Yarndale was fabulous!!!!!
It is a very popular event and people come in thousands. So many people that I find it difficult to get any decent photos of the exhibitor stands! This shot shows just how busy it can be (this shows about half the marketplace and was taken fairly early in the day):
The layout and decoration has improved again! Well done The Yarndale team! These are some of the lovely Yarndale decorations to see:
I should have taken a photo of the mandalas, but I clean forgot!
The range of stallholders has expanded yet is also of a much higher standard than previous years. There were lots of quality things to see and buy, and I found it very tempting. But I controlled my budget by taking cash only, this made me careful in what I purchased. Here’s my haul:
The basket is an African basket from Injabulo (I think I’m addicted to baskets), 2 skeins of the now rare Natural Dye Studio yarn from Amanda Perkins, one skein of luscious silk worsted from Willow Knits, 6 small skeins (200g total) of gorgeous Yeavering Bell DK from Whistlebare (a lovely mohair/wensleydale blend), 3 balls of linen and some linen material from Namolio, large pegs for my Swift from The Yarn Cafe and some brooches from Max’s World.
As well as shopping there so much to see and so many people to meet up that my head was in whirl half the time! And this year I even had the opportunity to help Anne on the Willow Knits stand for fifteen minutes, having my first experience of what it’s like to sell yarn to hungry customers 🙂
This year I took an hour out of the show and I went into Skipton on the red routemaster bus. It was a lovely escape from the crowds which seem to be at the greatest from about 11.30 to 1.30, but also Skipton is a great little market town to visit. I had coffee and cake with one of my friends in a lovely café she spotted down one of the ginnels:
Latte, fruit cake, Wensleydale cheese and apple – a delicious combination and great ‘fuel’ for the second half of the show!
I went by coach,organised by Lynne, Bernadette and Maxine, and Lynne did a splendid job of getting us on the coach and then into the show (always a bit tricky with 50 or so excited yarnies!).
I was exhausted when I returned home, so it was an early night for me…and then I slept in a bit later than I anticipated. The exhaustion was well worth it. But do I really have another year to wait for the next show?!
Happy knitting and crocheting xxxx
Agrarian Artisan 
We all had a great time and I am glad that you were able to have a relaxed visit after 2 years of solo organising!! I must now organise and catalogue my stash before any further purchases!!
I was very restrained, only added 475g to my stash!!
Looks like a fabulous time
No, you don’t have to wait till next year – it’s only three weeks till the Bakewell Woolgathering! Smaller than Yarndale, but well worth a visit, and another lovely little town to potter round.
I went in the first year, when it was called ‘Bob’! It was lovely, and I was taught to drop spindle by one of the stallholders. I will try and go if I get the chance:-)
Thankyou for the photos, would have loved to have gone!
Lovely photos and write-up Valerie, thank you! Really happy to hear you enjoyed the show, it was good wasn’t it?!
I was wondering if you would allow me to share one of your photos on our facebook page, the top on in your blog post showing Yarndale in full, glorious swing? It’s a lovely photo and captured the essence of Yarndale perfectly.
Thanks ever so much
Lucyx
Hi Lucy
Thank you! And thank you for another brilliant show!
Of course you may use my photo, any of them. I took the one of (half) the show from the viewing platform, which I hadn’t seen before and it was an amazing view, really puts it into perspective.
You must all be shattered now, I was exhausted just as a visitor, but it was satisfying exhaustion. 🙂
Valerie x
((thank you)), I’ll credit you with the photo and link back to your blog
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh, How I wish I could have gone to Yarndale, but I live in New York so I shall have to be content just reading about it. Thanks for the photos and commentary on your day. Sounds wonderful.