Three Years at Flock Fiber Fest and Why I Keep Going Back

This is my third year attending Seattle’s biggest yarn event and it has officially become one of my favorite annual traditions. Shanna from Rainy Days and Cliché comes with me every year and honestly at this point I cannot imagine going without her. Check her out!

Every year is a little different but always filled to the brim with dye experts, knitting and crocheting extraordinaires, and yarn veterans in every shape and form. I started knitting about six years ago to help with my anxiety and after my first sweater was finished I was completely addicted. If you’re curious about picking it up, all you really need to get started is a beginner friendly set of knitting needles and something soft to work with. One of the things I love about Flock specifically is that several stalls sell beginner kits (like these ones) making it such a wonderful entry point into the craft if you’re brand new.

This community is one of the gentlest and most welcoming I’ve ever been part of and Flock captures that energy perfectly every single time.

A quick note: this is a completely honest review, I’m not sponsored, and if your business isn’t mentioned it’s nothing against you. It was incredibly busy and tough to photograph everything. There were so many incredible artists there this year and we missed a few beloved returning vendors dearly.

Alright, let’s get into it!

Table of Contents

Tickets, Check-in & Courses

Similar to previous years we bought our tickets online in advance. You have the option to purchase both days at a discount but since we missed course sign-ups again, one day was the perfect amount of time. The courses are great but I didn’t see any I really wanted to attend this year so I genuinely didn’t feel like I missed out.

Check-in was a breeze. We had our tickets in our Apple Wallets, they were scanned, we got our Flock Fiber Fest bracelets, and off we went!

One thing I really appreciate about this festival is how thoughtful and considerate they are toward their community. A lot of knitters and crocheters deal with anxiety, depression, autoimmune conditions, and other health challenges and fiber arts are genuinely known to help reduce stress. Because of that the first couple of hours are mandatory masks, which I deeply respect even if it was absolutely sweltering and everyone was very grateful when that window ended. 😅

The Convention Center Stalls & Attendance

I really love the way they set up this event up every year. The aisles look nice and wide, the stalls are nicely spread out – until you factor in how much shopping and waiting and standing you have to do when it starts filling up. Turns out the stalls are really not big enough and being a short girlie, I get squished and lost in the mix. Don’t get me wrong, I love to shop! However, the amount of times I needed to “pull over” to look at my Ravelry notes or do the math on weight vs yards and meters and grams was so painful due to how packed stalls would get.

That said, that’s truly my only complaint about the set up and actual event. All of the stalls are always independently operated by the dyer, shop, or enthusiast which means you get the opportunity to converse with these small business owners and also support them! Which is always an amazing feeling at the end of the day.

The Layout and Vibe

The aisles look beautifully wide and the stalls are nicely spread out, right up until the moment the crowds arrive and suddenly you’re wedged between two people doing mental math on weight versus yards versus grams while trying not to knock anything over. As a short person I get squished and lost in the mix pretty quickly.

That is genuinely my only complaint though. Every single stall is independently operated by the dyer, shop owner, or enthusiast themselves, which means you get to have real conversations with the people behind the work and support small businesses directly. That always makes the whole experience feel so meaningful at the end of the day.

And the attendance! It never looks overwhelming at first glance but once you start hunting for limited edition colorways? Good luck out there. 😄

Limited Edition Yarns

One of my absolute favorite things about Flock is that almost every stall creates a limited edition color or yarn type made exclusively for the festival. You cannot get it anywhere else and they almost always sell out on day one. It is so much fun to see what each vendor comes up with.

Last year I fell completely in love with a gorgeous green colorway called Matcha Latte from one particular stall. I thought about it genuinely all year. When I arrived this year I went looking for it immediately but that stall wasn’t there. I was a little heartbroken but then I found the most perfect dupe from Sewrella Yarn. Her stall was 90s movie themed and I loved every single second of it. I bought two skeins in the colorway called You Drive Me Crazy in a cotton linen wool sock blend. I’m slightly worried I should have bought three but I’m hoping to make the most beautiful tank top out of them for next summer.

This year’s overall festival color was a stunning blue and it was absolutely everywhere. My favorite version of it was from Thought to Thread, a colorway called Lapis. I was so tempted but I’m still working through last year’s purchases so I had to be disciplined. It was 50% baby alpaca, 25% linen, and 25% grade A mulberry silk. Just absolutely gorgeous.

Honorable Stall Mentions

Sewrella Yarn

Already mentioned above but worth a dedicated shoutout. The 90s movie theme, the creativity, the color names. All of it. I loved this stall so much.

Yarn Nouveau

An absolute favorite for both Shanna and me every year. She picked up a few skeins and I almost did too because it was one of the only stalls selling bulky yarn. The colorway Harvest has been living in my head since and I think I’ll end up ordering from their site before next year.

Snug & Spun Fiber Co

Such a lovely small stall with merino blended silk that was genuinely stunning. The colorways Old Red Barn and Grassy Fields were some of my favorites of the whole day. They were so kind and I hope they sold out completely because they deserved it.

Lavender Lune Yarn Company

A beautiful merino and alpaca worsted blend with earthy, practical colors that really stuck with me. Another small but mighty stall and one I can absolutely see myself ordering from in the future.

The Wandering Flock

This stall stopped me in my tracks. The most wonderfully bright and uniquely dyed yarn I saw all day. The neons especially. Chef’s kiss. Please go check them out.

If you’re thinking about going to Flock next year, don’t think twice. Just go.

When Shanna and I were leaving, still wearing our bracelets, two strangers stopped us to ask what we bought and we ended up having the loveliest little conversation right there in the parking lot. That is this community in a nutshell. Kind, curious, and genuinely excited to connect over something they love.

Next year I’m planning to pack a lunch, bring my WIP, and sit at one of the tables for a while. If you’re going solo, I promise this is one of the easiest events in the world to meet new people. I hope to see you there!

See you next year! 🧶