The Knitting and Stitching Show 2021

It was good to be back at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate, and good to see other YES members there too. Though well attended, it was noticeably less crowded than in previous years, and there were more open areas and seating which made for a comfortable, pleasant experience. We all love the show but let’s face it, it could at times be very busy and a bit of a crush. Buying stitching equipment and materials online is easy and usually efficient, and has been a saviour over the last year or so but there’s nothing to beat seeing the real thing. 

Of course the very special aspect of the K&S Show  is the exhibition of work by textile artists and textile students. So much varied, clever and  interesting work it’s hard to single out particular people but Kate Wells’ retrospective exhibition was outstanding. Her beautiful machine embroidered gold work was stunning to look at and incredibly skilled.  Star of the show for me and I have no doubt for many others. Valerie Wartelle’s wet felted, layered and embroidered landscapes were very impressive. Again, beautiful to look at and very skilled. Her work  has become more abstract but a close look reveals her characteristic attention to subtle detail, and her colours are as lovely as ever. The delicate dried flower embroidery by Olga Prinku was delightful. And then there were the quilts. Lots of them. Impressive in their design and execution. One could not fail to be in awe of all this creative talent and to be inspired by it, and it is a privilege to meet these artists who are always happy to talk about their work. I’ll be there in 2022.

Chris Small