Leeds Spring into Wool April 2025

For a change I thought I'd write a Blog about one of the shows that I sell at. So here is snapshot of the show in Leeds, Leeds Grammar school to be precise!

If you are not familiar with a Yarn Show think shopping centre where every shop is selling yarn! At this show there were 80 vendors all selling yarn and yarn related goodies. You can actually see all the items, pick them up, talk to the owner, interact with other customers, see all the lovely colours, get advice on what to choose...the list is endless! It's so much more enjoyable than scrolling! If I'm getting you interested click here for a list of other shows I'm at this year. 

But before the doors open on Saturday morning there is a lot of work that happens in the weeks and day before! Back at home probably starting around 2 weeks before I start to sort out yarn, patterns, signage, display cloths and props and start to make up kits. As I work from home stock is stored in all sorts of places so it needs retrieving and packing! Everything needs checking and rechecking as once your a 3 hour drive from home there's no nipping back for a forgotten item! Packing the car also requires lots of planning, heavy metal screens and boxy items at the bottom then layering more delicate items on the top. I've even resorted to vacuum seal bags for all my samples.  As space is a premium in my estate car and roof box I have to be really ruthless about what and how much I bring!

                                            BEFORE                                                                 AFTER

So this is what the day before looks like! I was one of the first to arrive and I'm setting up in the sports hall, luckily I can get close to the exit so hauling everything in didn't take that long. It usually takes around 4 hours to unpack and set up properly. Thank goodness packing up only takes about an hour!

It's always a pleasure to meet my online customers and many of them stop by and say hello and share pictures of finished items! I'm always amazed at how many new people seem to visit each show every year, there are always lots of new people stopping by. I guess if I have new items to sell they might attract someone who didn't stop the year before. 

    

I always have new garment samples to show and sell from. Quite often my suppliers have new yarns, colours or patterns so I'm busy a few months before trying some of them out and getting new samples ready! Jewelspun is always a favourite and there are so many colours and great patterns to choose from my stand is positively bursting with stock!

Do you know the one thing I hear so often at shows and have discussions about with customers is 'what colour do I choose'? And it's usually people saying "I always wear blue (insert your colour here) I should really try something different". My reply is always, if that colour suits you and you feel good in it don't change it, embrace it! It feels like people feel pressure to be seen to be different. Sure try out a new colour, so try a few different things on in a shop but don't invest in yarn to knit something that you might not feel 100% at the end!

So Leeds was a very busy show and really enjoyable and I had some lovely neighbours who helped out with comfort breaks when needed! Packing up on Sunday thankfully is so much quicker than setting up but care must be taken to pack wisely and methodically! Being too hasty can lead to repacking and sorting when it's all heaved out of the car around 8pm on a Sunday night! If I'm really smart and it's quiet in the last hour of the show I can count stock and get an idea of what needs restocking from my suppliers the next week. 

So there you have it a snap shot in the life of a yarn vendor at a yarn show. Click here for more details of other shows later in the year. Start planning a weekend away you'll have loads of fun!

 

Thanks for reading to the end.