News

Last year we were at Bishton Hall. This year we're still at Bishton but we are exchanging the lovely grounds of the Hall for the lovely grounds of The Heritage, just across the road and owned by the reknowned Stafford Northcote family who used to own Bishton Hall. What a story and what a show we're going to have for you next year. Blooming in June is what we are going to do and we hope you will all join us at our next famous location! Read on.

Ladies and gentlemen, here are the lucky winners of the raffle run in support of Andy's Man Club, the men's suicide prevention charity, organised by Sue Kent from Bishton Hall Courtyard. All funds go to supporting AMC's branch in Stafford. We women chat all the time, men not so much. That's why AMC exists. Thanks to all who supported by buying a ticket. Read on to find out if you have won and where to collect your prize if it's a big yes!

We're definitely back with a bang at Bishton. Celebratory sunshine, Naomi's marvellous music, Jo & Jay's cello playing, superb street food, very enjoyable gin, excellent exhibitors and an atmosphere that was electric, happy and welcoming. Here are some of our visitors' comments from our socials and personal messages to the whole team at Wool@J13. 2023 reached back to our festival vibe and did not fail to recapture what makes us stand out. Read on.

“Wool@J13 is unique amongst the plethora of UK wool events. What a fabulous festival atmosphere with music and street food and even a bar as well as all the wool. In all my years of going to wool shows all over the country, I have never found an event like this one. And what a location! I’ll be back next year!”

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK ONTO OUR WOOLLY WORKSHOPS! Bookings close in a few days' time. Your chance to learn. Whether it's with Emma Jackson from Silver Soles who is going to teach you how to make this fabulous wet felted Pod or with Amber Brigham who will teach you how to use a Needle Punch - it's all your opportunity. Read on....

The chance to get to settle up with your stash, wherever that may be hidden, holed up or piled up. One woman or man's trash is another's treasure they say. And so say all of us! It's time to clear out and pass it on. And we're giving you the perfect opportunity to do just that. Whether we've got piles of Knitting, Crochet, Felt, Dyeing or just Craft, Craft and more Craft magazines, we're all faced with the dilemma of where to put them when we've finished breathlessly leafing through the new copy each month or getting out the needles and hooks or plunging our hands into the latest colours to concoct the patterns inside its pages. Same with our yarn. But if its only destiny is a bag at the back of the wardrobe, then we either do something with it or set it free and pass it on. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE is the perfect opportunity to do just that.

NEW SHOW LOCATION! Great news! Staffordshire's finest grade II listed Georgian mansion, Bishton Hall, with its beautifully landscaped gardens inviting you to linger longer in their treelined happy & dappled shade, will be playing host to Wool@J13 2023. And you're all invited to join us in our new home. Come, play with wool and enjoy the place whose watchwords have been philanthropy, happiness and education since 1776. Read on for the story of Bishton Hall, where it is and why we chose this location.

We are pleased to announce that our 2022 Show tickets are now available. We are celebrating wool in all its happy & glorious forms under bluer & warmer skies on the weekend of 14th & 15th May. Read on for how to book or hit our tickets page. Whichever way, we look forward to seeing you there!

Back to May, back to a warmer life & bluer skies and welcome, once again, back to wool. May 14th & 15th, 2022. Tickets for next year's show will be available in the New Year when we are confident that the show can go ahead. Hold on tight, stay safe and watch this space!

What a warm welcome back to wool it was, despite the November chill. Wrapped in jumpers, scarves & masks, you came with a will and bags aplenty just waiting to be filled with show goodies. Thankyou for supporting us, both our superb exhibitors and our lovely visitors.

The Play Barn at Lower Drayton Farm has been operating under strict COVID secure procedures since it opened in August 2020 and this will be no less so for Winter Wool@J13. We want you to enjoy the Welcome Back to Wool at Lower Drayton Farm this coming weekend by helping to make the environment as secure as possible.

Visitors to Winter Wool@j13, being held down on Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffordshire, are being asked to consider car-sharing or making use of public transport to help support our fragile environment. Welcome Back to Wool and welcome to making a difference.

We are back, live and lovely and raring to go with our Winter Wool@J13. The weekend of November 13th & 14th is when our patient woolly audience will be able to have a conversation with colour directly with our raring to go exhibitors. The world, all fingers crossed, should be a safer place by then and the Team look forward to welcoming you all back.

Wool@J13 2020 is being postponed until, we hope, later in the year. We are sorry to announce this, as we know that our audience must be too, but we know that you will all understand the circumstances. Please follow us on https://www.facebook.com/WoolJ13/ to receive updates and any further news. If you have already brought a ticket for either the show or the show plus a workshop, these will be honoured for when we rearrange. In the meantime, stay safe everyone and take care.

Over the past few weeks, the Wool@J13 Team have been monitoring the growing health concern around the Coronavirus (COVID-2019). As it stands, we plan to go ahead with the Wool Event on 16th & 17th May 2020 and we will be in contact immediately if the situation changes.

Wool@J13, the Midlands No 1 Wool Show, is planning to build a wall for this year’s show on 16th & 17th May and they think they’re going to need a little help from their friends.

The team behind Midlands wool and yarn show Wool @ J13 has launched the sale of ‘early bird’ tickets to its 2020 event on 16th and 17th May – and the first 100 to snap up tickets will also be given a free Wool@J13 backpack.

Wool@J13 is committed to encouraging diversity, promoting equal opportunities and providing fair treatment in all that we do. We strive for an environment that is inclusive, free from discrimination and where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We agree with Maya Angelou that there is strength in difference if we choose to embrace it. And, at Wool@J13, we do.

Applications are now open for Wool@J13 2020 which will take place on the weekend of May 16th & 17th. The Midlands' No.1 Wool Show, now known for its laid back, hugely enjoyable festival atmosphere, appeals to yarnaholics as well as to those who are taking the plunge and visiting a wool show for the first time.

It has also gained a well earned reputation for looking after & putting its exhibitors first to share the enjoyment around.

The closing date for applications for the 2020 show is 31st October 2019, with special discounts available for returning exhibitors.

Wool@J13 is a yarn show like no other I’ve ever attended! It’s got the vibe of a summer music festival and it’s really, really laid-back, relaxed, chilled and charming. Just magical! The Sockmatician

Absolutely the best yarn festival I have ever been to. I learned a lot – and my dog was allowed to come as well. I had a great time. Thankyou! Katie Mansfield

The atmosphere and vibrancy of the event were incredible. Jennifer Smith

Visitors to Staffordshire’s Wool @ J13 festival on 18 & 19 May 2019 can expect heaps of wool and yarn-related fun this year – including a challenge aimed at getting male visitors to pick up some needles and give knitting a try.

Global knitting star, The Sockmatician, heads up the workshop programme just announced for Wool@J13 2019. Whether you knit, crochet or needle felt, there is something for everyone to learn which is the order of the day from Wool@J13's organisers, Ingrid Wagner & Val James. This year, they present children's workshops running alongside those for adults, mixing science & crafts in a whole new way.

Exhibitors keen to secure a place at fast-growing Midlands wool show Wool@J13 should act now – as application for the 2019 edition of the event, which will take place on 18th & 19th May, are to close in January.

Save, save, save on our Early Bird 2019 show tickets. On sale for a limited time only, from now until Dec 18th, our Early Birds are available at £4.50 for day tickets and £7.50 for weekend tickets. That's a big saving of £3.00 on a day ticket & £4.50 on a weekend ticket. The Early Bird certainly catches the worm in this case!
AND THERE'S MORE GOOD NEWS .....

Exhibitor applications are now open for our 2019 event which will take place on 18th & 19th May next year. A little bit quirky, a little bit festival and a lot bit wool, we offer would be exhibitors the opportunity to be part of an increasingly popular show which opens its doors to visitors from all over the UK plus the chance to be well looked after throughout the weekend - and who wouldn't want that!

Too darn hot, that's what this summer has been - at least for making socks! So, here are two dates in what just has to be the cooler month of October, in time to learn how to wrap up your feet for autumn & winter in the wonder of wool.

You came, you saw and you marvelled at Sock It To Me, our sock fashion show presented by our super sock making exhibitors and Stafford Steppers at Wool@J13 2018. Now you have the opportunity to learn how to knit a pair of socks for yourself!

Visitors to the Midlands’ newest wool show on Sat 12th & Sun 13th May enjoyed an event packed with festival fun – and great weather to match!

Wool@J13 is extremely pleased to welcome Halsbury Barton to its exhibitor line up, all the way from North Devon, presenting the award winning beautiful fleece of their flock of Jacob sheep, UK born, bred and woven into superb throws, cushions and scarves. For those of you who are fans of the Jacob, and we know there are many of you, don't miss Stand W9 in the Shop Til You Drop marquee for this marvellous treat.

We are delighted to announce that Stafford's very own performance group, the lively Stafford Steppers, will be joining Wool@J13 this year to present Sock It To Me, the event's Sock Fashion Show which will be gracing the stage on Sunday 13th May, in support of the Childhood Liver Disease Foundation. The girls will be including music from Glenn Miller and Thoroughly Modern Millie in their presentation and Sock It To Me will showcase hand knitted socks by Wool@J13 exhibitors and singing the praises of British wool.

They came from Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Sheffield, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire to attend the Hat Making Masterclass put on by Wool@J13 at Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffs - and they went away waving an impressive and colourful collection of hats and proud of new found skills. Led by Zara and Paul Ellis from Innerspiral, the Masterclass buzzed from the start and the two tutors shared their knowledge freely. And what a lot of knowledge it was!

We - and the Costa Baby who insisted on being part of the morning's photoshoot - are pleased to announce that the bookings for our super duper Hat Making Masterclass to be held on the 10th & 11th March in Staffordshire, are now closed. The Masterclass is fully booked and we are all looking forward to some Hat Making mayhem next weekend with Zara Ellis from Innerspirals, lots of dyed wool and a hat band or two. That baby is going to be so jealous!

The hot ticket in town right now is a place on our fabulous 2 day Hat Making Masterclass on the weekend of March 10th & 11th. We're running a competition which finishes at midnight on Sunday 18th February, to win one place. For Mother's Day? For you? Or for fun? Maybe all three.

Eat your hat? You can make one! But you need to be quick as there only a few places left on the Hat Making Masterclass run by Wool@J13 on the weekend of March 10th & 11th at the show's venue in Staffordshire.

The clock has struck midnight and the door to exhibitor applications has now closed. We have been inundated with requests and we have had a hard job in selecting our 2018 exhibitors. But select we have. And we hope you are pleased with the show that we have lined up for you in May!

Applications close at midnight 12th January. Is your business wool? Do you want to be part of the Midlands newest & most exciting show in its second year after a superb start in 2017? The clock is ticking. Does the glass slipper fit......

2nd shout out for exhibitor applications for our 2018 show on 12th & 13th May. Due to the success of our inaugural show this year, we'll be expanding our Shop Til You Drop Marquee of exhibitors in 2018. So - if your business is wool in any way at all, we want to hear from you.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW ON SALE for our 2018 show. £2.00 off all full price tickets per day. Weekend tickets now £10.50, single day tickets £6.00. Limited availability offer until 21st Oct. Book now for the Midlands' newest celebration of all things woolly 12th & 13th May 2018

GET IT IN YOUR DIARIES NOW!
12th – 13th May 2018. Sat 10a.m. – 5pm, Sun 10.00 – 4.30pm
A HUGE THANKS to all our hordes of visitors, fabulous array of exhibitors, friendly volunteers, generous sponsors & fine & dandy food traders, especially the very musical Haywood Sisters, all of whom helped to make our first show in 2017 such festive fun and go with such a swing

Blue skies, a festival vibe and stacks of wool and yarn-based fun welcomed some 1,000 visitors through the gates of the inaugural Wool @ J13 festival over the weekend or 13th & 14th May.

Kerry Ashdown, journalist, keen crafter & festival goer, who hails originally from Eastbourne and who now lives in Stoke on Trent, has won herself a First Prize Luxury Hamper with the Wool@J13 competition to dress a Bare Bear.

Organisers of Wool @ J13, which is set to take place on 13th and 14th May 2017 near Penkridge have come up with a novel way to raise funds for Trentham-based charity The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice. Over the course of the two day event, which is expected to attract over 2,000 wool and yarn lovers from around the country, a ‘Time Shop’ will get visitors thinking about how they would spend an extra 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes if they were able to buy extra time.

It may be getting close to D-day, but exhibitors are still keen to sign up for the Midlands’ newest celebration of wool & yarn!

The latest to confirm attendance is Sue Stratford – all the way from Milton Keynes. She’s the lady behind Save the Children’s “Make the world better with a sweater” campaign and also Clanger patterns that are available as a free download from CBeebies!

The Midlands’ newest wool show is now just weeks away, and organisers have announced two great additions to the already packed line-up.

Now visitors to Wool @ J13 can bring along their wool stash to trade in for fresh stock and also buy and sell whole fleeces. This is on top of a packed programme of talks, workshops and demonstrations with great shopping and live music to boot.

The organisers behind Wool @ J13 are on the hunt for volunteers to help ensure the inaugural event runs like clockwork.

In return for their time – whether they can offer half a day or the entire weekend – they will be provided with meals and refreshments throughout and enjoy being a part of the vibrant team behind this exciting new event. There are around 30 roles to be filled; ranging from assisting exhibitors at set up and break down to looking after stallholders and entertainers over the course of the weekend to helping get all-important feedback from visitors on the gate.

Places are selling fast. We have added two new workshops to our line up; Nuno Felting with Barbara Meek and Arm Knitting with Ingrid Wagner.

Wool and yarn crafters are being challenged to take part in one of two visitor competitions as part of the Wool @ J13 yarn festival. The individual competition invites competitors to create an outfit for a very special bear who is presently rather bare...

Youngsters at St John’s CE (VC) First School, Bishops Wood near Penkridge were in for a treat recently when a very special woolly visitor popped in to see them - in the form of a newborn lamb!

Over 40 exhibitors are confirmed to attend the new Wool @ J13 wool and yarn festival, which will take place in Staffordshire on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th May 2017.

OPPORTUNITY FOR WOOLLY START-UPS at Wool@J13: 13th & 14th May 2017
We've had a fantastic response from exhibitors for the show, with the shopping marquee fully booked with some great established traders. Watch this space for the final list very shortly.

Calling all teachers, parents and governors at Staffordshire schools: Staffordshire’s newest wool & yard craft event has issued a challenge to local schools to help create a ‘flock’ of woolly sheep to display over the festival weekend next May.

Applications are now being invited for exhibitor stands at a new wool show for the Midlands, which will take place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th May 2017.

Whether you’re an artist accustomed to exhibiting at the leading wool shows, or are researching events at which to showcase your craft for the first time, you may have noticed that there are some great events in the North and South of the country - but that there’s a huge gap in the MIDLANDS!

Get the dates in your diary now – Taking place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th May 2017, Wool @ J13 is a brand new wool show taking place in the heart of Staffordshire.

Wool@J13 is a vibrant new event for anyone with an interest in wool – whether you spin, knit, crochet, weave, felt or use it in mixed media this is a fantastic platform to showcase and sell your wares as an exhibitor, and a fun-packed way to spend a weekend as a visitor.