We’re on the Countdown to Woolfest!
Hello Yarn Lover,
It has been a while!
We have been quiet but, oh my, have we been busy. Our first yarn festival for the year is Woolfest, this Saturday 23 May at the Kumeu Showgrounds. If you have been to Woolfest before, you’ll find us in Shed 4 again, ready to roll with some new colourways especially for the day.
So let’s not mess around - what are we bringing?
First up is our Woolfest 2026 self-striping colourway - LATE SEASON’S LULLABY.
At the time of dyeing this colourway, Autumn was just sneaking in as the faded colours of Summer were leaving, and I was quite taken by the beauty of these softer tones. The Petite colours CARAMELLO and CHERISH complement this self-striping colourway beautifully.
But then Autumn fully arrived with a blaze of colour and again, I was taken by the magnificence of another colour palette that Nature treated me to on my late afternoon walks. I simply couldn’t ignore it, and so here is another special colourway for Woolfest, FALLING LEAVES. And as you can see, there are several Petites to match this truly autumnal colourway.
In keeping with the autumnal theme, SCATTERED EMBERS was inspired as I was dyeing up WOODLAND MEDLEY which features a stripe of dappled autumn tones. Say no more - this had to become a full skein in its own right and here it is. I reckon it would make a stunning pair of socks, and there are plenty of Petite colours to add in for some contrast heels and toes.
And then I had a little fun with something a bit different. HOWDY COWBOY is channelling Wild West vibes with this colour combo and there’s a new Petite, WRANGLER, to match the dark denim blue.
EUCALYPTUS MIST is a little more on the subtle side but for anyone who loves green, I think this will be a winner. Petite skeins of EUCALYPT LIGHT or EUCALYPT, or BISCOTTI will provide a tonal contrast.
And even more subtle is BARE ESSENTIALS. Perfect if you are colour-shy or just need a pair of neutral socks - this one will fit the bill. BISCOTTI or ALBA Petites will provide the perfect low contrast.
We have dyed up a ton of other self-striping colourways - Cluedo Collection favourites, popular Year of Colour colourways, as well as a full complement of Petite contrast skeins.
BUT, there is more …
New colours in our Stillness Collection - the tonal champions that work beautifully on their own or paired with another tonal or variegated yarn. Available on a variety of different yarn bases, the three new colours above, left to right, are VESPERS, DECADENT and KINDRED SPIRIT.
I couldn’t resist casting on something in KINDRED SPIRIT and so another sample has joined our collection (along with four more) so please do come and take a look at our garment rack and see what inspiration you can glean.
We’ll have a wide range of both variegated and tonal yarn, including some newish tonals that we introduced last year, as pictured below - HEARTFELT, a wonderful red, BITTERSWEET if you are searching for that perfect chocolate, and TRUFFLE, a fantastic neutral that’s far from boring.
Please forgive what has been a rather lengthy “show and tell” - we were keen to give you a taste of what you’ll find on Saturday.
Here now, are the nitty gritty details:
we’re in Shed 4, the first shed you come to as you walk up the driveway
Kumeu Showgrounds are at 35/41 Access Road, Kumeu
Woolfest runs from 10am until 4pm - it’s extremely busy at the beginning of the day and quietens down in the last couple of hours
come prepared with an idea of the yarn quantities you need, patterns in mind, or bring yarn you’d like to colour-match
we will have EFTPOS available, along with credit facilities (for a small surcharge) but cash is a good idea for traders that don’t have electronic facilities
skeins can be turned into cakes at the Creative Fibre Hub in Shed 1 so you can get knitting straight away
coffee and food trucks will be there to keep your energy tanks full
wear an item made with our yarn, show it off to us, and get 10% off your purchase
And finally, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that many of us are finding the current financial crisis (and its impact on our creative endeavours) a little tricky to navigate. Maybe a sweater quantity of yarn is not in your budget this year, but perhaps a single skein for a pair of socks or a shawlette is. But even if your budget is non-existent, I would still encourage you to come along and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow creatives. Be wowed by the festival of colour before your eyes, browse the wonderful samples to spark some ideas, compliment the knitwear you see, and be complimented by others in turn - but most of all, be inspired by the creativity which is fundamentally at the core of Woolfest.
And if you come by our stand, please stop in and say “hello” - we’d love to see you there.
Until then,
Yours in yarn, Mrs Peacock
