A wonderful time was had by all

Its been another busy week or so. A busy time workwise as we have something like 3/4 of our conferences for the year in the last three months of the year! Also with Ally Pally and National Knitting Week it has been a busy week and a half in a pleasant way too.

My mum came down for a few days to stay with us in between visits to my Nan who is in hospital with a broken hip at the moment, and we managed to fit in a day at Ally Pally and also a day visiting yarn shops in the area before she went to stay with my sister for a bit.

I thought Ally Pally was great this year, more yarn, and I think slightly less crowded. Also a much better temperature, although the hall with the guilds in was still rather hot. It was fantastic to see so many inspiring things. Lots of lovely new yarn, and wonderful to catch up with the familiar favourites too. I even managed to find a few nice bits and pieces to accompany me home :-)

Apologies that the photographs are rather dark. It has been rather cloudy, rainy and grim here. These were taken outside in as much light as I could find. Just imagine really bright yarn if you can't see the piccies very well :-)

At the top we have my bargain of the last half-hour of the show. 2 packets of 10 balls each of Paton's Crystal from Black Sheep Wools for £7.99 a packet. Years ago I bought some of this in purple and the T-shirt I made from it has washed and worn really well, so I think I will make another the same or similar.

Next on the left hand side, there is a skein of Cherry Tree Hill supersock in dusk, a skein of Cherry Tree Hill supersock potluck in blues/greens, and a skein of Cherry Tree Hill merino lace in dusk, all from the Wooly Workshop . I could have happily spent more time there.

At the front on the left are two skeins from Catalina. The dark green is 100% baby alpaca chunky, and the teal is 60% baby alpaca, 40% merino chunky. They are both unbelievably soft and I think I am going to make hats. Catalina had some really gorgeous yarns, I had never come across them before so it is always good to have my horizons broadened.

On the top right are two balls of Regia bamboo from Web of Wool, and just to the left of them the skein you can hardly see is my first ever Colinette! It is jitterbug, and the colour is florentine. I was a little disapointed that I wanted to see some Colinette Wigwam (a cotton tape yarn) but they hadn't brought any with them, I suppose it is the wrong time of year for that kind of thing.

The jazzy skein at the front on the right hand side of the middle is a skein of Opal handpaint from Laughing Hens. We were there right at the end of the day and it was nice to have a bit of a chat with Nicki again. I went for a workshop down there a few weeks ago, I have been meaning to photograph my samples and blog about it ever since I came home.

The last yarn, in the front right corner was another new to me yarn. 2 balls of 20% possum, 80% merino in a DK weight from Jamie Possum (their website isn't up yet but should be in a month or so). It is a lovely soft, and slightly hairy yarn and I think I am going to have a go at a hat. I seem to be in quite a hat phase at the moment, at least theoretically, in that I am buying lots of yarn which is going to be hats but I haven't actually knitted one yet.

It was also great to meet up with lots of friends new and old and chat about knitting. I saw Yvonne , Dawn , and Mary (I don't know whether she has a blog, but she was wearing a fantastic fairisle cardi!) at the Knit and Relax stand. I also ran into Mary a couple of times, and met Sue for the first time though I have been reading her blog for a while. It was nice to chat to Kerrie again although she was understandably busy with the customers. Unfortunately as I was there on the Thursday the Yarn Forward Magazine wasn't there yet. My copy still hasn't turned up, still floating somewhere in the post. I am looking forward to seeing the first issue and to hearing what people think about it. I'm sure I have forgotten several people I spoke to, my brain was a bit toasted by the end of the day. Say hi in the comments if I have forgotten you and please accept my grovelings about my lack of memory.

On the friday I dragged my mum out of bed at the crack of 11 o'clock and made her drive me to Stash Yarns, I can be a hard task master. We managed to find a few lovely bits and pieces, and had a great time talking to Michelle and Nathalie. Apologies for an even worse photo than the last one.

With a lot of imagination this is, three skeins of Fleece Artist sock yarn, a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Black Watch, and two balls of Loft by Zitron in a really loud purple, pink and orange colour. I have never come across Loft yarns before and this one is lovely and soft. I think it is going to be .... yep you guessed it, a hat. I think that has become my new solution for yarns which I want to try but not necessarily buy a sweater's worth.

After Stash we headed down to Fibre Crafts and I gave in and bought the Tap Dancing Lizard. My sister has requested socks with reindeer on for christmas, and this book has one in which I think I will be able to adapt.

Then we dashed down to Farnham to the Interknit Cafe before they closed. Shockingly I didn't actually buy any yarn, but I did order some lovely Garn Studio Alpaca in a dark tealy colour.

We were exhausted but happy after all that lot.

Speaking of which that is how I am now after two and a half days of workshops with Lucy Neatby. They were fantastic but I am shattered. Off to bed now and I will blog about the workshops tomorrow.