Flocking Together: Yarn Festival Returns to Perth

This year the festival is bringing boutique independent businesses, sheep-farmers and those that practice the fibre arts together to celebrate the best in textile artistry through a large marketplace, classes and inspiring lectures.

Festival Director, Eva Christie, and her team have been building on the success of their inaugural event last October, moving to a larger venue which will showcase over 60 different independent businesses. A keynote lecture will be delivered by internationally respected Fife-based knitwear designer, Di Gilpin, who has worked with leading names in the design world including Nike, Mark Fast (for Kanye West) and Margaret Howell. Classes spanning the weekend over 3 locations, will be lead by highly-acclaimed tutors including Nathan Taylor, the Sockmatician.

"As Scotland's Contemporary Yarn and Fibre Festival we're passionate about bringing together independent dyers, farmers, small-holders, knitters, spinners, felters and weavers to help facilitate the best of textile artistry and sustainability. We've more than tripled the number of businesses in our Vendors' Gallery Marketplace, but it's not all about knitting and crochet – a quarter of the businesses taking part sell materials to support the resurgence in hand-spinning and felting arts," explains Eva.

"What's unique about Perth Festival of Yarn is the number of small businesses that primarily trade through etsy and other online stores that come together here. It's great to have so many of them in one place and to meet the makers. Iona Wool and Uist Wool are coming over from the Islands with their breed specific yarns which are directly helping their local communities to thrive, and Treliz! are making the journey all the way from Athens. As our City of Culture 2021 bid says, Perth is the Place."

Community is a thread that is central to yarn festivals and Perth is no exception here. Despite growing in size the relaxed and friendly ambience of the festival remains important. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to meet some of their favourite UK podcasters and bloggers at the Lagom Felt Studio Podcaster Lounge and to chat, craft, and flash their newly accquired materials in the large break-out cafe and bar areas.

Find out more and buy tickets at http://www.perthfestivalofyarn.uk/