[Fleecewife]

Anyone planning on being there?

I need a boost to my craft interest, which has been overtaken by lots of other things, so I'm contemplating braving the crowds after all (I've stopped going to WoolFest because I get overwhelmed by the crush).  I need inspiration  and maybe a pattern or kit to knit/crochet (I can't crochet.....yet) a holey waistcoat.  Or maybe even buy a holey waistcoat if there are any for sale

[Rosemary]

Me! would you believe 

Going on Friday with my chum, Janet.

[Fleecewife]

I'll keep my eyes peeled for you Rosemary, as Fri is when we're going too.  Just bought the tickets, G accompanying me (probably to stop me spending too much)

[SallyintNorth]

I can't go, we're lambing.  Can't be sad about the lambing , but very sad to be missing the event 

But my pals will be there with the Tour of British Fleece display, which I know you will love, Juliet.  In the end we didn't use the pic of Gladstone Laughing Boy for the Hebridean info sheet (maybe we needed more pixels?)  but I hope you will like the pic we did use, and approve of what I wrote!

ToBF is there in the main hall, stand F5, in the same group as Jamieson's of Shetland and John Arbon.

It's a 'Nothing for Sale' and 'Please DO Touch!' stand, with lots of pics, info, knitted samples, skeinlets and finished items, fleece samples and so on. 

[Fleecewife]

That sounds brilliant Sally.  I'll be sure to have a good look    I'm all agog about what you've put about Hebs.  For pics, we always have versions with far more pixels in our files.

It's a shame you can't be there but lambs come first.  Fortunately our tiny lambing isn't until into April   

[Anke]

Sadly too busy with goat kids and getting the garden up to scratch.... and yes the crowds do not appeal to me anymore either... I would have liked to have a look at the new yarn that Kate Davies has brought out, but just not enough time for browsing big events like that anymore...

[Fleecewife]

What did you think of it @Rosemary ?  We arrived at 10 and the queue stretched right around the corner, along that street then around the next corner, several people wide.  We went to Asda instead, which was just about as bad.  On the way home we decided to drive by and see if the queue was still there - all clear. I dashed in to get the yarn bowl(s) I wanted but the crush was too much for me as I feared, so we left within about 15 mins of arriving.  The doorman, standing there with his clicker, said 1800 folk had gone in so far - doesn't sound all that many, but it's a small hall.
It was mainly yarn  (I suppose the name hinted at that) and all the stalls looked fairly similar, but as I said, I didn't stay to explore them all.
Sorry @SallyintNorth  I didn't see your stand.....
So it sounds as if the event is proving very successful, which is good for Edinburgh.  Scotland has an enormous textile past, so it is appropriate    We just need to press them to have more spinning and weaving content 

[SallyintNorth]

Tour of British Fleece had a very successful two days.  Loads of interest, even got a couple of people spinning.  Sorry you didn't have a good experience, Juliet.  Maybe they need to do pre-sale tickets next year, with fast-track entry.

[Fleecewife]

We already had our tickets - maybe we could have queue jumped but I don't know.
My experience wasn't their fault, just that I can't take pushing crowds.
I'm glad the ToBF had a good two days - makes it all worthwhile.

[Rosemary]

We arrived about 11am and it was straight in. The taxi driver said there had been big crowds for opening. It was busy but not excessively so = like a weekday at the Highland. My chum has been to Woolfest in Cockermouth and said that IT was mayhem and the EYF was much more pleasant to walk around.

I enjoyed it - well, it was aday out  - but the stands (91 in total) were all much the same. I liked the button ones best. But remember I'm not a knitter / crocheter.

I bought a lovely wool throw from Knockando Mill and chatted to a nice woman about selling fleece; the Round Britain stand was good too.

We went in at 11 and we were out at 1pm; workshops were £60 for 2 1/2 hours including a two day pass for the exhibition.

[SallyintNorth]

My chum has been to Woolfest in Cockermouth and said that IT was mayhem and the EYF was much more pleasant to walk around.

Woolfest's my local fibre fest, so I've just got to pipe up and say that it absolutely was heaving and at times not pleasant in 2014.  Last year it was much more pleasant    No question it's a well-attended event, though - but it's a big venue

Sorry, back On Topic now

[SallyintNorth]

I bought a lovely wool throw from Knockando Mill and chatted to a nice woman about selling fleece; the Round Britain stand was good too.

Ummm... did you mean Tour of British Fleece?  Or was there another fleece-or-yarn-around-Britain stand ?

[Rosemary]

My chum has been to Woolfest in Cockermouth and said that IT was mayhem and the EYF was much more pleasant to walk around.

Woolfest's my local fibre fest, so I've just got to pipe up and say that it absolutely was heaving and at times not pleasant in 2014.  Last year it was much more pleasant    No question it's a well-attended event, though - but it's a big venue

Sorry, back On Topic now

It WAS 2014 when she went. I'm hoping to go this year but it's the same weekend as the Royal Highland.
Yes, it was the Tour of British Fleece - it was really good.

[Anke]

What did you think of it @Rosemary ?  We arrived at 10 and the queue stretched right around the corner, along that street then around the next corner, several people wide.  We went to Asda instead, which was just about as bad.  On the way home we decided to drive by and see if the queue was still there - all clear. I dashed in to get the yarn bowl(s) I wanted but the crush was too much for me as I feared, so we left within about 15 mins of arriving.  The doorman, standing there with his clicker, said 1800 folk had gone in so far - doesn't sound all that many, but it's a small hall.
It was mainly yarn  (I suppose the name hinted at that) and all the stalls looked fairly similar, but as I said, I didn't stay to explore them all.
Sorry @SallyintNorth  I didn't see your stand.....
So it sounds as if the event is proving very successful, which is good for Edinburgh.  Scotland has an enormous textile past, so it is appropriate    We just need to press them to have more spinning and weaving content 

and to have a larger venue?.... I am planning to go to a smaller local one in St Abbs on 02nd April - great location to send the non-wooly people off for a dog walk on the cliffs, have a meander round some local wool people and hopefully get some grub in the local café... and not too many crowds (hopefully).

PS.:I have given up on woolfest .. last time was (I think) 2013... too much in the way of crowds and long drive to get there...

[Fleecewife]

PS.:I have given up on woolfest .. last time was (I think) 2013... too much in the way of crowds and long drive to get there...
[/quote]


Me too.  Plus I have to admit that I've bought everything I can justify from Woolfest, so no reason to go except nosiness, and it's a long way for that.