News

There is not long to go until wool lovers from across the UK and from around the world gather in Cockermouth for Woolfest 2008. This year's event promises a mix of local talent, contemporary crafts and global influences as well as providing a shop window for raw fleece and a chance to see rare breed animals.

Local talent

Last year, the Wool Clip cooperative launched the Carolyn Rawlinson Stall to commemorate the work of one of the Wool Clip founders who was also a key person in the creation of Woolfest. Sadly, Carolyn died soon after Woolfest 2007 but she met the first winner, young local designer, Jane Rawling, and this year's free stall has been awarded to Naomi Harrison (28) of Ireby near Penrith.

The award consists of a free stand at Woolfest and the associated opportunities to show work to over 4000 visitors and fellow craft workers.

"Last year's publicity created a lot of interest in my work," confirms Jane Rawling who is currently working as a graphic designer in Whitehaven. "It created several opportunities for me and encouraged me to persevere with the clothing design. I am about to buy my own house so I should have a bit more room then to develop my ideas for using Herdwick wool and other natural fibres."

Naomi Harrison set up her businesses three years ago and she has designed and made a collection of clothing from woven wool especially for Woolfest.

"Some of the fabric has been woven locally in Carlisle," she says. "I am really looking forward to Woolfest as it will be such an opportunity for me to showcase my work and, hopefully, to develop my business for the future."

Contemporary crafts

Among the 100 or more stalls at Woolfest will be several new faces including the author of The Knitter's Bible, Claire Crompton, with a range of kits and patterns as well as regulars such as Sophie Chaplin of Sophie's Wild Woollens who is based in Dent and makes beautiful clothing inspired by the flora and fauna of the Dales.

One stallholder who is returning to Woolfest 2008 with an unusual approach is Ingrid Wagner from the Northeast of England. Ingrid has already broken the world record for knitting with the world's largest needles when she knitted the required 10 rows of 10 stitches on 3.5m long needles in March. She will be bringing her new 4 metre tall and 8cm diameter needles to Woolfest to start work on her year long Big Knit Project in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. The Project will travel to events across the UK during 2008/09 and Woolfest is its first northwest venue.

"I am aiming to create the world's largest one piece knitted textile," Ingrid explains, "and Woolfest will give the public a chance to get involved in the early stages. Knitting with 4 metre needles will be a challenge but great fun at the same time and I know that visitors to Woolfest will make an enthusiastic contribution."

Global influences

Another highlight of Woolfest 2008 will be a chance to see a unique display of Egyptian tapestries from the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre. The Centre is a world renowned for its work with young people and their colourful tapestries will be a great attraction for anyone with an interest in woven textiles. The Chair of the charity that is bringing this collection to the UK is Hilary Weir (Lady Weir OBE) and she will be giving a lecture on the history and work of the Centre during Woolfest.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to see these amazing tapestries," says June Hall who invited the Centre and Lady Weir to take part. "It is one of several international aspects of Woolfest this year as we also have work from Estonia, Canada and Norway, songs from the Scottish Highlands and a visitor from France, Christine Lang, talking about the French National Flock of Rambouillet Merino sheep."

Sheep from across the world

For the first time at this year's event, visitors have been invited to make a sheep using natural wool - knitted, crocheted, felted or whatever - and bring it along to Woolfest 2008. Adam Day of Mitchell's Lakeland Livestock Centre will then auction the "flock" in aid of Farm Africa on Saturday afternoon.

News has reached the team of sheep being knitted across the north of England and southern Scotland as well as some as far away as Norway and the USA.

"Lea Stern is travelling to Woolfest from Maryland with a small flock of sheep that have been made in the US from local wool," explains Cecilia Hewett who has worked on the project with other members of The Wool Clip. "Lea is going to be judging the sheep ahead of the auction too. She is involved in one of the biggest wool events in the world, The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, which in many ways inspired us to set up Woolfest so we are delighted that she is able to join us this year and hope that her sheep and many others will raise a significant amount for Farm Africa."

Louet North America Pattern Subscription Service

Louet North America has launched a new Pattern Subscription Service. The service which launched on March 15th already has over 50 exciting patterns on the site, of stylish garments and accessories, with two new patterns added weekly.

The service provides consumers with access to a broad array of well presented and attractive Louet North America patterns for all skill levels. These are designed around the complete range of Louet yarns, including Euroflax Linen and Gems.

There are four subscription levels available. You can find out more about the service at www.louet.com

For a list of UK stockists of Louet yarns see www.bloomsburytrading.co.uk

Mitchell's Lakeland Livestock Centre, Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK, will be home to more than 100 stalls during Woolfest 2008 on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 June. Entry is just £5 with accompanied children free. Directions and details can be found at www.woolfest.co.uk

Baltic influence at Woolfest 2008

New textile creations from Estonia and Lithuania will take to the catwalk at Woolfest 2008, highlighting the connections and contrasts with Cumbrian cultures.

June Hall, a member of the Wool Clip cooperative that organises Woolfest, is the main link to the Baltic fashions: "I have been working with historians and craftspeople in Estonia and Lithuania since 2001," she explained. "They have rediscovered their indigenous breed of short-tailed sheep and are reinventing their traditional craft skills using wool from these sheep in an attempt to preserve them."

June continued: "As I have become more involved in the Baltics, I have also got to know various textile artists in the area, including Ausra Kaveckiene, a designer maker from northern Lithuania. Her latest collection of woollen clothes has been designed especially for Woolfest 2008 and will be on display and on the catwalk throughout the event."

From Sheep to Dress

In addition to Ausra's professional designs, there will also be unusual examples of textile skills from Estonian young people on display throughout Woolfest.

A group of girls from Leisi School on the Estonian island of Saaremaa have been working on a project to create clothes and accessories from the wool of Estonia's rare native sheep. They learnt to clip the sheep in the autumn and have been learning new skills to make yarn, felt and fabric. The project, known as From Sheep to Dress, is part of the EU-funded Youth for Europe programme and Culture 2000 and the Cumbrian aspects have been a joint project between Woolfest and Grampus Heritage.

"We do archaeological work but try to bring it to life through reconstruction and re-enactment," explained Martin Clark of Grampus Heritage and Training. "In this case, Charlotte Marinos from Grampus has been working with the girls from Estonia combining ideas on uses of native wool and old techniques of spinning, dyeing and weaving to create modern textiles. We work locally as part of the Bassenthwaite Reflections project so a connection to a major textile event in Cockermouth is a great opportunity to show visitors what we have been achieving here and elsewhere in Europe."

For the fashion show at Woolfest the Estonian visitors will be joined by local young people from Cumbria and a group of students from the High Tatras mountains in Slovakia, where there is also a drive to use local and sustainable products in textiles and to keep traditional crafts alive.

Woolfest welcome

"There will be fashion shows featuring Ausra's work and the creations from Estonia and Slovakia throughout the two days of Woolfest," concluded June Hall. "Other exhibitors are travelling from Norway, Finland and France too as well as several renowned experts from across the UK. All in all, we are looking forward to welcoming wool enthusiasts from around the world to Cockermouth at the end of June."

Unique opportunity

Another highlight of Woolfest 2008 will be a chance to see a unique display of Egyptian tapestries from the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre. The Centre is a world renowned for its work with young people and their colourful tapestries will be a great attraction for anyone with an interest in woven textiles. The Chair of the charity that is bringing this collection to the UK is Hilary Weir (Lady Weir OBE) and she will be giving a lecture on the history and work of the Centre during Woolfest.

www.woolfest.co.uk