Q&A with The Campaign for Wool
The Campaign for Wool are getting behind the Woollen Woods this Voluntary Arts Week to celebrate wool-craft and raise awareness of this remarkably versatile material.
Can you tell our readers a bit more about the Campaign for Wool and why you are supporting the Woollen Woods project?
The Campaign for Wool is a major promotional platform to help create better understanding of natural wool and its many remarkable benefits. It was started in 2010 by HRH The Prince of Wales and is run and funded by the wool growing organisations of the world. It works with the textile industry, major brands, designers and retailers to promote the fibre through innovative events such as Wool Week, Wool House and Wool School.. It has engaged with many locally based community events through its LoveWool activity and the Woollen Woods activity is a really fun way of promoting wool to people of all ages.
Why is wool such a great material to use when creating work for display in the great outdoors?
Real wool is a naturally grown, annually renewable fibre and this is a perfect balance for the story of our rural woodlands. Sheep are the custodians of our beautiful countryside and enjoy a free range lifestyle. I think their wool within the landscape of the woods has a harmonious environmental synergy and as a creative experience, will look amazing.
Do you have any tips for our readers on where they can get hold of affordable wool to make their Woollen Woods creation?
I think keen knitters may well have remnant wool from previous projects and this is a great way to use them up. But look for yarn ranges that may be end of line – in reality, many of the woodland patterns probably only require a small amount of wool and that is more affordable.
How can you help groups promote their wool-craft activity?
The Campaign for Wool website has an area under LoveWool where events can be uploaded and will then appear on our wool map and our calendar. We are very active on social media and use #ChooseWool @Campaignforwool to engage with our supporters and followers.
Do you have any upcoming events for fellow wool lovers to put in their diary?
Wool Week this year will be from 5th – 12th October and we hope people will create a woolly event – a Picknit perhaps – to join in and share wool love with their friends and family.
Find out more, download patterns & submit your creation, visit the Voluntary Arts Week web site atwww.voluntaryartsweek.org/