A YARN shop in Truro has made the finals of a highly regarded awards ceremony for the fifth year running.

Truro Wool has been nominated in the Best Independent Retailer South West at the 2024 Yarn Industry Awards, and is the only finalist representing Cornwall.

Tucked in St Mary’s Street, it stocks over 1,000 different yarns from man-made and 100 per cent recycled to luxurious, locally dyed pure natural fibres. Owner-manager Julie Cowan fulfilled a lifelong ambition to create a haven of gorgeous and affordable yarns, knitting, crochet and weaving accessories.

"We’re a tiny team of two, so being shortlisted for this regional award is a huge achievement,” said Julie. “We want to say the biggest ‘thank you’ to all our wonderful customers who nominated us - it truly means the world to us. Now, we just need everyone’s support to spread the word and vote for us.”

The store also hosts a varied schedule of one-to-one tuition and group workshops, supported by a community of crafters from near and far.

It has been the driving force behind several community yarn projects, including the Bridge of Remembrance - which displayed over 15,000 handmade poppies on the River Walk footbridge in Truro - and the Bobble Tree of Kindness, which gifted over 200 handmade hats to St Petrocs and Cornwall Refuge Trust in 2023, and is currently running again for Christmas 2024.

Run by Craftworld, the awards celebrate the yarn brands, influencers, products, retailers and tools that have inspired yarn creativity over the past year. Awards ranging from Favourite Yarn Brand to Best Knitting Needles & Crochet Hooks are nominated and voted for by members of the public.

Voting is open until January 14. Winners will be announced at the end of February. All voters can enter a prize draw to win a £450 yarn bundle. To vote, visit www.trurowool.com