Wonderwool Wales

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Long grass with cowslips, primroses and dandelions.

We’ve just come back from a blustery weekend at Wonderwool Wales.

Our stand was in Hall 3 and though some customers said it was the warmer of the halls I didn’t believe them, it was freezing!  A good opportunity to wear my Magnolia sweater by Camilla Vad which I made last year using our Slubby Sock and Mohair and Silk Lace held double.

A jumper lying on a wooden background showing the pattern detail

Both of the yarns were in the colour Brinjal and it is just so cosy.  With that and a Howling cowl on I was just one big fluffy blob but I was a very warm fluffy blob.

We stayed in a shepherd’s hut. Nicola had wanted to try camping and that was as close as I was willing to go in April.  It was gorgeous and we were both glad that we weren’t in a tent, even the shepherd’s hut was rocking slightly in the wind on the Friday night.  In fact it was nothing like camping as it had proper beds, full cooking facilities, a wood burner, central heating and an ensuite.  It was slightly better than my home.

Two beds in a shepherd's hutthe interior of a shepherd's hut

and look at the view

A view across fields to the welsh hills

We even had a few sheep neighbours to get us in the mood.Looking through a fence to a sheep and two lambs in a field

And there was more at the show, Wonderwool is the only one that we’re doing this year that has livestock in the halls.

4 Wenslydale sheep in a penTwo kids in a pen

Before we left I also managed to do some more natural dyeing, this time with dandelions.

At work they were laying membrane before planting and I rescued all the cowslips that were going to be covered.  I dug up all the dandelions in the front lawn and planted a cowslip in the resulting gap.  We still have the cowslips but of course the dandelions came back and as we don’t  cut the grass for six months I usually pull the heads off of the dandelions to stop the seeds blowing all over the neighbours. Long grass with cowslips, primroses and dandelions.

There were a lot of dandelions in there but I did have to supplement them with ones from a walk.

A pan full of dandelion flowers on a hob

I had 395g with approximately two thirds being flowers.  Covered with two litres of tap water and brought slowly to a simmer for half an hour before cooling and straining.

I only dyed a 20g mini skein of BFL sock yarn which had been treated with alum.The colour is quite similar to the yellow from the Cornus earlier in the year.

I may end up with a lot of yellow mini skeins!