Local spinners weave together local fibrecraft event
Calling all knitters, crocheters, weavers, felters, spinners, and anyone else who engages in the fibre arts, the Mid Summer Fibre Festival is coming to Selkirk Community Church on July 27.
“It’s a small group of vendors. It’s not a large festival. There’s going to be nine vendors in total,” said one of the event organizers Lori Frejek.
The vendors will be Prairie’s Edge Fibres, Needlecraft Studio, Last Dance Ranch, Woodworking and Handspun, Lucky Stone Acres, Cloud 9 Fibreworks, Hundred Fold Farm, HomeSpun Tools, and Tog & Thel.
The festival is being put together by a local group of spinners who meet at the church regularly in order to engage with others in craft.
“We’re just a group of people who get together twice a month at the church. We used to get together at the library in Selkirk but since COVID, we get together at the church and just sit together and spin,” said Frejek.
She explained that the church fit their needs well as they enjoy being able to sit around the fireplace and spin as well as the convenient location. This location, which also has plenty of parking for attendees is the same space that they are hosting the Mid Summer Fibre Festival.
The festival will have vendors that carry fibrecraft-related supplies including wool, yarn, and hand-dyed fibre as well as fibre crafting supplies such as spindles and other tools.
“We’ll also have a spinning circle in the middle so people can bring their spinning wheels and sit and visit and spin and just have a good time,” said Frejek.
Though she said that the circle is also open to other fibrecrafts too if people want to bring their knitting, crochet or another portable craft project, they can. She also explained that the church’s canteen will be open at that time so people wanting to get themselves coffee or a snack will have the option.
Frejek says that there will likely be a little something for everyone.
“Knitters, crocheters, spinners, felters, there’ll be some natural soaps and things like that too. So, anybody who’s interested in the fiber arts at all, as in the wool, knitting and things like that, all of those [hobbies] would be interested in coming,” said Frejek.
She also emphasized that the festival is open not just to experienced craftspeople but also has room for all crafters regardless of how far they are in their making journeys.
“Even if you’ve never even picked up a spinning wheel or never spun before. There’ll be people there, I’m one of the people who will be selling drop spindles. So, if you want to learn, you can come,” she said.
The festival will take place on July 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Frejek explained that this is not the first fibre festival in our region as previous to the pandemic the group used to host the event at Little Britain Church and they wanted to bring it back.
“It’s just a nice, relaxing time. Spinning is a very meditative activity. It’s very relaxing,” said Frejek.
She encourages anyone interested to stop by.
“I’ll have spindles for sale. There’ll be people there with fibre that you can buy that you could spin, they’ll be people with yarn that you can knit and they’ll be weavers there too,” said Frejek.
