Knitting and Crochet Diary #7
Sharing my week of knitting and crochet, and life in general.
Welcome to my yarn diary for my knitting and crochet business. A peek behind the scenes of what I get up to with knitting and crochet, and life in general.
Where I’ve Been: My knitting and crochet adventures at Yarndale
Last weekend I headed to Yarndale, the biggest yarn show in the UK. Every September, the show takes over Skipton, Yorkshire – a beautiful part of the North of England – and becomes a highlight of the knitting and crochet calendar. Yarn-lovers from across the country (and beyond) flock there for two days of colour, creativity, and inspiration.
For one weekend a year, the huge Auction Mart in Skipton is transformed into a buzzing hub of yarny activity.
This year we were greeted at the entrance by a canopy of colourful mandalas and crochet bunting, and the famous Yarndale Sheep. A cheerful welcome that set the tone for the day.
What I saw
Inside, it was almost overwhelming, with row upon row of stalls from independent dyers, yarn shops, designers, and makers. Everywhere I turned there was colour, texture, and inspiration.
We took the practical route and started at row A, then just followed along, soaking up the creativity.
These beautiful creatures gave us a lovely welcome and we couldn't resist stopping to watch them being fed.
Beautiful walls of flowers brightened our steps.
Crowds packed out many of the stalls, which was wonderful to see. I really hope it meant strong sales for the small businesses. Being an independent maker isn’t easy these days, and it was heartening to see so much support.
The variety was amazing: hand-dyed skeins in rich autumn shades, bold neons, natural fibres, clever tools, colourful kits, and inspiring books. I was so close to trying something completely different – a needle-felting kit (these cute little mice nearly came home with me), a fabric-printing kit with hand-carved stamps, and even an embroidery kit.
In the end, though, I stayed true to my stash-busting roots and stuck with yarn and fabric.
Don't worry if you didn't make it to Yarndale in person, here is the exhibitor list with all the website links, so that you can take a look and be inspired too.
I seemed to skip quite a few stalls, so I’ll be checking through it myself to make sure I didn’t miss something extra special.
And of course, there was more than yarn. Skipton itself is always worth a wander, with canals, cafés, and little shops to explore if you need a break from yarn shopping.
But what I love most about Yarndale is always the community atmosphere – friendly, buzzing, and full of people who understand the excitement, when it comes to yarn.
What I Bought
Naturally, I couldn’t leave empty-handed (that would have been rude, wouldn’t it). Supporting fellow business owners is so important to me, and there were a few treasures that just had to come home:
- A stunning hand-dyed yarn cake in the perfect autumn gradient.
- A set of linen mini-skeins (stash-busting heaven).
- A pack of woollen fabric squares – perfect for lining handmade bags and purses.
- A skein of rust-coloured hand-dyed cotton yarn that caught my eye.
I’ll be sharing some stash-friendly project ideas soon for how I plan to use my Yarndale finds.
Did you go to Yarndale this year? Or if you’ve been before, what was your favourite part? Let me know in the comments.
I hope you had a fab weekend too, and that the week ahead is a good one for you.
Lynne x
P.S. If you love to knit or crochet, then I also share free patterns. You can find them here:
