SKIPTON Auction Mart will transformed into a wonderland of wool next weekend.

It is hosting Yarndale - which celebrates the joy of yarn in all its forms - next Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27.

Held over two days, the festival will bring together more than 190 talented exhibitors, keen to share their passion for all things woolly.

Artisan makers, designers, yarn producers and independent yarn retailers will be selling a high quality selection of yarn, materials, haberdashery, books, kits and hand-crafted goods.

There will also be a full programme of textile workshops led by local artists, along with skill demonstrations and creative exhibitions.

Last year, visitors travelled from all over the world, including New Zealand, Tasmania and Saudi Arabia.

The idea for Yarndale came from a thriving weekly knit and natter social group, which met at Skipton's Wild Oats cafe.

"As you would expect, much of the talk around the table is of yarn and wool, and it was this chatter that first set the Yarndale ball rolling," explained Yarndale director Lucy O'Regan.

"A small group of self confessed yarn addicts began to question why there wasn’t a wool festival in Skipton when the town has such a strong textile heritage, not to mention the obvious sheep connection that Skipton boasts (the very name Skipton is derived from the Old English word “sceap”, meaning sheep).

"The idea of creating just such an event for Skipton gathered momentum and eventually Yarndale was born. It still seems a little bit incredible that a small group of local people have managed to create such a large, internationally-recognised event."

The Yarndale team is made up of five people, all of whom have jobs, careers, children and busy lives but who have given their time and energy to help make it a success.

Lucy added: "The tremendous support that Yarndale has received both locally and nationally has been astounding and very encouraging."

Yarndale is about sharing and celebrating knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, dyeing and felting skills, providing the visiting public with an inspirational weekend full of colour, texture and creativity.

Every aspect of the yarn journey will be represented, from the woolly animals themselves, through the various stages of production to the beautiful finished products.

Yarndale has become well known for its exuberant creative displays. Visitors can walk under a whole ceiling decked out with over a kilometre of colourful woolly bunting, or gaze at a stunning display of more than 1,000 crocheted mandalas.

Now in its third year, Yarndale has quickly established itself as a must-visit event for yarn enthusiasts from all over the UK as well as abroad.

During the weekend, more than 7,000 visitors are expected to flock to the town to enjoy the festival, making it a great success for both exhibitors and visitors alike.

And the creative vibe will extend beyond the walls of the auction mart. A red London bus, with woolly decoration will provide a free shuttle between the town and the festival and for those who wish to walk to Yarndale, the route through Aireville Park will be adorned with some surprising yarn creations.

In preparation for the festival, the Yarndale team took part in Skipton's Sheep Day event in July.

They had a stand on the High Street and attempted a "sheep to throw" knitting event, in which a farmer from Littondale sheared two sheep and Yarndale members and friends carded, spun and knitted the wool into squares.

These squares have now been sewn together to make a unique throw, which will be auctioned at the festival to raise money for Martin House Children's Hospice.