When I got the request from Aisha to help at a festival in June, I wondered which bands I might want to see, and would my steel toe-cap wellies be too much for Glasto. Then I saw “Woolfest” WHAT??? I imagined a big knitting circle with old ladies in coats, making oversize jumpers. How wrong could I be? The venue is huge, a massive modern barn usually being employed as a livestock auction room. For that weekend there were about 150 stalls with a serious display of variety, and showing me that there was a lot more to wool than I thought. There was everything from live sheep, alpaca and some other things I couldn’t identify (large rabbit like creatures), through the spinning, weaving and knitting bits, and including finished clothes, buttons and every imaginable item that could be used with wool. A group was knitting squares to make blankets for Afghanistan. The Red Cross tent stayed quiet, thankfully. All others were regular hives of activity. We were placed right next to the ice-cream seller. “What does ice-cream have to do with wool?” I hear you ask. This delicious ice-cream was made from ewes milk, of course, and was selling like hot-cakes. (I couldn’t think of a worse simile than that).

Aisha giving out patterns

I even got involved with a little impromptu knitting, as the mood overtook me. Logistician’s big, fat sausage fingers, combined with my ineptitide, were too much though for such a delicate art.

Sonja and Ray

The reception was beyond warm, and so many visitors/donors stated that MSF was the only cause they found worthy of their support. Some emotions ran higher, and even rose to tears when one lovely lady spoke with Sonja (our midwife) about the work she had done.

Gavin, Ray and Sonja at The Yarn Yard Stall

The aim of the two days was well and truly acheived, as the message about our work was thoroughly well spread among the knitting community. Who would have thought that MSF and knitting could be linked like this? Whatever next? I look forward to any new ventures along these lines. Any suggestions anyone?

One similarity to Glasto……we camped. Thanks to great weather, and to a site full of spinners, the festival continued into the night.

A big thanks to all involved, lovely people, all of them, who won’t mind being called a little wooly on this occasion!

To the next time.

A full Woolfest update from Ray to follow shortly.

Thanks for all the support! 

Ray, Sonja, Aisha and Lou

We will have handouts of the patterns available, including the lastest Hopsox and Chevron De Paix Socks, and a display of the entire knitted p/hop collection. So if you haven’t yet got around to knitting up one of the patterns yourself, come and have a look at the end result.

As well as the Hopsox pattern, Joy Edwards has also donated the lovely Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl to be raffled off at Woolfest. Tickets will be available at the stall and all money raised goes to p/hop.