Keynote: ‘The Game of Wool’ by Ailsa Stephen
Speaker: Ailsa Stephen
Craft: General
Experience: Suitable for all
Summary: Ailsa will talk about her experience as a contestant on Channel4’s The Game of Wool.
Photo credit: Eastwood Hall
Make use of hotel facilities
If you don’t fancy a formal workshop, you can use this time for crafting in the public rooms in the hotel, exploring the grounds, or using the hotel’s other facilities.
Photo credit: Barbara Smith
‘Gadgets, Successful and Otherwise’ with Barbara Smith
Leader: Barbara Smith
Craft: General
Experience: Suitable for all
Summary: A look at some of the tools and gadgets in the Guild collection, some that sold in large numbers and others that didn’t, maybe because they were impractical or too expensive.
Photo credit: Angharad Thomas
‘Mood boards in design’ with Angharad Thomas
Leader Angharad Thomas
Craft: General
Experience: Suitable for all
Summary: This workshop is an opportunity to play with colours, yarns, images and found objects – ribbon, shells, feathers, sweet papers and so on – with the aim of getting ideas for your projects. These can be anything from a garment to a decorative piece. This method is also useful when planning to decorate a room or choose curtains and so on.
Photo credit: Emma Vining
‘Knitting Multi-Shade Shawls: Exploring Stripes, Fades and Gradients’ with Emma Vining
Leader: Emma Vining
Craft: Hand Knitting
Experience: Suitable for all
Summary: Knitting a multi-shade shawl involves creatively blending colour, pattern and texture to create a unique design. Join Emma to explore designing and knitting shawls with stripes, fades and gradients.
Photo credit: Judy Jones
‘Machine knitting a Teddy Bear’ with Judy Jones
Leader: Judy Jones
Craft: Machine Knitting
Experience: Beginner with basic knowledge of machine knitting.
Summary: Machine knit and finish a small hand sized toy Teddy. Bring your own knitting machine.
Image credit: Hello Halo TV
Game of Wool – series 2
Game of Wool is returning for a new series, filming this summer and casting is now OPEN for series 2! Hello Halo TV are on the lookout for talented knitters from…
2026 Convention
4th to 6th September 2026. Convention is fully booked – applications made now will be placed on a waiting list.
Our venue for 2026 is Eastwood Hall, Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG16 3SS.
Convention runs from 4 pm Friday 4th September to 4 pm Sunday 6th September. Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) starts at 11:00 am on Saturday 5th September.
Join us for a weekend of keynote talks, workshops and sociable crafting. This exclusive weekend is available to Guild members only.
Image credit: Channel 4 / Hello Halo
SK190 – Slipknot Issue 190 – Interview with Ailsa
Did you watch the Game of Wool on Channel 4? And did you know that one of the finalists, Ailsa, is a member of the Knitting & Crochet Guild?
Curious to know what it was like to take part in the programme, Steve Foreman asked Ailsa what it was really like behind the scenes.
