The Longest Yarn – History Told in Thread

I love experiences that make me stop and think, and there’s an incredible one that you can’t miss if you are anywhere near Enniskillen, in fact it’s well worth a trip from wherever you are. It’s The Longest Yarn Exhibition which tells the story of World War II through hand-crafted textile installations.

I missed the debut exhibition, which was created to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2024, so when I saw that the second exhibition – Britain at War, was in Enniskillen, I had to visit. It’s a huge 80-metre installation, which explores the social history of the Second World War.

Every section depicts a different moment:
soldiers preparing to land, paratroopers dropping from the sky, medics helping the wounded, civilians ‘digging for victory’, and even food rations. And all of it every tank, every uniform, every tiny figure is made from yarn.

What makes it even more incredible is that it wasn’t created by a single artist.
More than 1,000 volunteers from around the world contributed knitted and crocheted pieces to build the installation.

Standing in front of it, you realise you’re not just looking at an artwork.
You’re looking at thousands of hours of care. In fact, one of the people told me that the Piper above took 2500 hours to create!

The first thing that struck me was the detail. I saw knitted soldiers with miniature helmets, landing craft approaching the beaches, woollen smoke coming from buildings. The attention to detail is just incredible, from tiny cakes and tea cups, to pigeons and corgis at Buckingham Palace.

It’s the kind of exhibition that slows you down. You don’t rush through it. You wander along it slowly, metre by metre, like reading a long illustrated story.

One of the most moving things about the project is how many people contributed to it. Different styles, different techniques, different hands – all coming together to tell one story. There’s something deeply human about that.

It’s a reminder that history isn’t just dates in books.
It’s people. Communities. Families. Memories.

And somehow wool feels like the perfect medium for that kind of storytelling – warm, tactile, and patient.

If The Longest Yarn comes anywhere near you, go. Even if you don’t knit. Even if you’re not a history buff.
Because sometimes the most powerful stories aren’t told in words or films.
Sometimes they’re told in stitches.

Britain at War is currently hosted at St Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen until 20th March. https://www.enniskillencathedral.com/

Find the rest of the locations here: https://www.thelongestyarn.com/visit-us/britain-at-war

A huge congratulations to all involved in this incredible project. It really is amazing.