Monday 2 December 2019

Yorkshire Yarn Fest

There are more and more yarn festivals popping up each year and I visited the newest one on Saturday in York, Yorkshire Yarn Fest.

Held in two barns at White Syke Farm, goodness, it was muddy and the barns were cold. There were warnings that we'd need to wrap up well but I felt sorry for the vendors who were having to warm their hands on cups of coffee. There were a good selection of exhibitors, over thirty in total, but I have to say that the lighting was so poor in some areas of the main barn that Mick actually took out his phone and shone the torch so that I was able to see. Not ideal for a yarn show.


I bought two gorgeous skeins of yarn, each from dyers I haven't come across before. The first is from Castle View Yarns in the Owl Post colourway and the second is from Noodle Soup in the Disphotic Zone colourway. I have to say that this is the sparkliest yarn I've ever come across, though the photo doesn't do it justice.

There looked to be a good turnout and it was good to see some new to me dyers, but I do hope they'll do something about the lighting before they hold their next show, which is already scheduled for March next year.

32 comments:

  1. Both Yarns look gorgeous, love that blue. Glad the weather didn't put people off going too much. Shame about the lighting, hopefully they will do something to improve that next year.

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    1. I couldn't resist either of these yarns, they're both beautiful. It was a chilly day on Saturday but it was dry, it was very muddy though being staged on a farm. I do hope they sort out the lighting, it was very difficult to see in some areas, I felt quite sorry for those who had their stands in those conditions.

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  2. I love the noodle soup, but I really must use more of my stash before purchasing more.

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    1. I find it very hard to resist when faced with so much gorgeous yarn, I did think I was quite restrained though coming away with just two skeins.

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  3. A barn in the cold weather we have had over the weekend must have been a very cold place for the exhibitors. The yarn have bought looks lovely looking forward to seeing what you make with them.

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    1. Everyone was warned that it would be cold, I suppose it could have been worse, it was a nice bright day, I wouldn't have fancied going in the rain. I think the Noodle Soup yarn would make a great pair of socks in the Strictly sockalong, I may have to save it till next year.

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  4. Wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing how they knit up. Noodle Soup! Whatever next. 😊

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    1. There's one thing for sure, whatever I knit with the Noodle Soup yarn will be very sparkly indeed.

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  5. The conditions sound as if only dedicated knitters, would brave them! But glad you went.

    Is there any way to tell these people...? Especially about the need for lights?

    Greetings from Snow Country!
    ⛄🎄⛄

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    1. Luckily for the organisers, there's plenty of dedicated knitters around. I think the venue is one better suited to summer, though I should imagine the barn would still be dark even then, though I'm sure they'll realise that after this first event. It will be interesting to see if they modify the lighting next time.

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  6. I'd love to go to a yarn festival one day. It sounds like it was absolutely perishing cold BRRRR. Gorgeous yarns. Best, Jane x

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    1. Yarn festivals are a lot of fun, so many gorgeous yarns to peruse. There's new ones popping up all the time all over the country so there may be one close to where you live.

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  7. Oh I did not see this, we moved up to Pickering a month ago, so would have been able to go. However, like many I have far too much yarn already, and I am not sure I would have liked walking around muddy barns! Lovely yarn purchases though.

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    1. Pickering is such a pretty place, how lovely to move there. The next Yorkshire Yarn Fest is scheduled for March, though I should imagine it'll be even more muddy then.

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  8. Oh Jo.. that Noodle soup. I would never have name it that. WOW is it beautiful! Oh Disphastic zone..sorry, I'd call it starry night

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    1. Starry night would suit it. Actually, I've got a yarn named Starry night in my stash, inspired by Van Gogh's painting.

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  9. The yarn you chose is beautiful. It's too bad the conditions were not better, especially the lighting. Hopefully it will be better next year.

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    1. I hope they do improve the lighting next time. I'm very happy with the yarn I chose in any case.

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  10. I wish we had yarn festivals around here. Or maybe I don't. I have no will power when it comes to buying yarn.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. It's very tempting when you see all that yarn in one place. We're lucky, we have quite a few yarn festivals close by, there seems to be new ones popping up every year.

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  11. No yarn festivals here, I would even go in the cold. Love your new yarn.

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    1. That's such a shame, they're a lot of fun and there's always lots of things that are very tempting there.

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  12. Sounds good Jo & pity we don't have any yarny festivals over here, especially as we were a country who prospered with sheep rearing. Ah, the way of the world is changing too much. Look forward to seeing the wool projects in the future. Take care.

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    1. You never know, there was nothing like this here a few years ago and now they're popping up all over the place. All the old crafts which went out of fashion seem to be making a comeback now.

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  13. What a shame about the mud, the cold and the lighting. I pity the poor vendors.Just love noodle soup...now what will that become? xxx

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    1. It wasn't too bad for us as we didn't stay long but I did feel sorry for the vendors who had to stand in it all day. That sparkly yarn is crying out to be made into a pair of socks.

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  14. Waiting to see what you knit up with these new yarns. I love the names they come up with 😊
    Kavitha

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    1. I always enjoy seeing the names given to yarn, I wonder how the dyers come up with them.

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  15. These things tend to improve year on year, so with luck the lighting will be sorted, and with luck it'll be a little warmer in march... maybe?
    I look forward to seeing what you make with these, and as I said on Instagram, Noodle Soup is a great name!
    xx

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    1. I think there must have been something said to the organisers as they've said that they're listening to feedback so it will be interesting to see if improvements have been made if I go to the next one in March. I think I may have to save the Noodle Soup yarn for Strictly socks next year, it's so sparkly.

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  16. We still have quite a few Christmas Fayres going on, but no yarn festivals.

    Pleased you were able to get along because the weather recently hasn't been too good! That was a shame about the lighting, I hope they get things improved for next year.
    Love the look of the yarn especially 'noodle soup'.

    Enjoy the up-coming weekend.

    All the best Jan

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    1. It was a lovely bright day outside for the yarn festival but it had been raining during the week before so it was really muddy and the lighting was bad in the barn, but hopefully, they'll get that sorted out for next time.

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