The Wool Clip co-operative has decided that members will not be organising any future Woolfest events. This follows an announcement in January that the group was exploring ideas for a change of emphasis in 2023. "We've been giving the future of the event considerable thought for well over a year now," says Ruth Strong, current Chair of the co-opera...

The Wool Clip co-operative, whose members organise Woolfest, has decided that there will not be a Woolfest in 2022, neither "live" nor online. "We've been giving the future of the event considerable thought in recent months," says Ruth Strong, current Chair of the co-operative. "After two online events in 2020 and 2021, we had hoped to be holding a...

Recently we have been asked about what is happening for Woolfest 2022.  The short answer is that we haven't decided yet, but the long answer is much more complex and flavourful. Like a well-matured cheese or a nice bottle of wine. Nobody knows Woolfest like the members of The Wool Clip co-operative (organisers of the event since conception in ...

Woolfest will be taking place online for the second year and is looking forward to welcoming thousands from around the world via social media. "We want to support as many of the businesses that would have been at Woolfest as we can," says Marion Rae, one of the organisers and a member of The Wool Clip. "Last year, we had just a few weeks to pull to...

Just two months since Woolfest at Cockermouth, and the organisers have made a donation of over £2000 to Eden Valley Hospice in Carlisle. The total figure of £2295 includes the proceeds of a charity auction of sheep-related arts and crafts (£1600) as well as donations from the volunteer musicians, stallholders and those who took part in the Giant Kn...

Each year, the stallholder team for Woolfest selects a number of stalls and stallholders for special mention and recognition at the end of the event. These awards are not only for the stall itself, not only for the goods on sale and not only for their contribution to Woolfest but they also recognise the friendliness of the people, their efficiency ...

There are several sounds that give an atmosphere to Woolfest: the occcasional bleating of livestock, the click of knitting needles, a hum of spinning wheels (especially on Friday evening), laughter and a great selection of mainly-local acoustic music in The Square and in Aisle K. Thanks go to everyone involved in organising and playing, especially ...

There will be workshops at Woolfest for the first time in several years.  They'll be taking place upstairs at Mitchell's Lakeland Livestock Centre in the "boardroom" and, if all goes well this year, there could be more of them with easier access in years to come. Debbie Zawinski and Liz Reed have agreed to share their skills this year and the ...

Each year, the organisers of Woolfest aim to have something new in the Small Ring. In the past, it's been West House and the charity flowers, fashion shows from Central Europe and NEST!, created by The Wool Clip's own Jean Wildish and Maud Mercier. For 2019, this space is being taken over by the Northern Heartlands and its Hefted To Hill project. H...

A regular feature of Woolfest is the Carolyn Rawlinson Memorial Stall which gives a young business free access to the Woolfest world.This year's recipient is Kathryn Parry of Gull Skull Designs who combines Tunisian crochet techniques and artisan weaving with all sorts of hand-made embellishments to create accessories and homewares that are inspire...

As the new Woolfest website goes live, tickets for the event are now available to buy online too. Simply click on the Buy Tickets blue button on the Home page (or here) and choose your options - one-day, two-day and Giant Knit and Spin-In tickets are all available with Workshop tickets to follow soon. Please note that each new ticket order will hav...

Many Woolfest regulars will be aware that our great friend and colleague, Pam Hall, died last year. Everyone at The Wool Clip misses her a great deal and we wanted to do something at this year's Woolfest in honour (as well as in memory) of Pam. We've combined her work with Herdwick sheep and their wool, her connection to Eden Valley Hospice and her...

​The Carolyn Rawlinson Memorial Stall recipient in 2018 was Izzy Middleton, also known as Wildflower Weaver. Izzy originally channelled her creative energies into floristry before she discovered the ancient arts of weaving and spinning. Now, three years later, she has found her passion. Not only does Izzy have a love for weaving but, more important...

Woolfest 2018 falls in British Flower month so the event organisers at The Wool Clip are working with local charity, West House, on plans to gather the biggest bouquet ever of wool-crafted flowers. Visitors are being asked to bring their creations to the Small Ring at Woolfest or to deliver them to The Wool Clip shop in Caldbeck. The team from West...

Fourteen different experts are sharing their skills with demonstrations at Woolfest: There'll be lots of demonstrations around Woolfest this year with crafts ranging from spinning and weaving to crochet, knitting, button and felt making. Look out for the red D in your Programme marking where there'll be demonstrations and you'll also find details o...