How to enjoy a yarn festival without feeling overwhelmed
Simple steps to stay calm, focused, and inspired — even surrounded by all that gorgeous yarn.
Yarn festivals: So much excitement! So many knitters! So much yarn! But the first time I went to one, my head swam with the endless array of yarn in every weight, color, texture, and fiber composition. The temptation to buy all the yarn was so overwhelming that I went home with exactly zero yarn.
Since then, I’ve developed a system so that I can show up to a yarn festival feeling prepared to buy yarn I know I’ll love and ready to embrace the slight pandemonium. I’m sharing it with you so that whether you’ll be at Sheep and Wool (look for me!) or another yarn festival this fall, you’ll be able to buy yarn with confidence and go home feeling fulfilled, not frazzled. OK, maybe slightly frazzled, but frazzled in a happy, satisfied way.
1. Start with Your Projects in Mind
Every knitter has a list of “projects I want to make” – whether it’s a pile of printed patterns, a favorites list on Ravelry, or a bunch of scraps of paper at the bottom of your knitting bag. Now is the time to break those out – and narrow them down. What projects do you want to make just in the next few months? Focus on the ones you’d be most excited to cast on right now. Then grab the worksheet I’ve made for you.
For each project, you’ll note the yarn weight and the number of yards the project calls for. Then when you’re holding a skein of pretty yarn, you’ll be able to consider whether it would be right for any of your top-priority projects.
Can you buy yarn that’s not a match for one of the patterns on the list? Sure, you can! You will be surrounded by folks who understand the lure of a pretty yarn. You can even give yourself permission ahead of time to buy one or two skeins, just because they’re pretty. But a list will encourage you to focus on yarn that will let you knit one of the things you’ve been yearning to make.
2. A Little Research Goes a Long Way
You can usually find a list of vendors online ahead of time, and often a map of where their booths will be located. If there are particular dyers or brands that you know you love, or ones you’re curious about, you can make a plan to target those at the outset, when you’re fresh. Of course, you’ll still see plenty of yarn from other dyers. Some of the best discoveries are the dyers you’d never heard of!
3. Take the Pressure Off
Almost everything you see at a yarn festival can be purchased online later if you regret not getting it at the time. There are always a few vendors who don’t sell online, and there are usually a few who make a limited edition, festival-exclusive colorway that you might not be able to get later. And of course, it’s more fun to buy the yarn then and there! But by and large, you really can take time to consider different yarns from different dyers and circle back later in the day.
4. Defeat Bad Lighting
The lighting at these things is often terrible. Many of the vendors at the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool festival, for example, are actually in livestock barns – not known for their flattering illumination. If you’re planning to make something for yourself, taking a selfie holding the yarn near your face can really help decide whether a color is right for you.
5. Know When (and Where) You’ll Eat
Food planning is part of festival strategy! Events usually have long lines at food trucks or nearby cafes. Lines will be shorter if you have a very early or late lunch; bring a snack to tide you over. No one makes good yarn decisions when they’re hungry! Having a small water bottle along can be helpful, too.
I bring my own lunch to Rhinebeck to avoid the lines. Then I give myself permission to have a yummy treat at an off hour. This year, maybe an apple fritter.
6. Embrace the Experience, but also Build in Downtime
A yarn festival is a rare opportunity to interact with the wider yarn community. A yarn dyer whose booth has a temporary lull might tell you about how she got started dyeing or which sock yarn might work best for the project you are considering. Other knitters love to get compliments on their hand knits and are always helpful if you need an opinion about color. These little interactions will enrich your experience more than you realize, so push yourself to make those interactions happen.
Festivals can also be crowded, loud, and kind of intense. Keep your eye out early for a spot where you can decompress when you need a break.
Final Thought
You don’t have to see every booth or buy every skein to have a wonderful yarn festival. With a little planning and a bit of grace for yourself, you’ll walk away with yarns that you will truly love to use and inspiration for more knitting journeys to come.