CAMBRIDGE YARN FESTIVAL
STRINGS ATTACHED A HAVEN FOR ALL THREAD BEARERS AND WOOL WEAVERS, CAMBRIDGE YARN FESTIVAL RETURNS THIS JUNE A good yarn
WORDS BY MIRIAM BALANESCU
hen lockdown descended, many looked to crafts as a meditative escape. Whether
those who picked up new hobbies carried on is another matter, with the flurry of life often getting in the way. But knitting remains a welcome pause from the hubbub, and for Cambridgeshire residents questioning where to start, Camilla Carter’s Knitting Needle Lane – and Under the Olive Tree Knits run by Jem Arrowsmith – have long been crafting keystones. The duo’s Cambridge Yarn Festival returns from 13 to 16 June, seeing nigh on 100 vendors, knit-fluencers and workshop holders come out in full force. For anyone yearning for yarn, the event is undoubtedly your go-to destination. Community is at the heart of Cambridge crafting. The festival, which began as a general event, is in its second year, founded after Jem and Camilla saw yarn groups especially flourish through the pandemic. “Quite a lot of yarn dyers and designers are independent,” explains Jem. “We don’t have colleagues or people that we can chat to. It’s nice to have a community around these things where people can engage, learn from each other and offer support.” “We’re mostly wearing brightly coloured clothes we’ve knitted – you can be yourself in a safe space,” says Camilla. “You can be the bold person that you want to be when going to a yarn show, because nobody cares what you look like.” Although knitting may seem a solitary activity, the hobby offers opportunities to reach out to others in a myriad of ways, from YouTube tips to joining a local knitting group. Jem recommends the website Ravelry for seeking them out. “I’ve got trips planned in my head
GET YOUR STITCH ON Jem and Camilla have plenty planned for the craft-minded people of Cambridge. After the event in June, there will also be a winter festival held in November Jem’s hand-dyed yarns, knitting patterns and kits, meanwhile, take inspiration from bucolic Greece. “The whole experience of knitting should be relaxed and stress-free. They say knitting is a good form of self-care and meditation,” asserts Jem. “I remember my mum trying to teach me when I was about seven and I really didn’t get along with it. But in my twenties, I went into a bookshop and found Stitch ’n Bitch by Debbie Stoller. I was amazed at all these things you can make out of two sticks and a bit of string.” “The thing I love about it is that you never stop learning. There’s always something new,” effuses Camilla. Camilla also runs Cambridge Yarn Club, sending out her yarn to those who sign up, in exchange for them sharing their creations. Both admit to sometimes straying into other territory, however. “I’ve just learned how to do amigurumi,” says Camilla. “I do loads of screen printing. Crafty people are a bit flitty, their heads can be turned!” With their first in-person show on the horizon for 2023, the pair plan to maintain the virtual aspect of their events to increase inclusivity, hoping to entice many more beginners. “You only need to learn a knit and a purl stitch. Once you’ve got those mastered, you can pretty much make anything,” says Jem.
to Amsterdam,” says Camilla on the global network. “There’s an amazing yarn shop there. I’d like to go to America too. Wherever I go, I Google yarn shops!” Both were inspired by worldwide traditions before creating their businesses, with Camilla beginning with a market stall. “I visited Turkey, where they have these amazing shops with floor-to-ceiling yarn,” she recounts. “I have never seen anything else like it.”
YOU CAN BE THE BOLD PERSON THAT YOU WANT TO BE WHEN GOING TO A YARN SHOW
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JUNE 2022 41
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