Last month saw Tartan Day, a celebration of Scottish heritage held on the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed. K Rose James has some interesting facts about Scottish tartan. Palaka is a cotton twill plaid once used in hard-wearing work garments in Hawaii and is still popular today in a variety of colours and weights. Engineering Knits has shown the prep and dyeing of her fleece in previous videos and in a recent one she spins and plies the yarn, and weaves this plaid shawl which is inspired by textiles found on an ancient bog woman, initially mistaken for a more recent burial.
Mosaic knitting also pops up a number of times this month. It allows you to knit colourwork without holding more than one colour per row. MDK's Field Guide No. 29 features mosaic knitting designs from Amy Christoffers and two of our pattern suggestions this month are mosaic patterns, including the Sundial Shawl shown right.
So without further ado, read on for more news, views and reviews for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers. This is the edited free round-up for April 2025.
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Cover photo by Lauren Bova on Unsplash.
Artefacts and documents related to Mahatma Gandhi, including clothing hand spun while he was in South Africa, have been handed over to the National Gandhi Museum in Delhi.
I'm a few months late with this. Freyalyn's blog has been quiet for some time and I'd missed this post. I'm very happy to see people returning to the longer-form and less-transient blog after the general move to social media.
She posted this last Summer after Wonderwool Wales (this year's event is imminent - see the events). There she learned about The Great Glamorgan Sock Project and got involved.
This post has details of washing and inspecting the Aberfield fleece as well as the spinning and knitting.
freyalyn.blogspot.com...the-great-glamorgan-sock-project.html
Josefin managed to buy the fleece of one of the winners at last year's Swedish fleece championships.
In this post she evaluates the fleece and outlines how she plans to deal with it. She has picked the fleece and categorised the locks into fine, medium and long/strong. She plans to spin these separately for three types of yarn from the same fleece. It's an interesting concept - think softer yarn at the neck, and stronger yarn for elbows and cuffs.
Rebecca is the kind of crafter who likes to have everything pulled out at the same time. But having moved into a studio that doesn't have the space to allow that, she's had to become better at organisation. Here she offers some tips.
Mary has visited an exhibition of paintings by William Kurelek and comments on the textile details.
K Rose James has some interesting facts about Scottish tartan, prompted by 'tartan day' which was last month (there seems to be some confusion over the date). This is an excerpt from an a back issue of Little Looms.
Palaka is a cotton twill plaid used in hard-wearing work garments in Hawaii and is still popular today, now seen in a variety of colours and weights.
A recent blog post from Rebecca includes this work-in-progress which she calls a "plain-weave tartan thing".
She comments that 'help' from young children makes warping "actually easier and more fun". I'll pass on that one but the same post includes some hackling and dyeing of washed fleece which is a joy to see.
I wasn't aware that the famous tapestry is incomplete. Some eight by ten feet are missing. The small fragment recently discovered is insignificant compared to that, but it is to be reunited with the rest of the work.
With thanks to Pamela for the link.
news.artnet.com/art-world/bayeux-tapestry-fragment-rediscovered-in-germany-2615620
Guzzisue processes, spins and knits a lot of fleece. How does she manage it? She has documented a typical crafting day in this blog post.
travelfibreandthread.blogspot.com...a-random-day-in-life-of-fibre-crafter.html
Shana Cohen designs with handspun yarn in mind. For example the patterns tend to use a looser gauge which makes them more forgiving for yarn that has variations in thickness.
Ply magazine has this interview.
We've recently seen the conclusion of Rebecca's first sock science experiment.
She has started another phase of this experiment with a number of handspun yarns of different construction that she plans to knit into socks and test for longevity.
In this post she describes each of the yarns that she has spun. They include traditional 4-ply, cabled, opposing ply and more.
Back in February, Leigh made some winter palettes and gave her thoughts about using them in her weaving process.
She comments that she used to think of natural colours as being muted and subtle but these pictures tell a different story.
Here are some Spring palettes that she has created.
We take it for granted now that we can wear any colour we like but that wasn't always the case.
In the past, dyers had to use what was available in nature and some colours were not available, or very expensive, which was the case with the 'royal purple' from sea snails.
craftmehappy points out that spinners are generally a creative bunch that are likely to modify their tools to suit their needs.
Maurice, designer of the Electric Eel e-spinners, bore this in mind with his EEW nano 2, keeping it as minimal and affordable as possible.
Here is a selection of hacks to improve this spinner.
www.craftmehappy.com...modifications-fixes-and-upgrades-for.html
lovestoswatch has also written about the EEW this month. She explains how to interface the spinner with a yarn counter and tell it to stop at a particular point. One use case for this is to split a length of yarn into three equal lengths for plying.
lovestoswatch.wordpress.com...switch-the-eew-spinning-wheel-off
One of the benefits of spinning your own yarn is that you can make yarn with the right properties for your project such as drape, elasticity, stitch definition and durability.
Jillian describes this thought process with many examples.
There is a clearly-defined set of colours for alpaca fleece.
Jacqueline calls the rose greys the "most mysterious" of these colours and has made this fibre study of the light, medium and dark rose greys.
Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado will be crossing the Atlantic to exhibit her hand-dyed natural-fibre yarns at Wonderwool Wales at the end of the month.
According to Kath, the East Anglian Yarn Festival was fabulous. It was a long trip for her but her verdict is "absolutely worth it". As usual she has written her thoughts about the show and provided pictures from a vendor's perspective.
Mend in Public Day is the idea of Fashion Revolution and aims to "resist the cycle of excess through repair and reuse".
Mend in Public Day 2025 is on 26 April and an event will take place in Parkfield St, London N1 0PS (do look out for other events nearer to you if you're not in London).
The idea is simple. Bring your mending, and guidance and supplies will be on hand if you need them.
If you're new to spinning you might be surprised to hear me suggest that spinning a consistent thicker yarn is trickier than spinning a fine one.
Debbie Held has some tips.
If you're not familiar with the diz then here's your introduction.
Jacqueline won the 'Highest Yardage on a Spindle' prize during the 2021 Spin Together event. Here she shares her tips for high-production spindling.
This is a very real problem if you've got a fibre stash going back some time.
That compacted fibre isn't necessarily wasted. Here are several useful tips.
Rosepath is a twill that extends one thread beyond the number of available shafts. It can be used for colourful borders. Andrea explains how to design a rosepath motif.
This is a useful read if you're thinking about your first wheel purchase.
Debbie warns against some of the pitfalls and advises buying something affordable and versatile that may not be your forever wheel but a step on the journey.
If you already own a wheel and are itching for another, Jillian suggests some considerations.
Last month Debbie suggested that a drum carder may not be the best creative tool for you and looked at other options.
Kate has answered four of her most frequently-asked questions about handcards.
Fractal spinning is a technique for managing colour from a braid. I think it's only loosely related to fractals but it certainly produces great results.
Debbie outlines the technique with some tips.
Jillian Moreno has reviewed this new book, which she feels fills a gap in the spinning book world.
It is a real book despite the April 1 publication date!
Texsolv heddles are now available in a variety of colours. The idea is that if you use one colour per shaft, it reduces threading errors.
This is a reproduction of the oldest heddle found in Finland. It's made by Robin Goatey of TheDancingGoats.
The Durham Weaver has written about her experience with it and adds that "it is fascinating using old designs of rigid heddles. There is so much to be learned".
If you don't own this book already, it is a solid reference of the properties of more than 200 breeds of sheep plus a few goats and other animals.
This is Greta's review.
MDK's Field Guide No. 29 features five brand new designs from Amy Christoffers and has the theme mosaic knitting.
www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/its-here-field-guide-29/
Following a request for a custom version of her dragon plying tool, Suzy has produced this limited special edition.
As I write this, they're available in her shop and she says that they will be until 21 April.
This bioplastic is made from sheep's wool. Keratin makes a brittle plastic but with a combination of known techniques, this flexible thermoplastic could be a sustainable alternative to some plastics.
This dry paper describes a woven fabric that can detect movements. It describes someone wearing a glove and navigating powerpoint slides with gestures.
The claim here is that this jumper is 3d-knitted from a single thread, eliminating waste from seams and trimmed ends.
I'm curious about whether it is physically possible to knit a garment with cuffs, waist and neck from a single continuous thread? The article doesn't explain how that's achieved.
Sometimes just a picture is enough
This is the culmination of some months' work. Engineering Knits has shown the prep and dyeing of her fleece in previous videos and in this one she spins and plies the yarn, and weaves this plaid shawl which is inspired by textiles found on an ancient bog woman, initially mistaken for a more recent burial.
Along the way she gives the history, not only of the bog woman but the spinning and weaving techniques she's using. Whether you're new or experienced, her enthusiasm is inspiring.
Debbi has finished this vest based on Kraken Depths sweater by Iris Fagerland. It's made of her handspun yarn, some of it self-dyed.
Last month we saw a stitched box that Jean had made. It was a little floppy without stiffening or lining.
Since then she has made this vase. It does have lining, and holds a jar.
I'm sneaking in one of my own projects here. It doesn't happen very often because I'm so slow, but a Zoom Loom is a relatively fast way to use handspun yarn. Having said that, just like Highland Heffalump above, I have finished this winter-themed scarf now that spring is here.
Half of this yarn is handspun, half is small-production Norfolk Horn yarn from fibreworkshop, dyed by Freyalyn.
I've based it on the Snow Queen Snood but chosen not to join the ends.
Herzikeks finished her entirely-handspun Ariel Cardigan in 2020 but I hadn't seen it until Peony recommended the pattern recently.
Herzikeks notes that the dark brown is Jura, a Swiss breed, the beige Coburger Fuchs, a German breed and the white is Texel. There are many pictures of the wool and yarn. This picture appears to be pre-steek and I haven't found a picture of the steeked cardigan.
www.ravelry.com/projects/Herzikeks/cardigan-ariel--koftan-ariel
Leigh has finished this runner rug, which was a tie-on project. It's plain weave in 4-ply cotton.
leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com...the-runner-rug-is-done.html
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
Sarah has been knitting these little seedling pots. The idea is that eventually you plant them out and they degrade in the soil and nourish the plant. She also notes that they wick moisture and provide drainage.
"They are easy and fun to make with odd bits of wool", she says. She provides instructions on this page.
This will appeal to you if you're Canadian, have links to Canada or would like to show some love for the Great White North.
Simone has published the pattern on her blog as a downloadable pdf. It contains a fingering version and a light worsted/DK version.
Kate has adapted a crochet design using long and short knit stitches. The pattern is included on this page.
This is a mosaic pattern meaning that you knit with one colour at a time. Slipped and twisted stitches mimic cables.
They're top-down with small, medium and large to choose from.
Pictured are socks by JoAnna who suggested the pattern. She says that it's "really easy and a great introduction to mosaic knitting - or a fun pattern if you already feel comfortable with it". I'm linking to her blog, she links to the free pattern in her post.
Leontien Talboom has been making jumpers in Jamieson and Smith yarn with designs inspired by her work in digital preservation (think floppy discs and CDs).
She hasn't made the full patterns available since she just knits them for herself but she has made her charts available to knitters who also appreciate the historical media.
digitalpreservation-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/knitting-through-digital-decay...
The subtle modifications that brittg has made to Linda Marveng's Kaibara are up my street and I'm tempted to make one using her notes. She has given it a more pronounced A-line shape and empire waist, plus shorter sleeves.
This has been an extremely popular pattern and there are many handspun examples. My thumbnail is Waldero's.
There are two sizes, one wraps around the neck once, the other twice.
It's garter stitch with an i-cord edge.
This was suggested by thecraftyyarnster (pictured) who made one in leftover comemrcial yarn. It has been made in many different yarns. It asks for 330 yards but you can knit until you run out.
"A perfect little project for bead-loving knitters" says the designer.
This scarf is designed for a rigid heddle loom with two heddles.
The pattern suggests a fine yarn silk/linen blend although I guess that the fibre and yarn weight aren't critical.
The sundial wrap pictured is a test knit by vegetorian for Wool & Pine. It incorporates handspun with an equal amount of commercial yarn. She says that she's "so in love with how this turned out!" This was suggested by Peony.
Indeed, the pattern is designed for stashbusting. "Sundial Wrap is designed to turn your treasured mini skeins, advent sets, handspun and colorful scraps into a stunning, wearable textile."
The pattern is now available. It uses the 2-color garter mosaic technique with i-cord edges and you can add tassels.There are video tutorials.
The big collar, chunky cables and toggles fill me with nostalgia.
It's made in a bulky (7 wpi) yarn and requires 990 - 1650 yards depending on which of the six sizes you make.
Pictured is Thread Head's Bubbly Shawl which she made using handspun yarn. The yarn is back in a ball now, apparently, because it didn't work for her. But the pattern is very interesting.
It has a DK and fingering-weight version and is designed for wool yarns. The pattern also features 'financial accessibility'.
This is for you if you're also a fan of the unusual construction.
It's slouchy and sheer. It's a rectangle with waist and neck openings on opposite sides which causes the garment to bias when worn. The pattern page says that it's "deceptively easy to knit".
The Crafty Yarnster is making one and describes it as "a rectangle which your head and limbs pop out of in unexpected places".
Hers is not going well because of the adjustments she's making, due to using a very different yarn from that which the pattern suggests - two thinner yarns held together making fingering yarn knit at DK gauge.
Anne's collages feature nature, memories and travel. She uses hand and machine stitching.
These human-face rugs are the doing of Jaime Hayon.
Salvador Dominguez' vessels are not yarn as you might first guess, but woven pipe-cleaners.
Svea Tisell makes sculpture that serves a practical purpose while having the softness and character of textile. She uses reclaimed rope.
She makes a structure to support the structure while it's being worked, which is then removed when the work is self-supporting.
Tia Keobounpheng weaves colorful threads on wood panels to create precise geometries in vibrating colour.
www.thisiscolossal.com...tia-keobounphengs-geometric-weaving
Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction is to open at The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York on April 20.
This page contains an image gallery of hi-res images, plus information about all of the works.
Each of Tomoko Kubo's elaborate embroideries represents one of the characters in the hiragana writing system and feature images of things that start with that sound. They function as learning aids as well as art.
26 - 27 April 2025, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells
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.
A list of accommodation and camping in the surrounding area is available on the Wonderwool website.
17 - 18 May 2025, Grand Octagon room, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton
50 exhibitors will be displaying the best of yarn, knitting, and crochet in the gateway to the Peak District. The website contains an exhibitor list and ticket information.
The event's home page contains some charity patterns raising money for Macmillan.
17-18 May 2025 Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley, Pudsey, LS28 5UJ
Celebrating textiles through a series of talks, workshops and a market featuring 50+ textile stalls each day
Fri 30 May - Sat 31 May 2025, Galashiels, TD1 3JX and tba
The two-day festival isn't just a yarn festival, it's a celebration of independent textile artists, crafters, dyers and spinners, as well as its local community.
Textile exhibitions, interactive activities, workshops, a brand new Fleece Market and over 30 craft stalls
7-8 June 2025 Coldharbour Mill, Uffculme, Devon
A yarn and fibre show with a twist - it's aimed to educate and connect people with the origin of their yarns, wool fibre and more...you'll find flax, leather, nettle, wood, ceramic and more at the show!
Brought to you by the organisers of Stitch Fest South West.
7 - 8 June 2025 Magna, Magna Way, Sheffield S60 1FD
Accessible, inclusive, welcoming.
7 - 8 June, 2025, The Assembly Rooms, South Molton Town Hall with tour of JAT Mill
This legendary event returns. Includes mill tour and workshops, talks and even a few other vendors at the beautiful 18th century function rooms in South Molton Town Hall
Tickets for tours, talks and workshops are now available for booking.
14 -15 June 2025, Dilham, Norfolk, NR28 9PT
Hosted by the historic Worstead Guild.
21 - 22 June 2025, J36 Rural Auction Centre, Cumbria
A gathering of people with a love for wool and yarn, and the associated crafts. The first Cumbrian Wool Gathering is organised by the same team responsible for Bakewell Wool Gathering and Buxton Wool Gathering.
5 - 6 July 2025, Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare
A new Summer yarn show by the sea!
Expect a fantastic selection of premium exhibitors, hands-on workshops, and exciting demos all wrapped up in a wonderful seaside atmosphere.
26 - 27 July 2025 Redborne School, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, MK45 2NU
100 of the very best stalls from all over the country, a great range of workshops, a street food area, lots of room to sit and chat, free demonstrations and advice from several local guilds.
Picks up where Fibre East left off.
26 - 27 July 2025 Whithorn Roundhouse, Dumfries & Galloway
A new event to promote and showcase wool and wool-related crafts.
9 - 10 August 2025, Newcastle Racecourse
90 amazing stalls plus a great range of workshops. cafe, demonstrations.
16 August 2025, Hulme Hall, 23 Bolton Rd, Bebington, Wirral
A selection of vendors selling everything from hand dyed yarns and fibres to felting kits and needles
Entry £4 per person, available on the door or online.
30 - 31 August 2025, Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire
A festival of woolly goodies. The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!
30 - 31 August 2025 at Perth Concert Hall
The Scottish Yarn Festival is the new name for Perth Festival of Yarn.
The Vendors' Gallery Marketplace is the place to find materials and inspiration for your future crafting projects, the chance to meet and talk with the makers behind your favourite independent brands, to indulge in a little celebrity spotting.
Past tutors and lecturers have included Jeanette Sloan, Françoise Danoy, Andre de Castro, Di Gilpin, and Amy Palko
A fringe programme of social events has included books signings, gala dinners and fashions shows, and Perthshire gin flights
12 - 13 September 2025, Farnham Maltings
unravel... autumn is a celebration of all things yarn making from knitting and crochet to spinning and weaving
At the core of unravel... autumn is the curated marketplace which showcases independent producers, well established makers alongside first-time yarn show exhibitors from around the UK. In addition, on each day of the festival, there is an inspiring programme of bookable workshops.
20 - 21 September 2025, the centre of Llandovery
A weekend celebration of rural crafts, food, entertainment and of course, sheep farming.
27 - 28 September 2025, Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire
Over 180 makers, craft workers, retailers, and artisans in the picturesque market town of Skipton, North Yorkshire.
28 September - 4 October 2025
Shetland Wool Week is a world renowned celebration of Britain's most northerly native sheep, the Shetland textile industry and the rural farming community on these islands.
Includes classes, talks, drop-ins, art. See website for the full events listing.
Sat 4 - Sun 5 October 2025 The Corn Hall, Cirencester
A two-day celebration of all things wool and yarn, including stalls, talks, demonstrations and workshops
Tickets available online now.
9 - 12 October 2025, Alexandra Palace, London
17 - 19 October 2025, The Trades Hall, Glasgow
Scotland's longest running yarn festival, championing local and innovative makers since 2011.
GSoY has an abundance of beautiful yarns, fibres, and accessories for every crafter.
18 - 19 October 2025 Staffordshire County Showground
Bakewell Wool Gathering has moved to Stafford. More details tbc
1 - 2 November 2025, Newton Abbot Racecourse.
Since 2016, Stitch Fest has moved to bigger venues and is now held under one roof at Newton Abbot Racecourse, showcasing some of the best independent makers, dyers, spinners and designers and a fabulous workshop and demonstration timetable.
8 - 9 November 2025, Sandburn Hall, York YO60 7RB
More details to follow
20 - 23 November 2025, Harrogate Convention Centre
Meet up with like-minded crafters, discuss ideas, learn new skills and shop for your annual craft supplies, including wool, beads and beyond from household name brands and special suppliers alike including Fabric Godmother, Toft and more.
I'm Shiela Dixon, I've been doing this for almost fifteen years in order to promote and encourage spinning and related crafts.
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