We're so excited to be presenting the second annual Gather & Yarn Weekend in Bendigo, running Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 February 2027.
We designed Gather & Yarn to make yarn craft lovers smile. It's a weekend of inspiration, learning and connection, surrounded by all those who understand the true joy of crafting (aka 'your people'!)
We had fantastic feedback from our 2026 event - and we learned a lot about how to make this event event better for 2027! We hope you'll join us in your most creative weekend of 2027!
What’s happening over the Gather & Yarn Weekend?
Think of Gather & Yarn like 'craft camp' for grown ups! You'll learn, you'll laugh, you'll make new friends - and leave inspired and refreshed for your year of making ahead.
Friday (pre-event): We'll have optional early registration on Friday afternoon at the Bendigo Woollen Mills Shop (1pm-5pm) so you can grab your pass, your goody bag and get in some shopping at a special 10% off!
We're also running an optional extra social event on Friday night from 5.30pm-7pm at the nearby Shamrock Hotel. It will be a fun Craft Trivia Night, designed to help you meet some other Gather & Yarn attendees before the weekend. You'll get a drink on arrival (cash bar available after) and some light finger food too. Tickets for this will be $30.
Saturday (day 1): Saturday morning, the main event begins!
We’ll be spending the weekend at the beautiful campus of La Trobe University in Bendigo.
Official registration will be open from 8.30am-9.30am (with some comfy communal seating if you want to sit and craft before the first workshop).
Then you're off to your first 3-hour, hands-on, crafty workshop (9.30am-12.30pm).
We'll then enjoy a tasty, casual lunch of sandwiches and salads, with all attendees together chatting and crafting.
From 1.30pm, we have an inspiring afternoon of sessions on our main stage, including panel sessions, talks and even an attendee knitwear fashion show!
Saturday night you can relax and enjoy a night out (or in!) in Bendigo. Or take part in an optional-extra social event (more detail coming soon).
Sunday (day 2): Sunday we come back together at La Trobe at 9am and gather together over a coffee, tea and light breakfast snack (9am-9.45am).
Then you'll be heading into your second creative 3-hour workshop of the weekend (9.45am-12.45pm).
To finish it all off, we’ll be opening the BWM Shop on Sunday from 1pm-4pm exclusively for Gather & Yarn participants, where you’ll have a chance to save 10% on EVERYTHING in store, before you head home inspired to have your most creative year!
Plus, based on feedback from attendees last year who were still hungry for more after the main event, we have some optional Sunday afternoon masterclasses available to purchase too. More detail coming soon for these.
What workshops are part of Gather & Yarn 2027 - and who is teaching?
We have such an amazing crafting community in Australia and we wanted this event to engage with working creatives who contribute so much to us all.
We're very excited about our teacher & workshop line up for 2027. These are the three hour workshops that will be held over the weekend.
- Libby Jonson (Truly Myrtle): Which Size Should I Knit? Measurements, ease, schematics and choosing your next size with confidence instead of crossed fingers.
- Shelley Husband (Shelley Husband Crochet): Brew Your Granny Square Skills: Granny Square Pattern and Chart Reading.
- Maria of Lola Crochets: Techniques for creating modern, knit-look crochet garments & accessories.
- Gayann Walker (Fibremates): Working 'off gauge' and other tips for other garment pattern modifications.
- Susana Kaartinen (Sanna and Co): Mitred Squares in Modern Knitting Design.
- Vera Marcu (Vera Loves Knitting): Toe-up Sock Knitting.
- Jaimie Smith (Bendigo Woollen Mills): Feel the fear and do it anyway: Cables!
- Chloe Hickey (Crochet Designer & Test Crocheter): Tackling textured crochet stitches.
- Christine Warren (Knit Designer & Teacher): Introduction to Stranded Colourwork Knitting (with a brand new pattern for 2027).
- Kai Crosson (Bendigo Woollen Mills): Top Down Knitting - Tips & Tricks for Seamless Knitwear creations.
- Rozlyn Effenberg (Honeysuckle Cottage Studio): Botanical Crochet: Creating pretty flowers and leaves.
- Debra Kinsey (Debra Kinsey Knits): Elevate your Knit Finishing: Including Mattress Stitch, Picking Up Stitches, Casting Off & Weaving in Ends.
How workshop choices & allocations are made
You'll choose four workshops you'd like to do, and be allocated two of these.
We'll email you in November and ask you to elect your top four choices, and then your allocated classes and related requirements will be confirmed in January 2027.
A maximum of 14 students will be in each workshop.
More detail on teachers and the above workshops coming very soon!
Who should attend Gather & Yarn?
Anyone who loves to create with yarn, enjoys meeting people and who is open to trying new things!
We'll have content for both adventurous beginners and more experienced crafters.
We will be creating a fun, supportive, positive environment and want everyone to contribute their own lovely energy to this event.
Where is Gather & Yarn being held?
We're all going back to school together...as we're holding Gather & Yarn 2027 at La Trobe University at Edwards Road, Flora Hill, Bendigo!
It's a lovely campus, with green space, lots of open seating for lunching or crafting, separate classrooms for our workshops and a big lecture theatre for our Saturday afternoon session when we're all together.
There is free parking on site, buses from Bendigo Station, or it's a short taxi/uber ride from central Bendigo.
Please note: Our events will be located across two buildings on the La Trobe campus, located a short distance from each other & the car park. All event spaces are wheelchair accessible.
How much are Gather & Yarn tickets?
Tickets to this full weekend event are strictly limited to 165 people.
$370 Earlybird (25 places only) - The first 25 people to book for Gather & Yarn 2026 will save $25!
$395 Regular (140 places only)
CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS
What’s included in my Gather & Yarn ticket?
- Two Creative Workshops (3 hours each) – one on the Saturday, one on the Sunday
- A Saturday afternoon of main stage inspiration - Designer Panel, Maker's Showcase, 2027 Yarn Preview, Styling your Shawls Tips, How to get more from Ravelry, Blocking 101 & more.
- Catering: Lunch on Saturday & light breakfast on Sunday, plus self-serve tea & coffee when workshops are running.
- Goody bag - over $50 of value including yarn, patterns & more inside.
- 10% Off at our BWM Shop: Exclusive shopping afternoon on Sunday with 10% off everything in store.
Note: Accommodation for this event is NOT included in your ticket.
Optional extras:
Friday Night Social Event - Crafty Trivia at the Shamrock. A fun and relaxed opening event, with a drink on arrival (cash bar after), light finger food & Craft Trivia, with PRIZES of course. To be held at The Shamrock Hotel. Tickets are $30.
Sunday Afternoon Masterclasses - Three 2.5 hours classes, max of 8 students, tickets are $145.
We're also working on a Saturday night social event too - watch this space!
Why do tickets cost more than for the 2026 event?
To recognise the skill and value of our teacher's time, we've priced the event to allow us to pay our teachers more. Additionally, we're reducing class size for 2027 (from 17-18 to 13-14 per workshop) for a better experience.
But I only crochet – or only knit.
If you're not ambi-crafterous, rest assured that we will be running enough sessions to cover both knitters and crocheters. But we know crafters are a curious and adventurous bunch, so you will also have a chance to try something new if you’d like!
More detail and ticket sale conditions:
- There are no single day tickets for Gather & Yarn. Tickets for the social night and the masterclass can only be purchased by those who have purchased a full weekend ticket.
- Accommodation is not included in your ticket
- This event is not suitable for children of any age.
- Workshop allocations are final.
- Some walking/movement between locations is needed at this event. All event spaces are wheelchair accessible.
- Ticket sales are final and refunds cannot be offered. Tickets are transferable, please reach out to us if you have someone you'd like to transfer your place to and need to facilitate this.
- Bendigo Woollen Mills reserves the right to postpone or cancel this Gather & Yarn. In case of event cancellation, a full refund will be issued. If the event is rescheduled, ticket holders will have the opportunity to hold their place, or request a refund.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS
I have more questions!
We'll be sharing lots more information in the lead-up to the event! In the meantime, you can email us at gather@bendigowoollenmills.com.au with specific questions.