Powys: Popular event makes triumphant return after two-year hiatus

Following a pandemic-enforced absence of two years, the two-day show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres returned to the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells from April 23-24.

More than 190 exhibitors packed three halls, with many reporting a virtual sell out of their goods, which ranged from hand dyed yarns and fibre to equipment and quality finished products.

Developed to promote the market for Welsh wool and natural fibres, Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 and has grown in scale and popularity alongside a knitting, crochet, felting and textile craft making boom.

A series of woolschool workshops was well attended and sheepwalk fashion shows were packed over the weekend.

The wow factor was supplied by a special, eight-metre long exhibition entitled ‘Alice in Wonderwool’. The eye-catching, hand crafted interpretation featured an array of captivating characters, all crafted from felt and fibre.

Show regulars Alex Johnstone and Kathy Smart joined forces with felting and fibre art friends, including prolific knitter and crochet enthusiast Terry Moncion, to recreate Alice’s dreamland journey and her wacky tea party. Janna Turner from Flock2Felts was project lead and felting advisor.

The installation was originally made for the 2020 event. Alex, Kathy and Janna used the lockdowns to add extra features.

“We have been working on Alice in Wonderwool on and off for three years and it’s lovely to see the smiling faces of people when they see it,” said Kathy. “That makes it all worthwhile.”

Janna added: “It’s a first time an installation of this size and type has been delivered and we are all very proud of it.”

The exhibition and various other fundraising ventures at the show raised £706 for the Wales Air Ambulance and £1,000 for NGO Molotok, a Ukrainian project established 13 years ago by Nataliya Cummings near the border with Belarus, to support young people from disadvantaged rural communities.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the project has become a shelter for more than 100 young people and families fleeing the war.

Nataliya, who now runs Experience Ukraine & Beyond based in Pontrilas, near Hereford, had a stand at the show selling posters and bags printed with the Ukrainian flag for NGO Molotok. She also donated 20 per cent of her profits from hand-spun and handwoven wool rugs and Ukrainian textiles which she sells.

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“The response from people has been brilliant,” said Nataliya. “They are donating money, talking to me about Ukraine and supporting in any way they can

“It is wonderful to be raising money for this project that I founded and people are really supportive. I set up a JustGiving page and raised £65,000 in the first week which was overwhelming.”

Another feature of the show was a special exhibition of work created by textiles students and graduates at Coleg Sir Gar’s Carmarthen School of Art throughout the pandemic.

For those seeking creative inspiration, there were demonstrations and have-a-go sessions.

The show is organised by an industrious group of five people, including main organiser Chrissie Menzies, who said: “It was lovely to be back to some kind of normality.

“We had some amazing feedback from exhibitors and visitors, including an American tour group. They absolutely loved Wonderwool Wales, saying it was the best wool show they had ever been to and they would like to come again. Everything went really well.”