North Wales wool boutique designs Wonderwool Wales 20th anniversary sweater

A North Wales wool boutique specialising in hand-dyed yarns and fibres is marking the 20th anniversary of Wonderwool Wales this year by designing and making a sweater, tunic and accessories in the show’s colours.

Nikki Small from Ewe Felty Thing in Conwy paid a visit to the National Wool Museum in Drefach, Llandysul where she viewed the collection of patterns and samples with Debby Mercer, senior curator.

She also visited the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth and other museums to assist her research on the design and Welsh pattern she wanted for the anniversary garments, which also include a hat, cowl and mittens.

The finished garments and accessories will be on display at Wonderwool Wales – the UK’s largest Wool, yarn, natural fibre and textile festival – at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Mid Wales on April 25 and 26.

Patterns and kits for the sweater, tunic and accessories are now on sale online athttps://ewefeltything.co.uk/ and https://www.ravelry.com and will also be available at the show. Half the proceeds of pattern sales will be donated to the show’s two designated charities – Wales Air Ambulance and NGO Molotok in Ukraine.

“The Wonderwool Sweater has been inspired by the bold geometric patterns of traditional Welsh double-weave blankets, known as Carthenni,” said Nikki. “These patterns date back hundreds of years and are still closely guarded and copyrighted by the mills that create them.

“Sadly, during the 20th century many mills went into administration and some of these historic patterns have been lost. You can still see many of them in the Welsh Wool Museum which kindly helped me with my research ahead of and during the design of the sweater.

“Designed specially to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wonderwool Wales, it seemed appropriate for these amazing and iconic patterns to be front and centre. The colours chosen are those of the Wonderwool Wales logo, and the suggested yarn is Morris by West Yorkshire Spinners, which contains 25% Welsh wool. 

“Two possible lengths are included in this design – tunic and sweater. I knew it was going to be Wonderwool Wales’ 20th anniversary this year and a lot of wool festivals in the United States design and knit a sweater each year which everybody makes and it becomes a collector’s item.

“There wasn’t a sweater for Wonderwool Wales, so I approached director Chrissie Menzies and she welcomed the idea. I could have gone with a generic jumper embroidered with sheep but decided it would be far more special to concentrate on the Welsh aspect.”

The sweater pattern took from November to this week to perfect and Nikki has developed nine sizes from bust sizes 28 to 60 inches, as she wants the garment to be as inclusive as possible.

“There has been a lot of toing and froing with my friend, Rachael who’s the tech editor,” she added. “I have really enjoyed the process and fixing problems. I knitted the sample sweater and now I’m knitting others for myself and my family.”

Nikki has been both visiting and exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales for around a decade, describing it as her favourite show because of the “positive, happy atmosphere”.

“It’s completely different to any other show, the accessible layout works well for everybody, the exhibitors are fabulous and it’s a great showcase for Welsh producers to reach a wider audience,” she added.

Chrissie Menzies said: “We are really delighted that Nikki has gone to the trouble to design and knit the sweater and accessories especially to mark the 20th anniversary and in our brand colours.

“It’s fitting that Ewe Felty Thing will have a stand next to the National Wool Museum this year due to their collaboration on this project. We are encouraging all our exhibitors to get in touch if they are planning anything special to mark the anniversary.”

Delighted to have played a small part in helping Nikki with her research, Debby Mercer hopes to feature the anniversary jumper project at the National Wool Museum to inspire other knitters, weavers and designers to use heritage patterns in modern designs.

“Nikki shared all her designs with me and asked for feedback – the finished pattern and jumper are amazing,” she added. “We are really interested in making a version of jumper ourselves with different colourways, possibly Welsh red and green.

“We shall be taking samples from the museum’s collection to display on our stand at Wonderwool Wales, so that people can see how old samples from Welsh mills that are no longer running can inspire modern design. It would be great if the collection inspired not only textiles but also new yarns.”

To book tickets for Wonderwool Wales and its Woolschools – craft workshops which this year include willow weaving – visit https://wonderwoolwales.co.uk/ .

The show will have more than 220 exhibitors, including around 30 new ones – two coming from Portugal and Netherlands. Tickets cost £16 a day or £30 for the weekend.

The award-winning event attracts around 6,000 visitors and exhibitors from across the UK and worldwide. Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by exhibitors are regular features.

Wonderwool Wales covers everything from start to end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books are located alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.