Wonderwool Wales’ 20th anniversary inspires new cowl and blanket designs

The 20th birthday of Wonderwool Wales later this month has inspired the owners of a south Wales yarn shop to create two new projects for knitters and crocheters.

Jenny Watts and Ruth Moore, of Ammonite Yarns, Pontyclun, have developed patterns and packs for a knitted Caernarfon Cowl and crocheted octagonal blanket comprising plain and daffodil granny hexagons.

The yarn packs and patterns will be on sale at special price during Wonderwool Wales 2026 – the UK’s largest Wool, yarn, natural fibre and textile festival – at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Mid Wales on April 25 and 26.

Ten per cent of the patterns and yarn packs sales at the show will be donated to Wonderwool’s chosen charities – Wales Air Ambulance and NGO Molotok in Ukraine.

“We’ve often thought that Welsh blankets are a tangible expression of the Welsh concept of hiraeth, evoking as they do a sense of place and nostalgia for a bygone way of life,” explained Jenny.

“These patterns and colours embody the culture and history of, and have a place in, modern homes as well as in the hearts of Welsh people. For us, Wonderwool Wales has a sense of hiraeth – it’s a comforting, safe place, a home from home for like-minded crafters with wonderful fibres as well as a good few sheep!

“The Caernarfon pattern is the most recognisable of the blanket patterns and we designed a cushion in this design for Wonderwool in 2022. This year, for Wonderwool’s 20th anniversary, we wanted to design a wearable project in this iconic pattern and the Caernarfon Cowl is the result.”

The design uses two colours of four-ply yarn and Jenny and Ruth chose Cambrian yarn to complement the tradition of Welsh blankets.

“Our cowl is knitted in the round, using the two-handed stranded colourwork method with the contrast colour held in the dominant hand and the main colour in the other, although any method of working two colours across a row can be used.”

The daffodil, the national flower of Wales and spring inspired the crocheted blanket. Jenny and Ruth say they have produced yarn packs that provide enough yarn to make the blanket but have supplied additional layouts for a wrap, a shawl and a stole, too.

The stole will be displayed on the shop’s show stand and on the Sheepwalk and yarn packs, including the pattern, can be purchased for a special show price of £49 or £5 for the pattern alone.

“Daffodils are synonymous with Wales, particularly at this time of year, so our crochet project is designed around the flower,” added Jenny. “We did have a moment of doubt about the number of petals on a daffodil but checked them out at St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh Life and they do have six, so our hexi-grannies design is ideal!”

Ammonite Yarns was established in 2015 and sources and sells yarns with an emphasis on British suppliers. Passionate about sharing their skills with others, Ruth and Jenny hold classes for beginners, run workshops on more advanced techniques and host informal drop-in knitting and crochet groups.

Wonderwool Wales covers everything from start to end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books are located alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.

The award-winning event attracts around 6,000 visitors and exhibitors from across the UK and worldwide. Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by exhibitors are regular features.

This year’s show will have more than 220 exhibitors, including around 30 new ones – two coming from Portugal and Netherlands. Tickets cost £16 a day or £30 for the weekend.

To book tickets for Wonderwool Wales and its Woolschools – craft workshops – visit https://wonderwoolwales.co.uk/ .