Leeds Wool Festival

Yesterday I went to the first ever Leeds Wool festival.  An enjoyable morning out, despite the Sat Nav taking a fit.  The daft article first wouldn't allow me to put the right road in (I had of course forgotten to write down the Post code and only had the road name.... it doesn't like road names.... it finds them insufficiently exact).  It then directed me via a very circuitous route into Leeds, then directed me to the WRONG Canal Road.  On Canal Road it refused to allow me to re-enter the proper destination into the system at all, wishing to direct me to some small cul de sac in a different part of Leeds.  We got there in the end though and the event was extremely well organised.  Parking marshals were very efficient and there was plenty of parking.  The museum had extremely limited space to host stalls and events but it did very well with the space it had. There was a lovely lady directing people at the door so you didn't miss anything as some elements were outside.  There were two very cute rare breed lambs and some alpacas which you could pay to take for a walk around in a circle in a roped off arena.  When I saw the alpacas though they seemed a bit hacked off with the whole walking in circles thing and were digging their heels in and refusing to move. 

The rooms with the stalls in were absolutely heaving with people so hopefully the stall holders  did quite well at the event.  I was slightly disappointed that a stall holder I had particularly wanted to see wasn't there after all, but I know she is very busy with something else at present so understood why that might be.  I managed to buy fibre anyway.... like that was ever in doubt. 
Here is the full haul.... quite a modest one really.  All came from one stall, Freyalyn's Hand-Dyed Fibres. 

 First there was a 50 gramme bag of dyed long wool locks.  I've been keen to try spinning with locks for a while and these are great colours.  I may try a spot of art yarn making and knit a necklace from it, or possibly card them and spin them blended. 

Next to that is 100grammes of merino and silk which is really only on loan.  Mum bought it, I'm spinning it for her, and then she will knit and own it. 

 

This one is mine.  The colourway is called Lightning and I think it will make a great shawl or possibly socks.  The colour changes are every six to seven inches, and this will be used to practice colour handling for one of my Craftsy classes since the exercises require specific length colour changes to gain the most from the class.   

 

And finally, this 100gramme bag of wool and nylon which will be spun into sock weight yarn and made into a Christmas gift... at least that's the plan at the moment.