Scottish Wool Producers Showcase - The Scottish Yarn Festival

PROVENANCE HERITAGE ARTISTRY

A companion event to The Scottish Yarn Festival, the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase shines a spotlight on yarns with a distinctly Scottish origin and their makers. Featuring a boutique marketplace celebrating Scotland’s single farm yarns, shepherds, mills, and more, as well as inspiring presentations.

Hosted at the Dewars Centre, Perth, on 25 March 2023 from 11am – 4pm

Tickets will be released at 10am GMT on 4 February

£9.00 – Tickets include access to free presentations* (presentation tickets are strictly limited and early purchase is advised)

Aister ‘oo’

Our family have been on our Croft in the Shetland Islands for literally hundreds of years. In 2020 we embarked on getting our natural, native, lively Shetland Sheep’s wool made into yarn. It’s 100% Shetland, 100% from our Croft and is hand sheared. We now have over 25 colours of natural and dyed shades to choose from.

Although sadly unable to join us in-person at the Showcase we will have a selection of products from Aister ‘oo’ available to purchase at our event.

Annfield Farm

Nestled in the rolling hills of Fife, Annfield Farm is family owned and run. We are the 5th generation farming here although things have greatly changed through the years. We are a small team of two, Andrew and Laury-Anne, partners at work and in life.

We run a growing flock of pedigree Angora goats and are entirely slaughter free with the aim to raise happy animals. The sheep wool we use is carefully selected from a very small number of farms around us, that we personally know, and where the animals are respected and extremely well looked after. The Shetland fleeces are mainly from smallholders and the pure new wool comes from two different farms, both within 10 miles of us.

We aim to be eco-friendly, so our yarns are 100% wool and never mixed with plastic, our packaging is made from recycled materials whenever possible and either recyclable or compostable.

Bearford Originals

The yarn for Bearford Originals comes from the Bearford Flock, which consists of 82 sheep and 7 alpacas, organically raised at the foot of the Lammermuir Hills in East Lothian. The wool fleeces and alpaca fibre are GOTS certified organically woollen spun at the Natural Fibre Company into 3 bases which we have named after nearby East Lothian villages. Our yarns are sold either undyed or colourfully plant-dyed on the farm by ourselves using materials either locally grown or purchased from ethical suppliers. Being organic is important to us as we wish to tread as lightly as possible upon Mother Earth.

Brawliemuir Farm

Brawliemuir Farm is a young reality based on animal welfare, eco-sustainability, respect for life and nature, and the principle that inspires us is that it is morally right and materially possible to interact with the environment without plundering it, to raise animals without abusing them, to obtain quality products without forgetting the rhythm of nature.

Matteo is in the early days of his fibre journey and as such his stock of Hebridean and Cashmere blend yarn is not large enough to support a full stall at our event. However, he will be there in-person to speak with anyone wanting to know more about his flock and this strictly limited precious yarn will be available to purchase from our “Flock” stall.

The Border Mill

The Border Mill are a small family run mill in the Scottish Borders. Alongside processing fleeces for the owners of alpacas and rare breed sheep across the country, they spin a small range of yarns in unusual blends of animal and plant fibres in colours inspired by the Scottish landscape.

Caithness Croft

Caithness Croft is part of the Beardychiel Designs programme. When John Glen was approached by crofters and farmers who offered him fleece in preference to it being burned or buried, he accepted, and as a result of the volume started having it spun into yarn for other knitters and fibre crafters to enjoy. The idea of fleeces being was wasted was not something he could accept.

Caithness Yarns

Caithness Yarns offer high quality, often unique yarns, from high welfare flocks up in the “True” North of Scotland (including shepherd Graeme’s own.) Their range has a series of yarns from the old-fashioned style of hill sheep here in Caithness and Sutherland, these demonstrate the greatness of the wool you can get if you breed for it and focus relentlessly on sheep health and welfare. The other strand to Caithness Yarns are their “Rare Breed” yarns.

Starting with their own flock of Castlemilk Moorit sheepies, they offer one-off, unique small batch yarns mostly undyed and unbleached. As a matter of good ethical business practice Caithness Yarns use a concept for sourcing the fleece that makes their yarns what they call “Living Value.” This means they set a respectful value for fleece when they buy it that better reflects the hard work and care that good farmers and crofters lavish on their stock.

Hawkshaw Sheep

Hawkshaw Sheep produce natural coloured yarns, carded batts, roving and tweed cloth from the fleeces of their own animals which graze on a hill farm in Tweedsmuir, the Scottish Borders.

Traceability at every step is extremely important to shepherdess Sue, and Hawkshaw Sheep wool is processed by the Natural Fibre Company at their mill in Cornwall.

Heatherlea Black Cheviot

As a unique one croft wool business – our natural wool is 100% traceable to the individual sheep from our own flock and is fabulously soft on your skin. We croft in a way that aides native biodiversity and reduces our carbon footprint. Every fleece is hand-clipped or shorn, sorted and handled by ourselves in an eco-friendly way.

Iona Wool

Famous throughout the World for it’s beauty and tranquillity, the island of Iona is often described as a special place. Saints, scholars, and artists have called it home over the years, but the island has always belonged to it’s indigenous crofting community who have shaped and defined life on this Atlantic outpost for centuries. At just 3 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, Iona is home to 7 crofts, 2 farms, around 170 islanders, and over 1000 native breed sheep.

Iona Wool is 100% single origin fleece that is sorted by hand with the first – and finest – grade being produced into limited edition yarns.

The Journal of Scottish Yarns

The Journal of Scottish Yarns is a print and digital magazine, published bi-annually in May and November.

Features and projects focus on Scottish-based or Scotland-inspired artisans across the textile skills and crafts, including knitting, crochet, cloth weaving, tapestry weaving, crewel work, embroidery, and spinning.

Ka Lok Shek Ellen

Skilled sewist Ka Lok Shek Ellen takes inspiration from her home town of Aberdeen, as well as her Chinese heritage, to produce beautiful and functional project bags for all fibre crafters.

Lammermuir Wool

Lammermuir Wool is home-grown, single-farm wool which is 100% Shetland wool. The wool comes from their own Koru Lammermuir Flock who graze peacefully in the Lammermuir Hills, East Lothian. Guardian of the flock, Suzie, believes that well-tended land and loved sheep makes for superb wool.

This fine, soft wool is hand-sheared and mill-spun into a range of practical weights from single-ply to Aran; available in a palette of natural and hand-dyed colours which reflect their origins.

Low Auldgirth

Over the hills but not too far away sits a small organic farm that works in harmony with nature. Using traditional methods and heritage breeds we farm the land in a way that enriches the environment, allowing us to produce quality farm products that capture the passion and heritage of the place it was grown. It’s a slow grown quality that you won’t find anywhere else.

Our wool is produced purely from our own flock of Ryeland and Gotland sheep who spend their days grazing on rich Scottish meadows in the heart of Dumfries and Galloway, this regenerative way of working creates high quality fibre that’s truly sustainable, raised the good old way, the slow way, the way nature intended.

Lunan Bay Cashmere

Since 2016, farmers Jillian and Neil McEwan have specialised in rearing Scottish Cashmere goats at Lunan Bay Farm in Angus, Scotland. They currently have the UK’s largest commercial Cashmere herd, over 150 head. In 2020, Lunan Bay Farm produced their first batch of hand combed Cashmere yarn, in partnership with The Border Mill in Duns. This is the first time in 30 years since Scottish Cashmere has been homegrown, harvested, and spun in Scotland.

The fibre from Cashmere goats is unique in terms of it’s softness, warmth and yield. Cashmere goats grow a double coat of the outer coarser guard hair, and an incredibly soft winter undercoat of pure Cashmere, of which the yield is between 150-250g per annum per goat. Lunan Bay Farm gently hand comb their goats’ undercoats every spring, when it naturally casts. The raw Cashmere contains guard hairs which are removed by a dehairing process, an additional costly step which results in only 50% spinable Cashmere fibre.

Jillian will also be giving a presentation about Lunan Bay Cashmere at the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.

Midwinter Yarns

Although best known for their wide range of natural fibre yarns of Scandinavian origin, Midwinter Yarns also produce their very own Black & Blue range of Welsh Wool as well as Shetland Tweed, salvaged tartan, and waxed cotton Ochil bags. These latter lines will be represented at the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.

Moorit

Moorit is an independent magazine for crocheters which was founded in Scotland by Alyson Chu. Featuring modern garments and accessories in natural fibres, Moorit is an antidote to the dearth of beautiful crochet publications.

Nervus Fibre

Glasgow-based Charlotte started Nervus Fibre as a way to share the colours she loved to knit with. She describes her palette as quite moody and muted, which she believes will make beautiful garments that will stand the test of time. Her inspiration is drawn from the vast Scottish landscapes, and she’s also a huge fantasy lover, so loves to interpret the imagery in the books she reads too.

Charlotte has a carefully curated selection of British yarn bases within her collections which include non-superwash Corriedale and Devonia blend, and it’s these that she will be bringing to the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.

New Lanark Spinning Co.

New Lanark Spinning Co. are spinners of luxury yarn made from 100% wool. Spun on historic machinery in the mills of New Lanark World Heritage Site which is powered by renewable energy.

Sealy MacWheely

Kirkintilloch based Sealy MacWheely specialise in high quality fibre for spinners and felters, bright and colourful hand dyed yarns on bases with a British provenance, and a variety of crafting equipment including Ashford and Kromski spinning wheels, ChiaGoo and KnitPro needles, and accessories. Sealy MacWheely will be hosting spinning wheel and weaving loom demonstrations during the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.

Shearing Crafts

Pam is a shearer who specialises in small flocks and rare breed sheep from local smallholders in the Aberdeenshire area. These fleeces are the raw materials for her wet felted rugs. They look like traditional sheepskins but are 100% wool, made by hand using soap and water. They are sustainable, eco-friendly, and the sheep live on to produce another fleece the following year.

Unaroo Designs

During lockdown Alex found herself increasingly asking not only “who made my clothes?” but also where does my yarn come from? She noticed that the majority of wool that she personally consumed was merino, and usually a merino / nylon blend. The more she paid attention, the more she noticed that a lot of the yarn she loved could be kinder to the planet so, in January 2021, Alex bought herself a yarn dyeing kit and fell in love again; culminating in launching Unaroo Designs in December of the same year. Unaroo only use 100% British wool – bought from British Wool, spun in Yorkshire and dyed in the Scottish Highlands – and is currently on a journey to offer Scottish yarn bases. All of their packing is recylced and / or recyclable, and they use as little water as possible in my work.

Alex will also be delivering a presentation at the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.

Wee County Yarns

Wee County Yarns specialise in Scottish-spun yarns and our own exclusive designs. We also stock a wide range of needles and notions to support these. Our 10g miniballs come in 100 colours and are supported by dozens of patterns.

Our Kinross 4ply and Kinross Lace are spun in Kinross, just down the motorway from Perth, and is a beautifully soft lambswool.

Westfield Croft

Life’s journey brought Frank and Marguerite to rural Aberdeenshire in 2015. They have a small breeding flock of rare breed sheep, and wool has become a cornerstone of their sustainable craft business. On seeing their first sheep being shorn, Marguerite wanted to use the beautiful material of raw fleece to produce yarns that would be true to their flock and their landscape. Westfield Croft yarns are spun from carefully selected fleeces, from their own flock and from neighbouring farms and smallholders. All their raw fleece materials have clear Scottish provenance; spinning is outsourced to hand spinners or mills to produce their 100% wool and alpaca yarns.

Frank and Marguerite have rejuvenated willow and hazel coppices on their land and annually harvest rods for making baskets and willow structures. Their goal is to be as sustainable as possible in terms of food, fuel, and enhancing the raw materials of wool and willow that they harvest on Westfield Croft. Frank will be bringing a small selection of his baskets to our Showcase.