Top five favourite vendors at Yarndale

Possibly the biggest U.K yarn festival event of the year is happening in Skipton, North Yorkshire this weekend.
The organisers are expecting 8,000 visitors to the two day Yarndale festival, a celebration of creativity and everything yarn related. It's probably the most crochet orientated festival too with Lucy from Attic24 as one of the organisers too. I never planned to go - the travel and physical energy required would inevitably wipe me out for several weeks - but as it approaches, it is hard not to wish I was going too. My Instagram feed is filling up with Insta friends travelling up/down to Yorkshire and my favourite vendors finalising their preparations. But after a pretty brutal week, we have a much needed relaxing family weekend planned with lots of time for tea, cake, crochet and squishing of yarn in my stash - a yarn festival at home. In a couple of weeks time some friends and I are having a little trip to some of London's yarn shops which is much more manageable (and enjoyable?) than walking around a cattle market with 7,999 other people!

For those lucky enough to be travelling to Yarndale this weekend I thought I would share my top five vendors - the ones I would immediately make a beeline too. And for those of us having a yarn festival of our own at home, all of these vendors have online shops to browse from the comfort of your armchair!

Here's my top five:

1. The Crochet Project (Stand 1): I love Kat and Joanne's design aesthetic, they also take great care to produce excellent patterns. At Yarndale this year they are launching their new book, Accessories Book One containing hat, mittens, cowls and shawls to keep us warm through the Winter time. You can also pre-order the book via their website if you can't make it to Yarndale.

2. John Arbon (Stand 81): If you haven't used John Arbon's Knit by Numbers range then I really recommend you try it; it comes in every conceivable colour - both 4ply and DK weight - and is the most deliciously soft merino yarn. They have recently started selling mini-skeins which look gorgeous. I'm also keen to try their recently launched Devonia range.

3.  The Little Grey Sheep ( Stand 115): Emma and Neil's farm is just up the road from us on the Hampshire/Surrey border. Together with shepardess Susie they create a huge array of yarn from their own flock. Earlier in the year I had the pleasure of using some of their Stein Fine Wool to knit a pair of mittens and it was an absolute pleasure. I haven't knitted with anything so lovely before or since. You can read about my mittens again here.

4. Textile Garden (Stand 41): If you love buttons, then you will LOVE the Textile Garden stand and online shop. They sell buttons in every size, colour and design that you can think of.

5. Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet (Stand 154): I know Lynne has been super busy with preparations for Yarndale including putting together some new kits. Lynne will also be selling her books on the stand including her recently published Knit Yourself Calm book which is excellent for beginners and more advanced knitters a like. Please go and say hello to Lynne if you're at Yarndale!

It's been really hard to pick just five vendors - you can see the full list here. The Pompom magazine stand would be another stop for me as they always have samples from their recent publications on display (and to try on if you are lucky!). They will also have samples from Bristol Ivy's new book Knitting Outside the Book which I'm really keen to see.

Whether you are heading to North Yorkshire or having a festival of your own at home, I hope you have a lovely weekend x