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A podcast for people who love knitting, Dorset Buttons, creativity & Scotland, especially the Highlands & Islands.
Welcome to the 13th episode of my podcast – Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2018
Thank you for listening again or welcome if you are a first time listener.
The Weather
The Beast from the East & the mini Beast from the East have been & gone. There were some unusually heavy snowfalls & drifts in various places around the UK with cities such as Edinburgh & London taking a big hit. I’m so grateful as I’m sure many are that this did not happen the weekend of Edinburgh Yarn Festival. The snow did make an appearance on the Saturday night and for the Meet the Shepherd / ess event fortunately without impacting on the day. It was bitterly cold at times in Edinburgh but hopefully everyone was wrapped up in their beautiful knitwear.
We’ve had some amazing weather on Skye & were welcomed back from Edinburgh by all the daffodils in bloom. We’ve had the Northern Lights, clear skies, sunny crisp days & generally very calm weather – great for visitors who came over the Easter period.
Dorset Buttons
It’s taken me quite a while to gather my thoughts together to make this episode. I talk about how I’ve struggled to capture the whole essence of the event that makes it unique.
I pass on my thanks and congratulations to Jo & Mica the organisers who each year curate a fabulous show. Their communication to both vendors and visitors is excellent & their social media schedule in the lead up to the event was impressive & caught the attention of many of you.
This is very much about my experience of the show from a vendor point of view with the effort that goes into the show months beforehand, the journey, the setting up, then the 3 days. I talk about our journey down from Skye to Edinburgh, arriving & seeing knitters for the first time in a cafe at Edinburgh & how the excitement & anticipation built up inside me.
The setup part of the day for a vendor begins on entering the car park with many greetings happening between vendors while we also move our stock from our vehicle to our shell unit. This is an interesting time as the empty shell units are transformed to take on their own identity. It took us 5 hours to set up!
Boxes, display stands, mannequins, tables & stock all piled up as the shell stands get transformed.
The Dorset Button wallpaper is up & TJFrog Staff is hard at work!!!
I talk about my next door neighbours in the marketplace, Paula & Rob of Moel View Yarns & my purchases from them.
My opposite neighbour was Aileen Clark Crafts and together we created a colourful corner.
I caught up with Lindsay, The Border Tart for a quick soundbite & we hear about her new stitching retreats with Sarah Hazell called Finding Time.
I talk a bit more about my new rare single Dorset breed wools that went down well & encourage you to spread the word of Dorset Buttons by using the hashtags:
#makedorsetbuttons #weardorsetbuttons
Shopping – I didn’t do a lot but was very happy with what I got which included the Moel View Yarns wool, knitted smocks from The Slow Wardrobe & some Alpaca Tweed from The Border Mill.
My 2nd soundbite is with Sarah of Woolly Originals who I purchased a bag from back at Yarndale.
Photos – I talk about my lack of photos of people & how I want to start taking more at shows to capture the people I meet.
I chat about some of the people I did meet from visitors, designers to podcasters. One visitor to the stand was Liz who was wearing this gorgeous handspun jacket with Dorset Buttons that picked out flecks in the hand spun.
I caught up with Helen of Ripples Crafts, who I interviewed in episode 12, to see how the show had gone for her.
I also grabbed a soundbite as the doors were closing with LJ of Fluph.
I got to go to Meet The Shepherd / ess on Sunday and I go through my purchases from this.
I purchased 100g aran weight Hebridean & Shetland mix called Midnight Sky from Sue Horn of Hawkshaw Sheep
Birlinn Yarn Co – Meg is based on the Isle of Berneray & I got 3 skeins of her Hebridean & Cheviot mix and the Machair Wildflower Shawl – this is finished, just needs blocking!
Prado de Lana Sheep Farm keep Romney & Lincolns & I purchased wool from the fleeces of Ada, Augustus, Anthony & Abel – all the A’s.
Ysolda – books – to be revealed another day!!!
I give thanks to all the volunteers at Edinburgh who are always so helpful & cheerful as well as all the vendor helpers who support us in what we do. Thanks to Jo & David for their help in the lead up to the show & Geraint, the stalwart of my stand!
I got home to my own pop up yarn festival with Jule of Hey Mama Wolf who was staying for a break with her family just a few minutes walk down the road from us on Skye. I love these organic peace silks.
I’ve suffered with fatigue & germs and the post EYF blues after such an amazing high – now to crack on with some knitting!
Music – the music is:
One Frog For a Prince, by Ron Patton & licensed from Melody Loops.
Bye for now.
