Anyone been to the Knitting and Stitching Show?

[ChoccyJules]

I have got a ticket as my self-sourced birthday gift from DH and am wondering if it’s worth doing any of the extras, eg workshops etc or will there be enough to do just mooching about.
I am aware I will need to keep an eye on my bank balance!

I've been to the one at Alexandra Palace loads of times. I used to do some workshops but have grown out of them.

There are lots of mini exhibitions and displays, in addition to all the shopping stalls, so there is plenty to occupy yourself with. I can spend all day there, even without doing a workshop. It does get very crowded in the middle of the day, so have a quick scoot around when you arrive to get a feel for the place and which bits interest you, slow down during the crowded period, then have a calmer browse later in the afternoon.

I've never done a workshop, it just doesn't appeal to me and it takes up time that I would rather use seeing the show. I've been to a few talks by quilters though as I enjoy looking at quilts and hearing the design process.

I have been going for 25 years with the same friend.. It's an annual event for us. This is definitely my specialist Mastermind subject.

If you've never been before then you won't need to do the workshops (unless there is something you desperately want to learn) as the sheer quantity of stalls and shows will be enough. Be prepared to spend too much, wear lightweight clothes as it gets very hot and be prepared for a lot of people. It's emptier in the morning so we try to get there when it opens and go straight to the main hall because as the day progresses it can get particularly crowded in there. Don't bother either the programme.. It's money you can spend on other stuff. And do visit the exhibitions and chat to people. I've learnt a lot from them.

I always go with an idea of what I want to buy. The specialist wool weavers are all there, much better than online as you can see the colours so I shall be buying sock wool. Enjoy

I was about to reply, but you've summed it up perfectly.
If Alexandra Palace then take time to admire the building, it really is stunning.

Wear flats , layers and make sure you pop outside, weather permitting, as the views and grounds are lovely.

I stocked up on a lot of yarn .... 😊

I miss living in London and being able to go to Ally Pally and to the Festival of Quilts in Bermingham. There used to be a smaller Knitting and Stitching show in Dublin where I am, but now it's in Belfast instead.

Do you have to pre-book talks?

Thanks Everyone. I am not sure I can get there when it opens, as I have to get one train to and then one back out of London and then get the shuttle bus to AllyPally. I am not sure if tickets will mean it’s best to avoid rush hour, I need to check. If I can travel earlier I will, although it will mean being squashed in with commuters.
I will aim for the main hall first as advised. Also I am looking forward to being at the venue itself, as I am a bit of a Whovian, and IYKYK.
I have checked out the workshops for my day and nothing appeals, apart from a couple which are sold out. So am happy to just browse.
I am foolishly excited about a trip all to myself!

Enjoy !! ☺️

I go to the one at Ally Pally every year on a coach trip. We usually arrive and get in about 10am. Between the exhibitions, shopping and lunch we usually have enough to occupy us until 3pm and then we go to the bar for an hour!

@TeamPolin There’s a bar?!

It’s this week and I am SO excited! Any tips for bargains/handy things to buy or will it mostly be pricey stuff?

I'm going on Friday, it's my annual treat to myself. I buy lots of things that I'll use one day. From last year's haul, I think I've used about half of what I bought!

There's a mix of stuff - yes, some pricey, but definitely not all. I'd say just take the time to have a good wander round and look at everything - I tend to do a tour first, make notes of the stalls I might like to buy from, and then go back to those once I've seen everything.

And yes, bar! But also massive queues for food from memory - I get there as it opens and then go for a late lunch at the station on the way home!

I will probably take snacks and try to push lunch back as late as I can, thanks for the heads up.

Worried I may end up with another hobby instead of focusing on sewing and crochet as I do now!

Do they have water fountains for refilling bottles?

I don't recall seeing this , but there was a cafe / coffee house in the foyer so maybe they'll fill up for you ?

As for bargains.. I found some of the yarn / wool average prices from the main retailers but there were quite a few wholesalers there that had fantastic bargains.. I have only just finished all the yarn I got last year so roll on Sunday lol

Pretty sure there’s a fountain

Just been to the Belfast one today. The Dublin one hasn't run for years so I made the trip up. Didn't buy as much as I thought I would - which is a good thing I guess! The place was so hot and stuffy though - it was quite unpleasant.

@northernstars Was it bigger or smaller than the Dublin one used to be? I used to take my Mum to the Dublin K&S but neither of us like crowds much and the aisles were quite narrow so we used to go in as soon as it opened and leave when the coaches started arriving and it filled up. So we probably stayed for about 90 minutes altogether. I'm not sure that it would be worth driving two hours up to Belfast and then two hours back for what would be quite a short visit. Plus, to get there at opening time we would be in the thick of M50 rush hour traffic.

Hot and stuffy sounds unpleasant, it wouldn't encourage me to browse and shop.

I'd say a little bit smaller. I'm in North County Dublin so it didn't take as long to get there and I stayed overnight at the Titanic Hotel. Friday was a lot quieter so I think Thursday was the hardcore lot - there was a lot of sharp elbows! There was talk it would be somewhere bigger next year but who knows. I'm an embroiderer and didn't actually get that much. I think Saturday was a sell-out.

It's helpful to be starting on the North side of Dublin, I join the M50 way in the south at J15 and it can be a nightmare if you catch it at the wrong time. I once had an almost 4 hr round trip to pick my DS up from the airport.

I always felt that the Dublin show was packed in very tightly, especially compared to the Alexandra Palace one which I used to go to when I lived in London. I found there was space to walk around comfortably at Ally Pally, but in Dublin the aisle space was narrow. If there were people looking at stalls on both sides of the aisle there was only a two-person gap to move through, so if there was a wheelchair or mobility scooter the whole thing got gridlocked.

It's going to be in Lisburn next year at a much larger venue. Not very handy for public transport but great if you're driving, straight off the motorway. Although the M50 is another kettle of fish!

OP here, I realised I never reported back!
Went to Ally Pally on the Friday. Had fun spotting others on the train down, one of whom was busy knitting all the way there. Long queue for the shuttle bus, which they packed like sardines, reminiscent of our old school bus. I can’t do the walk due to my hip, and was pacing myself.
I didn’t buy as much as I had expected, as I didn’t find many bargains or show offers. It was basically like a big indoor craft market but with shops rather than indies.
Loo queue was rubbish, food queues ditto but they moved fast as they had people with mobile tills triaging, you had to search for a chair but they were there. I found it annoying that so many people seemed to be all elbows when I was expecting a cosy all girls together sort of thing (sexist I know but I only saw two blokes).
Anyway, I bought a cardigan pattern from one stall, the fabric from another and the buttons from a third. I also bought some lovely pattern weights.
I think actually my carefully curated bag worked out better than going mad and buying everything in sight! I scoped things out before going back to get the fabric once I had the pattern. I had a chat to Tilly (of the buttons) but she didn’t have a cardi shape for me.
I also bought a crochet cardi pattern (there’s a theme here) from Stylecraft, their queues were epic, they had run out but took my address and posted it out the next week. Fab service.
So…to sum up I enjoyed it but as a one-off. Busy and not bargainous.

Glad you enjoyed it. I also went on the Friday but didn't think it was as crowded as normal, which I put down to being a weekday and not a Saturday. It seems to have got smaller - the small hall on the right used to have more stalls in (mostly crafts guilds and a few individual artists) but this time it was used for the workshops.

If you're in easy reach of Birmingham, consider the Festival of Quilts in August. Although the stalls are mostly aimed at quilters and patchwork, it's still very interesting and there are LOADS of quilts on display, which are impressive even if you're not particularly into quilting/patchwork (I'm not).

Another tip: a friend told me that reduced tickets for the Spring fair in London were available on Groupon and it turned out that all three fairs (Spring, FoQ, Ally Pally) were on Groupon, so this year I went to all three, for around £14 each. Which was a big saving on full ticket price, even if you had a £2 code which doesn't even offset the booking fee. Days are restricted (eg one weekday and Sunday) and entry time is from 11am. But definitely worth it for the reduction. I'll be looking out for tickets on Groupon next year!

For anyone in the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire, over that way, a friend of mine goes to Wonderwool Wales most years. I've been once and it didn't seem too crowded.

Next year's is on 26-27 April 2025 at the
Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells,
Saturday 10am - 5:30pm, Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

The stewards in crocheted hi-vis waistcoats are a nice touch!