The wonder of Welsh wool goes on show

The show, now in its 15th year, has grown in scale and popularity alongside the surge in interest in knitting, crochet, felting and textile crafts.

Held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells over the weekend of April 25-26, it brings fibre fans flocking from all over the UK and abroad.

In recognition, it recently won an award for best event in Mid Wales at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards ceremony and now goes forward to represent Mid Wales at the National Tourism Awards for Wales in 2020.

Visitors to the show are ever eager to stock up on raw products, supplies and luxury hand-made items from more than 200 high quality stalls.

Many grab the chance to attend one of the ever-popular Woolschool workshops and learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert.

Organisers are delighted to offer a breadth of topics for 2020’s pre-bookable Woolschools.

“We’ve gathered together a range of skilled tutors to lead a choice of six morning and six afternoon workshops on both days,” said organiser Chrissie Menzies.

“The topics have been carefully chosen to appeal to a wide range of interests and levels of ability – there should be something for everyone.”

For those keen to learn or improve needle felting skills, there’s an unmissable Woolschool with Lydia Needle where they will learn to craft their own beautiful button or brooch depicting a bee.

They’ll spend the first part of the workshop practicing the technique and learning bee anatomy by working on samples which will contribute to a major creative project which Lydia is currently engaged in. Called Fifty Bees, it is intended to highlight the plight of the British bee.

Their samples will be added to a growing installation, which will form part of an exhibition in Somerset in 2022.

Those new to macramé can make a wall hanging, using recycled, hand-dyed cotton cord. Prospective weavers can try their hand making an individualistic, rustic, framed wall hanging using a selection of hand-spun yarns.

Beginners in bargello stitching can have a go at creating colourful wall art and there’s also the chance to learn how to spin with a spindle.

There’s a workshop suitable for any level of experience, showing how to make a collage using felt and kantha stitch and, for those with a basic knowledge of Tunisian crochet, Sharon Carter will show how to use Tunisian intarsia to make a mug rug or plant coaster.

Competent basic spinners can extend their skills in a workshop with Amanda Hannaford who will show how to use create textured yarn.

Those with some knitting and crochet knowledge can experiment with freeform knitting and crochet or learn how to knit 3D shapes which can be turned into hats, bags or cushions.

There’s also the chance to join a discussion about options for processing fibre to yarn led by spinning mill owner Sue Blacker.

All these opportunities to get creative with wool and natural fibres are presented alongside a wealth of special exhibitions, daily demonstrations and have-a-go sessions and the ever-entertaining Sheepwalk – a woolly take on the catwalk.

Visitors to the 2020 show can also admire work by Jourdan Williams and Daisy Fay Ray, two award-winning graduates from the BA textiles course at Carmarthen School of Art, part of Coleg Sir Gậr in Carmarthen.

The creative and enterprising pair have each received a £1,000 bursary from Wonderwool Wales to boost their future business plans and their prize also includes a stand at the show.

The two have very individual styles: Jourdan, 21, from Carmarthen, will be displaying work influenced by the theme “the manipulation of people’s human rights”, interpreted for her degree show through a series of knitted swatches and a real statement piece, a knitted straitjacket.

In contrast, the prize-winning handwoven meditation blankets made by 26-year-old Daisy Fay Ray from Llandissilio, Pembrokeshire, have a more soothing theme, emphasising the connection between creativity and healing.

Find out more about the 2020 show at wonderwoolwales.co.uk or on Facebook.