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unravel 2013
We are pleased to announce that next year's unravel will take place on Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th February 2013 - we hope to see you there.
unravel 2012
...a festival of knitting
Saturday 25 February 2012, 10am - 5pm
Sunday 26 February 2012, 10am - 4pm
Fourth Festival of Knitting a Resounding Success
unravel, Farnham Maltings’ fourth festival of knitting, was hailed a “resounding success” with 2,500 people attending the festival over the weekend to enjoy talks, workshops, a marketplace, demonstrations, a fashion show and more.
The Maltings’ Crafts and Events Officer, Pauline Smith, said “We were thrilled to welcome so many enthusiastic visitors to this year’s unravel and were especially delighted to see the next generation of knitters participating in the weekend’s activities.”
The building was transformed into a woollen wonderland of knitted delights. Visitors were welcomed by artist Laura Bragg’s knitted balloons, floating above the Maltings Bridge, which set the tone for the weekend’s festivities. Newly born lambs, who had travelled from local Well Manor Farm, greeted visitors at the entrance. Once inside eyes were drawn upwards to see the life size, knitted sheep that had been made and suspended in the entrance by the Surrey Knitting and Crochet Group and the West Surrey Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers. The Maltings building held further surprises including a knitted mannequin, yarn covered ceiling, wire knickers and a woolly farmyard.
Contributions were made by many community groups and clubs. Farnham’s knitting club the ‘Knitwits’ transformed the riverside café with many and varied mug hugs and tea cosies. The Guild of Machine Knitters installed skyline pillars in the Cellar Bar. Whilst, further afield the All Hale Handmaidens and Knitter Natter knitting clubs decorated Farnham town centre with yarn bombed lamp posts, shop signs and trees.
In the Cellar Bar, both experienced knitters and novices had the opportunity to learn or improve their skills with demonstrations and handy hints and tips by experts from the best of the South East’s societies, including both the West Surrey and Hampshire Guilds of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers; the Surrey Knitting & Crochet Group; the Guild of Machine Knitters; the International Feltmakers Association; and the UK Hand Knitting Association.
Knitting quandaries could be solved with the help of the unravel knitting surgery and, new for this year, the dedicated sock circle. Ahead of this year’s London Olympics, Farnham Maltings were pleased to host one of the cultural Olympiad projects, the Woolsack. Woolsack encourages people to make cushions from British wool to give to athlete’s attending the 2012 Olympics. Completed cushions were brought along to the festival for stuffing.
The marketplace was bustling, with stall holders from across the UK showcasing the best ‘grown’, hand-spun or hand-dyed yarns. Yarn dyed with plants in season, hand-spun alpaca yarns and natural hemp prepared for knitting were some of a variety of products which were available for purchase. Also on sale were beautiful ceramic buttons, vintage knitting accessories, felt, peglooms, knitting boards and weaving sticks, patterns and books.
Free workshops encouraged youngsters to become hooked on knitting. Those who have already caught the knitting bug were able to enter the new under 15s category in the returning Best In Show competition, sponsored by Selvedge Magazine. The winner of the under 15s category was the Butts Primary School in Alton for their knitted garden. The over 15s category was won by Heather Murray for her Autumn in Anatolia jumper. Runner Up was Kim White with her Dalek and Tardis top. There were a record number of votes for The People’s Choice award; the eventual winner was Gail Felgate with her Blooming Basket of flowers.
A range of talks by expert speakers were very well attended and made a great addition to a busy day for visitors. Talks were given by Lesley Prior from the Campaign for Wool, Sue Blacker of the Natural Fibre Company and Tricia Holman who gave a talk on her late aunt and renowned knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann. The talks programme culminated with Bethan Holt, straight from London Fashion week giving an insight into how designers are working with wool on the catwalk. This was followed by the unravel fashion show and a look at some of the knitwear designs that were showcased at the festival.
Happy visitors left with their limited edition unravel bags full to the brim with new projects.
The Maltings is already planning and looking forward to the fifth festival next year, to celebrate once again all things woollen.
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