Knitting, crocheting and yarn enthusiasts in Airdrie can get their fix Jan. 12 at the inaugural Creekside Yarn Festival. The event, organized by Shelley Dupont and her mother, Penny Heptonstall, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Town and Country Centre. “It’s like a trade show full of yarn, dyers…project bags, fleeces, fibres – anything natural,” said Dupont, who owns the online Polka Dot Creek hand-dyed yarn company. “Just fun, yarn-related things to go along with knitting and crocheting.” Dupont said she and her mother, who owns Creek Garden Crafts, have been attending yarn and fibre festivals throughout Southern Alberta for the last few years. Their motivation to organize a yarn festival in Airdrie, Dupont said, came after they noticed a gap in such events during the winter. “There was nothing really happening between October and March, so we decided to have one in our own in town in the winter, when the weather is dreary,” she said. Dupont said yarn festivals are typically held in Alberta about five or six times a year. “Knitting and crocheting have really grown in popularity over the last couple of years,” she said. “The same with yarn-dying.” More choices of fibres, a better variety of colours and a higher quality of knitting or crocheting products have contributed to the increased interest, she said. Also, new crafters are discovering just how relaxing knitting and crocheting can be. “You can sit and just let go out of your busy day and schedule, and just make something pretty,” said Dupont, who has been knitting for four years and crocheting since she was a child. “It’s so versatile – you can take it with you if you’re on a long trip, you can knit or crochet when you’re watching your kid’s sports team. And it’s always fun to make something for somebody, and they enjoy it.” More than 25 vendors from across Southern Alberta will be displaying their wares in Airdrie for the event, according to Dupont. Most vendors come from the Calgary area, she added, with the farthest travelling to Airdrie from Rocky Mountain House. There is a $5 entry fee and door prizes – donated by vendors – will be handed out every hour. According to Dupont, the festival is worth attending – even for those who do not know much about knitting, crocheting or hand-dying yarn. “If you’ve never seen hand-dyed yarn or touched fleece from a sheep, you should really check it out,” she said. “It’s completely different from the acrylic yarn that you would see at Michael’s or Wal-Mart. This is all wool and cotton and hand-dyed, based on the dyer’s personality and interests.”
