Hello lovelies,

This weekend, Mum and I packed up our crochet goodies and headed to the Stafford Wool Gathering, and what a weekend we had! We were delighted to be exhibiting at this years show at Stafford County Showground, meeting fellow yarn lovers, catching up with familiar faces and introducing visitors to Keep Calm and Crochet On, Yarny Bobs and Dear Ewe.

We’ve come home with tired feet, lots of lovely memories and plenty to tell you about, so I thought I’d share a little look at our weekend.

A wonderfully organised show

First of all, a huge shout-out to the team behind the Stafford Wool Gathering. From an exhibitor’s point of view, everything felt really well organised, and it was lovely to be a part of an event that clearly put so much thought into the experience for visitors.

The 2026 event took place on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire County Showground, with opening times of 10am – 4.30pm on Saturday and 10am – 1pm on Sunday,

One of the things that really stood out was how nicely spaced out everything was. There was plenty of room to browse the stands, stop to admire the yarn and chat to exhibitors without feeling squashed in amongst the crowds. We heard lots of positive comments from people attending the show, and it was lovely to hear others appreciating the layout and facilities too.

Something else that deserves a special mention is how accessible the venue was. With the exhibitors laid out on the ground floor of Bingley Hall, the main shopping area was step-free, with plenty of space to move around. There were also lots of places to sit down and have a rest, which makes such a difference if you need to take things at a gentler pace or have mobility issues.

The food and refreshments were another bonus, with a café and coffee bar on site. And the toilets? Modern, clean and well maintained – much nicer than you might expect when you think of a showground venue.

So much to see, and plenty to inspire

With over 100 exhibitors, there was certainly plenty to explore! The event celebrates all things wool, yarn and fibre bringing together lots of independent businesses, specialist suppliers, makers and craft groups.

Whether you were looking for beautiful hand-dyed yarn, raw British fleece, spinning supplies, felting materials, weaving tools or something a little different for your next crochet, knit or craft project, there was plenty to tempt you with.

As well as shopping visitors could take part in a selection of workshops covering different skills and techniques, including knitting, crocheting, weaving, felting and spinning. There were opportunities to try drop spindles, learn something completely new or build on skills you already have.

And of course it’s always lovely to support independent makers and small businesses while discovering new favourites.

Thank you for visiting us!

One of the absolute hightlights of the weekend was getting to chat to so many lovely people who stopped by our stand.

Mum and I really enjoyed meeting you all, hearing about your projects, talking crochet and seeing which of our goodies caught your eye. Whether you came over for a chat, picked up a pattern, treated yourself to something from our stall or simply stopped to have a look, thank you for taking the time to visit us.

We always love taking our work out to shows because it gives us the chance to meet the people who enjoy what we do. It was so lovely that there were people looking for us too this year – your lovely comments and enthusiasm really do mean a lot to us, and we’re so grateful to everyone who supported our little business over the weekend.

A brand new Dear Ewe character made his debut!

We were especially excited to bring along a brand-new character to launch at the show. If you visited our stand, you might have already spotted him, but I’ve going to keep you waiting a little longer before sharing all the details.

Let’s just say that Gruff the Goat was very happy to make some new friends over the weekend! 🐐

I’ll be sharing more about Gruff later this week as our newest addition to the Dear Ewe character range, so keep an eye on the blog and socials if you’d like to find out more.

Planning a visit to the Stafford Wool Gathering?

If you didn’t make it along this year, Stafford Wool Gathering is definitely one to keep on your radar.

For reference tickets this year were very reasonably prices with day tickets £10 and £15 for a weekend ticket with under 16’s and carers free when accompanied by an adult / ticket holder.

Tickers included on-site parking or the shuttle bus service from Stafford railway station which I thought was a great idea. The venue also had some quiet spaces available for anyone who needed a little time away from the crowds.

You can find out more about the event, exhibitors and workshops on the official Stafford Wool Gathering website.

Hopefully see you again in 2027

All in all, Mum and I had a wonderful time at Stafford Wool Gathering. It was lovely to be part of such a well-organised event, meet so many friendly people and spend a weekend surrounded by yarn, creativity and fellow craft lovers.

We’re hoping to be back again in 2027, so fingers crossed we’ll get to do it all over again next year.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for more about Gruff the Goat later this week, or take a look at the other places we are popping up for the rest of 2026.

Until next time, keep calm and crochet on my friends,