What's New At Edinburgh Yarn Festival?

Image courtesy of EYF

Queen's song Don't Stop Me Now is playing on a loop in my head as I'm excitedly preparing to fly to Edinburgh for its annual yarn fest.

The trip is a mix of part-work (I'm writing a feature on EYF for The Knitter magazine) and part belated-birthday holiday with my husband, who has agreed to push me in my wheelchair around the knitting show as long as we visit a real ale pub for dinner afterwards. Deal!

In the six years it has been running Edinburgh Yarn Festival has gained a reputation of becoming one of the UK's top knitting festivals, with many visitors flying in from abroad. It's also a champion of both Scottish wool businesses and small independent producer/makers who you won't find in your local yarn store.

The marketplace runs from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd March and on Sunday morning there's a Make::Wool event. The classes, Make::Wool and the fringe events have sold out but there should be tickets for the marketplace available on the door at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange.

There's a plethora of stalls to visit, so much so that I'm going to have to enforce on myself a strict budget. I plan on taking cash only - once it has gone it has gone!

Designers' and wool companies' often choose EYF to launch their latest goodies. In the past week some email newsletters and social media feeds have teased knitters with what will be on offer in Scotland's capital city. Don't worry if you're not going to EYF because products will be available on the individual companies' websites once it's all over.

Here are some of the highlights:

An Caitin Beag

Not got a lot of cash? For a little treat I'm thinking this new stitch marker from An Caitin Beag's stall would make a great souvenir:

Image courtesy of An Caitin Beag

The brand will also be launching the Catwing sweater at EYF.

Marie Wallin

Her popular British Breeds gift box, containing the twelve shades in her own British Breeds wool range, will be back in stock at EYF. There will also be four new pattern and British Breeds yarn kits available, including the beautiful jumper Birch from her Wildwood pattern book.

Birch image courtesy of Marie Wallin

Donna Smith

Another cute souvenir of EYF to buy is this cute felt jumper brooch, inspired by Smith's native Shetland. She'll be selling them for £12 at EYF's Sunday morning Make::Wool event.

Image courtesy of Donna Smith

The Knitting Goddess

As well as selling the latest of her hand-dyed yarns, The Knitting Goddess is to launch her latest pattern book, Wist Tha Bahn?, at EYF. Apparently it means 'where are you going?' in Yorkshire dialect, though as a Yorkshire lass  I've never heard it! The book contains six shawl patterns.

Image courtesy of The Knitting Goddess

Kettle Yarn Co.

On Saturday morning the company will be showcasing Renee Calllahan's Midding Cardigan, knitted in a small batch of Kettle Yarn Co's Baskerville DK. You'll be able to meet Callahan and have a squish of the new Baskerville DK's colours.

Midding cardigan image courtesy of Kettle Yarn Co. and Renee Callahan

Daughter of a Shepherd

Rachel Atkinson, aka Daughter of a Shepherd, (read our recent blog post about her here), has teased on her Facebook account that at EYF there will be 'Ram Jam but not as you know it'. Ram Jam is one of her own yarns and is a blend of British fleece that would otherwise have gone to waste. What could the new addition be?

Ram Jam image courtesy of Daughter of a Shepherd

Tilly Flop Designs

The Knit Gift Kit will be on sale for the first time at EYF. According to Tilly Flop 'you'll get a sheet of wrapping paper, a greeting card, a tag with care details, a glassine envelope for all the important spares, a bulb pin to carefully fasten tag to the gift and a sachet of Soak'. Price TBC.

Knit Gift Kit image courtesy of Tilly Flop

Whistlebare 

Whistlebare will be launching its 'Canny Lass Collection' of knitting patterns. The company gave a sneak preview on Facebook of one of the designs ...

Image courtesy of Whistlebare

Shetland Wool Week

Each year Shetland Wool Week usually announces at EYF who this year's patron is going to be and also releases a hat pattern to give Wool Week goers enough time to knit it before the September event. We don't know for sure this is definitely be happening this year but if it does we'll let you now.

Are you going to EYF? Which stands have you got your eye on? A full list of exhibitors is available here.