How I enjoyed three days full of nature, art and wool culture in a unique environment.
Maybe it’s ugly to say it, but my experience in the Paseo de la Lana made it become my favorite fair: small, familiar, a natural environment… it is, let’s say, a slower fair.
And it is little like the rest in terms of schedules, the influx, or the little time for the enjoyment of the people who are behind the “stand”.
The people who visited us were more relaxed, they stopped for a while at each stand, chatted, knitted, sometimes looking for the sun, sometimes for the shade. A pleasure!
On Friday we arrived with great enthusiasm, and after discovering the place of the fair (a pine forest next to the beach of A Madalena) and loving it, we unloaded the car and placed all the balls, skeins and accessories that accompanied us. The parade was about to begin!
We headed to the beach, yes, as you read, to the beach of A Madalena. The parade was a spectacular thing to experience in that landscape.
And this year, if the weather is good, it will be repeated with some very special models: senior couples from the Narón Sports Dance Club will be the ones to give life and movement to the garments of the parade.
On Saturday between faladoiro and faladoiro (talks related to the world of wool), each one more interesting, we received visitors in our carpita, shared good times, chatted with our neighbors stand, enjoyed watching the women of Cabanas Rural spinning.
The organizers gave it their all. The fair was an initiative promoted by Beatriz Carbón and Lola Logaro, two enterprising women who are committed to the recovery and promotion of handcrafted wool as a sustainable and creative way of life. Both launched in November 2021 the first yarn made from sheep raised in Cabanas with denomination of origin.
Also the members of El Mundo Teje and the Concello de Cabanas, have seen in this project an opportunity to boost their local economy and promote rural tourism creating a first edition difficult to overcome the truth where they have left the bar very high!
They also made the fair coincide with Knitting Day in public, and there was a lot of knitting in the places that were set up for this purpose. A delight.
There were bagpipers livening up the day, continuous demonstrations of spinning, bobbin lace making, and other wool arts.
Sunday was a quieter but equally beautiful day. We were able to see how a sheep is sheared live and how its fleece is transformed into yarn. It was a very educational and inspiring experience.
We came with our hands full: not only I took some skeins of handmade wool but also a wool fleece, wool magazines, a needle case, buttons … And the best: I came with a full heart: I met wonderful people who share my passion for wool, made new friends, strengthened ties with the old ones, learned new things, enjoyed the natural landscape …
When the fair ended, I uploaded a reel to instagram where I wrote: “We return with a joyful heart, the soul brimming with beauty, the mind at peace and the body tired 😊.
We return home grateful for the reception and the treatment, grateful for the weather, for all the people who have approached us because they knew us or wanted to know us. For the delicious food, pastries and coffees ❤️. We’re going back, yes, but we’ll be back.”
If you want to live a unique and unforgettable experience surrounded by nature, art and wool culture, do not miss the next edition of the Paseo da Lana. We are waiting for you in Cabanas.
Here is the program for this year 2023:
Friday, March 24
16:00 h Exhibition opening
16:30 h Presentation Bestiarium: you will be able to contemplate the different autochthonous breeds of sheep from the hand of José Barea, a vision in portrait mode of each of these beautiful specimens in danger of extinction:Alcarreña, Ansotana, Aranesa, Canaria, Canaria de Pelo, Carranzana (black variety), Cartera, Castellana (black variety), Chamarita, Churra Lebrijana, Churra Tensina, Colmenareña, Galega, Guirra, Ibicenca, Lojeña, Maellana, Mallorquina, Manchega (black variety), Menorquina, Merina (black variety), Merina de Grazalema, Montesina, Ojalada, Palmera, Ripollesa, Roja Mallorquina, Roya Bilbilitana, Rubia del Molar, Sasi Ardi, Talaverana, Xalda and Xisqueta.
18:15 h Inauguration O paseo da Lá
18:30 h Lanar Catwalk 2023
Saturday, March 25
10:00 h Artisan Fair begins with D.O.
10.30 to 11.30 h Faladoiro: Lanaterapia. The art of knitting as therapy
11:00 a.m. Meeting of weavers.
13:00 h Galician autochthonous showcooking
16:30 to 17:30 h Presentation of the documentary “Lana, the diamond of Spain”.
18:00 to 19:00 h Presentation of the project “Go Sebastiana”.
22:00 h Wool weaving. Concert “Los Alcántara”.
00.00 h Terra, mar, lume
Sunday, March 26th
10:00 h Fair opening
10.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Gorullo and Felt Workshops (free workshops)
13:30 h Family photo
14:00 Closing of the Paseo de la Lana (Wool Walk)
We are waiting for you! Because, as promised. WE ARE BACK, and we do it with many novelties such as the natural dyes that you can find in our stand.
