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Canberra’s award-winning Old Bus Depot Markets will host its first ever two-day event focused on wool. Held over two big days, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May, A Celebration of Wool, previously a single day event, will this year take place over two huge days and highlight over 45 wool producers, makers and creators from Canberra, the region and interstate.

 “We know the people who visit our Markets love wool, we see it at our wool themed event each year, which is why this year we’ve decided to celebrate this most favourite of natural fibres over two huge days,” said Old Bus Depot Markets’ Director, Anthony Niravong.

“This will be the weekend when many craftspeople from far and wide come to create, demonstrate and sell their wool,” Anthony continued.

Anthony says this year they have four producers coming to the Markets from Victoria and, as another first, visitors can take part in special wool workshops which will run throughout the day on Saturday 20 May.

“Visitors can come along and learn something new with workshops in crochet, felting, macramé and knitting on offer.

“Families will also love it as they can see live sheep shearing demonstrations from award-winning shearer, Ian Elkins, on both the Saturday and Sunday,” Anthony continued.

Ian Elkins is from Elkins Alpaca shearing and has over 35 years shearing experience. Passionate about Australian sheep and alpaca, Elkins is well known for his success in shearing competitions all over Australian and internationally throughout the 80s and 90s where he won over 120 open competitions.

Over this most woolly of weekends, visitors can browse and buy hand felted garments and accessories, designer knitwear, weaving supplies, funky beanies and hats, shawls and scarves, gloves and socks, thermals and underwear, contemporary hand spun art and farm label knitwear.

“We’ll also have a vast array of luxury and specialist yarns including hand spun and hand dyed yarns in merino wool, alpaca, mohair, silk, cashmere, cotton and possum, as well as knitting, spinning and felting tools and accessories,” said Anthony.

Some of the more interesting stallholders include a spindle maker who produces hand crafted wooden spindles, stunning hand felted hats and handcrafted wooden accessories for hand spinning. Some favourites will be back again including weaving supplies from Glenora Weaving, specialist knitting yarns from R&E Reynolds Yarn Supplies, dyed yarns and garments from Fibreworks and Cashmere and Cashgora woollies from Belisa Cashmere.

A Celebration of Wool is at Canberra’s Old Bus Depot Markets, open 9am to 3pm on Saturday 20 May, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday 21 May. Entry is free. Sheep shearing demonstrations will take place at 10am and 1pm on Saturday 20 May, and 11am and 2pm on Sunday 21 May. Buses are welcome, anyone wishing to coordinate a bus visit is asked to please call the Markets’ office on (02) 6295 3331.

All workshops in crochet, felting, macramé and knitting on Saturday 20 May must be pre-booked via obdm.eventbrite.com. More information available at www.obdm.com.au