Woolfest Make a trip to the Lake District for a festival all about wool

Four years ago I went to Woolfest with my children Bryony & Dominic. That was summer 2005 and it was the first year of this now famous festival devoted, to wool. It was (and still is) held in Cockermouth sheep market. Stall holders each had a pitch with was in fact an empty sheep pen within the market. My dad and brother are farmers so I’m comfortable with that sort of setting. We met up with my friend Liz Brown and some other Scottish felters and had a wild time. I remember the frenzy of activity in the restaurant after the evening meal. Suddenly there were spinning wheels and fleeces everywhere! Liz and Co slept in her own cosy Yurt and we were sleeping in a little tent. The only thing was that there was barely any grass so we were pitched on a very narrow grass verge at the edge of the sheep market car park!

These are photos from 2005

Bryony experimenting with a really unusual weaving frame. Warp and weft are all one thread.

Bangles and scarves made by various talented Scottish Feltmakers

Jeanette Sendler's fantastic sculptural hats. Many with animal sculls and weathered bones incorporated.

Next weekend, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th June, we are off up to Cockermouth for the 5th Woolfest. I’m looking forward to seeing how the festival has developed. Now there are classes and demonstrations and you can bring your own fleeces to sell too. It will be very tempting for me as there will be lots of lovely fibres on sale for felting but meeting up with other felters, sharing ideas and being constantly amazed and inspired by what can be made from wool will be the best.

How about Yuli Somme and Anne Belgrave’s “Bellacouche Leafshrouds” (felted burial shrouds)?