Loch Ness festival attracts world's fastest knitter

World's fastest knitter Hazel Tindall. Picture: Dave Donaldson/Supplied

This year’s festival is shaping up to be a big hit with over 30 workshops and presentations, numerous demonstrations, a crafting village, marketplace, gala dinner and fashion show.

These will take place at Inverness Ice Centre and various venues around the city centre.

One of those knitters featuring prominently at the festival is Shetland-born Hazel Tindall – the world’s fastest knitter.

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In 2004, Hazel knitted a whopping 255 stitches in 3 minutes – fending off tough competition from competitors from the USA and the rest of UK.

She successfully defended this title in 2008, knitting 262 stitches in 3 minutes, ahead of the Guinness World Record holder.

Hazel’s specialism is Fair Isle, and she will host three Fair Isle workshops over the weekend of Loch Ness Knit Fest, as well as a presentation on knitting in Shetland in the 1960s.

Festival organiser, Cecilia Grigor, said: “We are absolutely over the moon that Hazel can join us for 2017’s Loch Ness Knit Fest – what better way to promote the festival than to have the World’s Fastest Knitter joining us.

“Hazel is a fantastic ambassador for this festival – with her skills and her passion for knitting really showcasing what Loch Ness Knit Fest is all about.”

Hazel will host the following workshops and presentation:

Friday 13th October: An Introduction to Fair Isle Yoke

Saturday 14th October: Knitting in Shetland in the 1960s

Saturday 14th October: Fair Isle Bookmarks

Sunday 15th October: An Introduction to Fair Isle Yoke

Places at these workshops are limited so visitors are encouraged to book their places soon to avoid disappointment.

Loch Ness Knit Fest 2017 is scheduled to run between 13th – 15th October at a new venue, Inverness Ice Centre.

Full festival programme is available on the website: www.lochnessknitfest.com/workshops-and-presentations

Tickets to the event can be purchased between June – October via the Loch Ness Knit Fest website: www.lochnessknitfest.com/buy-tickets-for-loch-ness-knit-fest

Heathrow Airport are the headline sponsor for this year’s festival with additional support from other key sponsors including The Highland Council, HIE, Inverness Common Good Fund and Event Scotland.

Loch Ness Knit Fest is committed to supporting their charity partner, The Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild and encouraging locals to support the cause by knitting: www.lochnessknitfest.com/charity-partner

Loch Ness Knit Fest was first inspired by another knitting festival, Strikkefestival in Denmark. Strikkefestival has been running for a decade and attracts more than 7,500 attendees from across the world to the small Danish island of Fano each year, boosting the local economy by more than £4million.