The excitement surrounding the burgeoning number of wool fairs and shows in the UK looks set to continue into 2018. With old favourites such as The Knitting & Stitching Show joined by newcomers including Wool Is The Festival, there are a lot of venues to choose from right around the country.
Wool shows offer the perfect opportunity to meet small, independent wool companies and traders, squish their yarn first hand and stock up on British brands you may not be able to buy at your local yarn store. On top of that they're a great day out and very economically important to small producers so you can shop in the knowledge that you're contributing to keeping your favourite British designers and yarn makers in business.
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| Memories of Yarndale in Skipton |
This list includes all wool shows that have definite dates announced for 2018.
January 2018
21st January - Waltham Abbey Wool Show.
Essex-based show with bookable workshops.
February
16-18 February - Unravel.
Go to Farnham in Surrey for this three-day stall and workshop extravaganza.
March
1-4 March - The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show.
Olympia in London is the venue for this popular favourite.
15-17 March - Edinburgh Yarn Festival.
This styles itself as 'the UK's premier urban hand-knitting show'. Classes have already sold out.
April
7-8 April Spring Into Wool.
Head to The Grammar School in Leeds for this show that as well as knitting embraces crochet, weaving, feltmaking, spinning and dyeing.
28-29 April Wonderwool Wales.
Wales' leading yarn show is based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, Powys.
May
11-13 May The Handmade Fair.
Ragley Hall in Warwickshire is the venue for this Kirstie Allsopp-fronted craft event.
12-13 May Wool@Junction13
Head to Staffordshire for this celebration of all things woolly.
June
2nd June Leeds Wool Festival.
Armley Mills Industrial Museum hosts this woolly day, which also gives an insight into the history of textile production in the area.
22-23 June Woolfest.
Cockermouth in Cumbria is home to this perennial favourite that calls itself the original British wool festival.
22-24 June The Handmade Fair.
Bowood House in Wiltshire is the venue for this Kirstie Allsopp-fronted craft event.
July
14-15 July Yarningham.
Birmingham's own yarn festival.
28-29 July Fibre East.
Bedford's annual event focussing on the finest-quality British wool.
August
10-11 August The British Wool Show.
This show in York supports The Campaign For Wool in raising the profile of British wool.
September
1st September Southern Wool Show.
New for 2018 is this crafty show based at Newbury Racecourse.
1st September Wool Is The Festival.
Another new for 2018 show, this one's venue is Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. Expect stalls, sculptures and yarn bombing.
8-9 September Perth Festival Of Yarn.
Perth in Scotland will bring together independent dyers, knitters, spinners, felters and weavers.
14-16 September The Handmade Fair.
The Green at Hampton Court Palace is the venue for this Kirstie Allsopp-fronted craft event.
22-30 September Shetland Wool Week.
This Scottish island show is the holy grail for many knitters who want to visit the home of some of the finest Fair Isle knitwear.
29-30 September Yarndale.
It's the sixth year of this popular wool show in Skipton, Yorkshire.
October
11-14 October The Knitting & Stitching Show.
Another chance to visit Alexandra Palace in London for this long-lasting show.
13-14 October Bakewell Wool Gathering.
This Derbyshire event is dedicated to the best of yarn, knitting and crochet.
19-21 October Loch Ness Wool Fest.
One of the newest wool shows on the block, this one in Inverness gives you the chance to search for the Loch Ness monster as well as snap up yarn bargains.
November
2-3 November Yarnporium.
A London festival of sweater weather, yarn, friends and fibre.
22-25 November The Knitting & Stitching Show.
It's Harrogate in North Yorkshire's turn to play host to this famous yarn show.
Do you know of any UK yarn shows that aren't included here? Please let us know either in the comments below or on A Woolly Yarn's Facebook page.
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