unravel... autumn programme
Fri 08 & Sat 09
September 2023
A celebration of all things yarn, from knitting and crochet to spinning and weaving.
Friends and yarn lovers! We are excited to host the autumn instalment of unravel here at Farnham Maltings, where we celebrate all things yarn making, from knitting and crochet to spinning and weaving.
In our curated marketplace you will discover an array of independent producers and hand dyed yarns, hailing from across the UK, with leading names from the knitting fraternity and new emerging hand dyers and designers for you to explore.
In the Long Kiln Gallery you can find lots of wonderful work to admire and be sure to make the most of our free talk series featuring inspiring speakers from the yarn and textile community (see details on the next page).
There is also the option to book a last-minute spot on one of our expert-led workshops with a focus on mending and upcycling. Highlights include Rigid Heddle Weaving, Decorating Yarn Bowls, Natural Dyeing, Tunisian Crochet, Brioche, Fair Isle and Introduction to Knitwear Repair.
We are pleased to offer two free participation activities; drop in and learn how to make a sculptural mobile with found natural objects or make like our Nimble Fingers’ ladies and be guided through crocheting a twizzle, we have over 70 of these effective twizzles decorating our foyer!
However you celebrate yarn, we hope you enjoy this autumn’s unravel festival as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together.
Happy stitching!
Madeleine, Jo & Caroline
The Craft Team
Proud supporter of
front cover image: Martha Ratcliff
Farnham was granted World Craft Town status in June 2020 by the World Craft Council following a successful application by Farnham Maltings and Farnham Town Council. The award is in recognition of the special role that craft plays in our community.
welcome
talks & more
A Search for Identity and Culture Through the
Art of Knitting
Talk: Fri 11am
Long Kiln Gallery
Sylvia Watts-Cherry talks about her knitting journey and how she communicates her sense of identity through knitting.
Natural Dyeing
Demonstration
Demo: Fri 12pm
East Wing Workshop
Liz Baltesz walks through each step; preparing a skein, soaking, mordanting, extracting dye, shifting colours and finishing.
Crafting a Business in Knitting
Talk: Sat 10am
Long Kiln Gallery
Sophie Hemmings is a full-time knitwear designer, creating fibre-conscious contemporary designs, Sophie shares how she crafted her business.
Machine knitting
Demonstration
Demo: Sat 12-12.30pm & 1pm-1.30pm
Long Kiln Gallery
CSM graduate Morenikeji
Ajose demonstrates how she incorporates a range of interesting textures, colours and patterns.
Free Participation:
Crochet Twizzles
Undercroft
Join our resident community knitting group ‘Nimble Fingers’ and learn how to make the fabulous ‘twizzles’ which can be seen on display in our glass entrance.
Exhibitions
Long Kiln Gallery
Between talks come and browse work on display from Morenikeji Ajose, Kimberly Cookey-Gam and Sophie Hemmings.
Pictured: Kimberly’s glass cup as part of her ‘repair’ collection.
workshops
Rigid Heddle
Weaving
Fri & Sat 10am-12pm
East Wing Dance
Studio 2
An introduction to the rigid heddle loom and how to weave a piece of fabric which you can take home.
Decorate a Yarn Bowl
Fri 10.30am-12.30pm & Sat 1pm-3pm
Pottery Studio
Choose a ready made wheel thrown bowl and personalise it by carving the clay and decorating with a coloured slip.
Brioche
Fri 11am-1pm
Courtyard Kiln
Discover how to knit brioche with one and two colours using both straight and double pointed needles. You will also learn brioche terms.
Natural Dyeing
Fri 1pm-4pm & Sat 10am-1pm
East Wing Workshop
An introduction to natural dyeing and how to do it safely. Manage a dye bath and observe the others, you will take home 100g of sample mini skeins.
Fair Isle
Fri 1.30pm-3.30pm
Courtyard Kiln
Understand how to read a chart, changing colours across a row, getting the correct tension, creating borders and be able to knit a project on straight needles using Fair Isle techniques.
Mending Patch on a Mini Loom
Fri 11.30am-1pm
East Wing Dance Studio 1
Learn to weave a square of fabric for a coaster or mending patch using a weaving kit. The kit will be yours to take home to develop your weaving.
Tunisian Crochet
Sat 10am-12pm
East Wing Dance Studio 1
Learn how to cast on and work Tunisian Simple Stitch; how to increase, decrease and cast off. Learn to roduce lovely effects with two colours.
Introduction to Knitwear Repair
Sat 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm
Courtyard Kiln
Master repairing holes, reinforcing worn knit fabric and practical hand sewing techniques to restore your beloved woollens.
Amigurumi Polar Bear
Sat 1pm-4pm
East Wing Dance Studio 1
Learn how to work in the round Amigurumi style, how to increase/ decrease, join pieces and finishing techniques.
Log Cabin Love
Sat 2pm-4pm
Meeting Room 2
Learn core skills on how to make a log cabin square including introducing new colours and managing ends. Gain confidence using simple stripes and intarsia for colour inspiration.
Intarsia in the Round
Sat 2pm-4pm
Dance Studio 2
Go beyond basic intarsia to explore knitting motifs and intarsia patterns in the round using two different techniques. Pick up tips for maintaining your tension, calculating and organising yarns.
Crochet Your Own Sculptural Mobile
Sat 11am-3pm
Great Hall Stage
Learn the basic crochet stitches and combine this skill by experimenting with twigs, sticks and other elements foraged from nature, to create your own sculptural pieces.
free
exhibitors
Our exhibitors are spread across five rooms throughout the whole building so take time to explore and make sure you don’t miss anything.
Use the legend below to see what exhibitors are bringing to the festival:
Books / Patterns
Gifts / Kits
great hall exhibitors
Jewellery Info
Needles / Hooks
Notions
Spinning /Weaving Yarn
Skein Queen are artisan hand dyers of luxury yarns.
skeinqueenyarns.co.uk
Bona Yarns, fantabulosa colours.
bonayarns.com
A family run British brand, specialising in contemporary kits & craft accessories. cocoonandme.com
Specialising in hand dyeing techniques such as self-striping, tonal & plant-based. urthyarns.com
Yarns inspired by food, nature & the universe!
yarnwhisperer.co.uk
Hand dyed colours inspired by literature, captured on British heritage wool. tellingyarns.com
Hand dyed luxury yarns inspired by nature.
tedknitsuk.co.uk
Bona Yarns
The Yarn Whisperer
Skein Queen
Cocoon&Me Urth Yarns
TedKnitsUK
Telling Yarns
Wool Decanted
Hand dyed luxury knitting yarns & fibres. coastal-colours.co.uk
Creating unique, soft British wool in rich, solid colour. wooldecanted.co.uk
Project bags, hand dyed yarns & notions.
thelittlegreygirl.com
Hand processed wools, felting kits & needle felted sculptures. fudgeandmabel.co.uk
cellar bar exhibitors
Purlescence
Home of beautiful yarns & stockists of luxury Chiaogoo needles. purlescence.com
Original design knitting kits, unique accessories & notions.
theknittinggiftshop.co.uk
Wensleydale Longwool Ltd.
Beautiful, lustrous, high quality wool in “Shades of the Dales.”wensleydale longwool.co.uk
InterKnitCafé
The best selection of 4 ply sock yarn.
etsy.com/uk/shop/ interknitcafe
Vibrant hand dyed yarns locally spun from their own Welsh sheep. tyddynbryn.com
Beautiful handmade porcelain buttons for every occasion. instagram.com/ buttonedupuk
Specialises in on-trend craft kits for crochet & Bargello tapestry.
suziejules.etsy.com
Coastal Colours
The Little Grey Girl
The Knitting Gift Shop
Fudge & Mabel
ButtonedUp
Tyddyn Bryn Suzie Jules
Bespoke 4ply beautifully soft angora yarn. bunny2beanie.square. site
Norfolk Horn yarns, spun in Yorkshire & hand-dyed on a small slow scale. fibreworkshop.co.uk
tannery exhibitors
Affordable yarns, stitch markers, mystery bags & gift balls.
rosiesmoments.co.uk
Stocks Latvian wool Dundaga, Icelandic Lopi, Lettlopi and lace weight Einband. 80skeins.co.uk
Yarnsulike
Catty patterns, accessories & extras to bring your knitting to cat-tastic levels. caitinbeag.com
Single origin yarns in the colours the sheep intended.
rawwoolcompany.co. uk
Hand-dyed yarn inspired by the past, on a range of bases.
curatedyarnco.com
A curated selection of yarn from their shop.
idashouse.co.uk
Stocks yarns that are plant based, recyclable, vegan & anti-bacterial. instagram.com/yarnsulike
Modern punch needle kits suitable for beginners & all levels.
simplecraftedlife.com
An imaginative yarn dyeing studio inspired by passion & experiences.
coolwoolings.com
Rosies Moments
Ida’s House
Simple Crafted Life
Fibre Workshop
Curated Yarn Co.
Bunny2Beanie
Raw Wool Company
80 Skeins
Cool Woolings
An Caitín Baeg
barley room exhibitors
Colours are inspired by the landscape & changing seasons of a Welsh mountain. nellieandeve.com
Beautiful stitch markers, made with UK sourced seaglass. greenandglass.co.uk
Strives to capture nature’s beauty & it’s essence in every skein. moonlightfibre.com
Plant dyed yarn inspired by the seasons. gingerpinkyarns.etsy. com
A small design & dye business. Designs brought to life by rich hand dyed yarns. theknittingshed.com
Scandinavian inspired shop selling yarn, notions & bags. knitandliving.co.uk
Everything to make or mend your own woolly slippers.
joestoes.co.uk
Chroma Nima
Hand-dyed sustainable cashmere yarns & knitting patterns. chromanima.com
YarnTings
Bold & playful colour, with an understanding of how different fibres absorb colour. yarntings.com
Fibre from local farms in the South-West, hand-dyed in rich, wearable shades. marinaskua.com
Sustainable, plastic free - making it easier to make items without costing the earth. haberdasherbee.co.uk
Ginger Pink Yarns
Nellie & Eve
Marina Skua
The Haberdasher Bee Ltd.
Moonlight Fibre
Green & Glass
The Knitting Shed Knit + Living Joe’s Toes Ltd.
tindle studio exhibitors
Whimsical collection from Japan, Italy & England. Yarn & playful sock patterns. arastellaknit.com
Eco-friendly project bags & accessories using self screenprinted fabrics. alexcollinsdesigns.com
themed yarns inspired by favourite TV shows, movies & books. thelonelyknitter.co.uk
Lovingly picked fabric to hand make quality project bags. etsy.com/uk/shop/ GailMadeByMe
Coastal inspired buttons, stitch markers & project bowls.
lilliputwight.co.uk
riverside café
Hand-dyed yarn inspired by art history, botanical illustrations & curiosities. pigmentandply.com
tabbyandtweed.co.uk
The café operates from both the foyer and riverside and there is ample seating in both areas. There is also outdoor seating on our patio areas.
Choose from homemade soups served with artisan sourdough, open-faced Danish sandwiches and freshly made main dishes. Our regular selection of hot and cold drinks is available together with fresh pastries from our supplier SØDT Bakery.
We can cater for gluten-free diets and other special dietary requirements, please speak to a server.
GailMadeByMe Lilliput Wight
Alex Collins
Nerdy
The Lonely Knitter
Pigment & Ply
TabbyandTweed
Weaving looms, kits & handwoven items.
Ara Stella
u Natural Wool u Original Designs u Knitting Kits u Yarn Bowls u Swifts Knitting Gifts u Shawl Pins u Accessories u Notions u Gift Hampers u www.theknittinggiftshop.co.uk
crochet twizzle instructions
Did you see the crochet installation in the foyer? Keen to learn how to make your own crochet twizzles at home? Follow these instructions or join our Nimble Fingers group in the Undercroft for extra guidance.
You will need:
- 4 colours of yarn (one needs to be a contrast colour to make the decorative ‘chain stitch’ so it needs to stand out on whatever colour you use for Row 2).
- Two sizes of hook, a larger one to make the initial chain and one a size down to complete the rest. (Suggested hook sizes are a 5mm & 4mm with DK yarn or a 6mm & 5mm with Aran weight yarn but tension is not important).
Row 1
Using the larger hook & first colour make between 80 & 150 chain, finish off.
Row 2
Using the smaller hook & second colour, crochet 4tr in every chain to end, finish off. It should look like a long sea slug!
Row 3
Using the third colour (the contrast colour), work a slip stitch on the surface of the WRONG SIDE of the trebles of row 2, working the slip stitches over the trebles into the gaps between each treble (it should look like an embroidered chain stitch) to end. Finish off.
Row 4
Using the fourth colour, starting at the end where you finished row 3, work crab stitch (reverse dc) into the top of all trebles, to end. Finish off. Weave in ends.
A special thank you to Andrea for writing the instructions and joint efforts with Charlie to manage the project, and to the the Nimble Fingers group who have worked busily to create the installation.
festival of crafts
Sat 14 October 9am – 5pm
Sun 15 October 10am – 4pm
Discover
Advance ticket: £6* (under 18s free) *plus booking fee
beautiful, handmade crafts from over 80 extraordinary makers at festival of crafts. Buy from some of the UK’s leading craftspeople selling jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass, leatherwork, homewares and more. Explore your creativity with one of our many bookable workshops.
informal gatherings for local creatives. All welcome.
Creatives@FarnhamCraftTown.com
Free
@FarnhamCreativesNetwork
ground floor
green highlights where workshops, talks and free participation takes place
cellar
great
great
foyer entrance
foyer
maltings
box office u u u u lift lift cellar bar
courtyard across
to
dance studio 1 &
undercroft
bar
hall
hall stage
riverside café
bar
stores
undercroft
the courtyard
east wing workshop, meeting room 2, east wing
2
first floor
long kiln talks & exhibitions
u
tindle studio tannery u
lift
barley room
courtyard kiln workshops
southwest kiln workshops
unravel... a festival of yarn save the date...
Fri 23, Sat 24 & Sun 25 February 2024
The largest independent yarn show in the south east of england, returns in Spring for three days.
