the venue. I was crackered. However, I had lost my camera case the day before - note not the camera, that was around my neck, so I foreced myself to move.
On the Sunday I tried to focus on buying yarn as I already had lots of fibre. I picked up some Shilasdair green and some Rainbow-Heirloom (I also have two skeins on order with those guys).

I also picked up some new black dyes and a grey dye, a blocking matt set and T-pins. Giant balls of yarn with giant needles..
Oh and fibre (four lots only though). I left with my taxi money and 50p spare.

I had a wonderful time and are so happy to see they are looking for vendors for next year already. I have included myself on the list in the hope I am up and running and can make my second festival my first to sell at. Either way I'm sure my spinner and I will have a lot of attention again.