As some of you may know, Woolfest took place over the weekend just gone. For those who didn’t know, Woolfest took place over the weekend just gone. Woolfest is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a place to buy wool (although not exclusively!) for spinning, knitting, weaving, felting…whatever you might want to use wool for. It is also a place to buy the various accoutrements for these practices.
I went last year, and I had a very nice time indeed. So this year I was keen to go back. As a result, on Saturday morning my boyfriend and I drove up (actually he drove and I…didn’t. Because I can’t!) to Cumbria to visit Woolfest.
We began with a wander around, without the intention of buying very much at first — recconaissance is always good! Then later I did the major part of the buying on my own while he read his book. I am now in possession of a large amount of fibre for spinning, a set of beautiful little carders, a small niddy noddy (my current one is huge, and not always what I need), and a lovely book on carding. I was happy.
Having said that, I think the whole thing was really marked much more by experiences. Seeing all the sheep, alpacas, etc. I have to say that some of them looked deeply unhappy. It was a warm and muggy day, and so not the greatest day to be an unshorn sheep in a small pen.

I dare say they were ok really, but I bet they were happy to get home! There were some alpaca rabbits too, which looked, frankly, terrified. Perhaps it was just the heat, but it did seem a shame for them to look so unhappy.


One thing I loved was that Ashford had a stand there. I don’t remember whether or not they had one last year, at that point I was just beginning to use a drop spindle, and really wasn’t interested in taking it any further. However, they were there this year, and I think that was great. They weren’t actually selling — they didn’t need to be, everyone else was selling their products — but they had lots of their products to look at. They had a selection of wheels, a drum carder (which was being demonstrated), books, examples of fibre, lazy kates…I suspect examples of the greater part of their production line.
Especially fascinating for me was the chance to see the new four speed flyers in person. When they first came out I was very excited. My wheel is rather old and has only two ratios, and I was filled with a sense that of course I needed a four speed flyer with a sliding hook mechanism, rather than those question mark shaped hooks you screw in. But what I discovered at the weekend is that I don’t like the look of the flyer. It’s just too modern for me. If I had another wheel, a more modern looking one, I would probably go for it. But it would look completely wrong on my old fashioned little wheel!
I also got to meet Elizabeth Ashford who completely threw me by a) being Elizabeth Ashford — it never occurred to me that there were actual people called Ashford, at least, not any more (I’m pessimistic. I assume little companies are bought out by bigger companies and become completely dehumanised) and b) asking me whether I had my own sheep. I really liked her though. I liked the fact that they were there, I loved that she included my boyfriend in the conversation rather than assuming that only the woman would be interested/involved in spinning etc (he isn’t involved particularly, but there’s no reason to assume that!), and I loved being told I could have a go on one of the wheels. The thing about something like this is that it gives a company a face, and makes you feel that when you’re buying from them you’re buying from someone who was nice and friendly to you once. Which never hurts.
Throughout the day I was also looking at the various wheels on display, and found that I love mine more than any of them. When I was looking into buying one I was leaning much more towards a Kromski Sonata, but I couldn’t find a second hand one, and so bought an Ashford Traveller. And now, I’m glad. The Sonata is nice, absolutely, I just like mine better.
And here, just for good measure, is a wooly animal montage!




All things considered, it was a wonderful weekend, and a wonderful Woolfest!