Hundreds of people were drawn from all over the island to a craft fair and demonstration held at Lezayre Community hall, in Sulby.
There was barely room to spin a ball of wool in the hall amidst the array of weavers, wool dyers, wood carvers, jewellery-makers, metal workers, knitters, embroiderers and artists displaying their craft and creations.
Event organiser Sue Quilliam, herself a crafter in wool, explained the craft fayre was a chance for individuals to shine while also allowing people a chance to find about arts and crafts on the island, even to have a go at certain things themselves.
‘A lot of people have a great craft, but they don’t have a gallery, or they don’t have their own studio,’ said Sue.
‘It’s very tricky to try and get all these people together regularly.’
She said: ‘This is just a fraction of the crafts that go on. I’m a crafter.
‘I do workshops and I love the kids to learn how to craft and how to make things. It’s a nice thing to do.’
Another reason for the event was to provide a display for a group of visiting Norwegian artists.
A group, organised by Norwegian wool artist Karin Flatoy Svarstad, regularly travel to islands that share a Viking heritage to gain knowledge and inspiration from other similarly minded crafters with the aim of making contacts and sharing knowledge.
‘We are here to meet people and to set up a link between Norway and the Isle of Man,’ said Karin.
‘The craft in Norway is different from the craft you have here. But that’s a good thing. We can learn from each other.’
She said: ‘The main thing about the summer academy is that we are going to learn from each other, and set up a link between the island and Norway, as the Isle of Man was once a part of Norway.
‘It’s important that people can meet and get inspired. That’s why we travel all around between the Shetlands, Orkneys, Outer Hebrides, Iceland, Faroes, Greenland as well.
‘We go all over. It’s something we got from the Vikings!’