So, I went to my first fibre Festival this Weekend: Wollandia. And it was awesome. It was an intimate (less than 100 exhibitors) gathering of independent dyers, Spinners and purveyors of other sheep-related goodness. It was Wollandia’s first time too, so we had that in common! The organizer Erica Carnevale did an amazing job.
If this is going to be a yearly event, then I can definitely recommend stopping by if you’re in the Pforzheim area (any good sat-nav will get you there). There were independent dyers (whose names I only know from Ravelry and browsing Etsy or its German pendant Dawanda). And of course it’s great to be able to take the yarn into your hands before buying.
Tips for visiting yarn festivals:
- Wear layers
- Wear walking shoes
- Take a friend – or make friends there -complimenting dyers’ work, collecting cards and having a chat always goes down a treat.
- Beforehand – look at the exhibitor list and develop a strategy.
- Do a full circle and have a good look at everything before starting to buy. Unless you plan to visit a specific vendor.
- plan for emergencies: Enough cash on hand? the location of the next closest cash machine may be good to know.
- have a plan for how to actually use those speckled or otherwise multicoloured skeins of yarn. (Skeinyarn’s tips on knitting with variegated yarns; Dana at Yards of Happiness is my inspiration to get more colour in my knitting life)
- What’s the minimum amount of yarn that I should purchase? if I don’t have a project in mind?
- Have a budget – look up what things cost in real life, so that you can recognize a deal on equipment if you see one.
- Plan some breaks: At German events like this, there is ALWAYS food – cakes, waffles, sandwiches, even Flammkuchen.
Interweave’s Tips on how to shop at Yarn and Wool festivals.