Wonderwool Wales 2024

First held in 2006 to promote the market for Welsh wool and add value to product for small wool & fibre producers in Wales, the festival celebrates the green credentials of Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.  

Wonderwool Wales has grown year on year. It covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process – from exhibits of sheep, through raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting & crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books to superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.

Overseas visitors will be travelling from as far away as Australia, America and Canada, including a party of 18 booked with Rowan Tree Travel.

The show will have around 220 exhibitors, including around 40 newcomers this year. Some of the new exhibitors are Gary Jones Ceramics from Leintwardine, Phoenix Pottery from Conwy, the Museum of Welsh Textiles, Knighton and the Indian Block Print Company from Bicester.

Another newcomer is Glamorgan Smallholders’ Great Glamorgan Sock Project, which involves members making a pair of socks from each sheep breed in the county.

"Fabulous show, atmosphere was really buzzing"

Tickets cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend and young people aged under 16 years get in free.

One of the highlights will undoubtedly be the Flock2Flight display, featuring stunning wet felted and needle felted birds measuring 10 metres by three metres, crafted by acclaimed fiber artist Janna Turner and her talented collaborators, Alex Johnstone and Deborah Taylor Dyer.
 
Both Shepton Mallet based Janna, who runs Flocks2Felts, and Alex are no strangers to Wonderwool Wales. Janna was project lead and felting advisor to a special, eight-metre long exhibition entitled Alice in Wonderwool in 2022.

 

This year, Janna is featuring colourful birds in the display, some of which include wooden mechanics to make them fly. For example, there’s a small flock of swallows that fly in circles, a zipwire bird, a diving kingfisher, bird marionettes and hand puppets.

Money raised by the display will be donated to the Wales Air Ambulance and Ukrainian charity NGO Molotok, Wonderwool Wales’ adopted charities.

“When we did the Alice in Wonderwool display in 2022, people were not allowed to touch the exhibits. This time, I will be encouraging people to engage with the birds and have a play as they walk around. I just love seeing their reactions. There are also hand puppets for people to take selfies with."

Woolschool Workshops & Sheep Fashion Walk

This year’s event will see nine Woolschool afternoon workshops each day which has required the organisers to book extra space on the showground. Some of the Woolschools, which give visitors the chance to learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert, are already sold out. Additionally, the Sheep Walk fashion show will dazzle audiences with its innovative designs and woolen creations.

Courses:

• An introduction drop spindles
• An introduction to needle-woven tapestry
• Backstrap weaving using a rigid heddle
• Drum carding workshop
• Improving your spinning with a drop spindle
• Introduction to botanical dyeing and shibori resist techniques
• Macrame dream catcher
• Needle felted busy mr mole
• Wet felted leaf brooch

"Such a lovely vibe, really helpful crew, everyone happy, great venue & facilities & happy shoppers"

Adding to the festivities, attendees are encouraged to showcase their creativity by knitting, crocheting, or crafting their own beanie or hat, with vouchers awarded to the best creations. And for those seeking culinary delights, new street food vendors will tantalize taste buds with their delectable offerings.

To discover similar courses, take a look out our CraftCourses page. We have a range of workshops available, from textiles like these to ceramics and woodwork.