October 18, 2008
On the Road
Guess where I was?
Yes! For the first time, I was in Ally Pally in London, and it was great! Not only because it was so interesting, that there were so many different yarns to see and touch I knew only few of them, (and then, mostly from the web only), but also because I had the best guide ever, and being together with her made the thing so, so much better : thanks Polly for being such a good guide, and a great friend, too.
So what did we see? In fact, there is no picturesque evidence of that, because from the moment we entered, my head was whyzzing, I didn't know where to look, there was so much to see and enjoy...that I didn't take my camera out again, until the show was closed. But I mostly remember :
- the great array of hand-dyed yarns, in so many fiber/color variations, that the choice of only some skeins was made difficult (got a few) ;
- the kauni yarns "live" which were so much more interesting than on the paper (got some) ;
- the koigu ppm on sale in a few shops. I couldn't resist at all, and I even surprised myself at being so weak in front of this yarn : I would have whipped out clear the whole show of this yarn, if I had been able to, but money-wise and luggage-space-wise it wasn't possible, alas (got quite a lot) ;
- the beautifull items for sale on the selvedge stand. Didn't get anything, too expensive, esp. in the end of the show ...
I was reasonable, I think, given the amount of tentation, but here is how my little suitcase looked when I came home, and opened it :
All in all, apart from some gifts, I have enough to make quite a few pairs of socks, some yarns to enjoy for the pure beauty of the skeins, and the yarn and pattern to make a jacket in Kauni yarn. I didn't go with a specific target, like finding a specific brand, but I am quite surprised of my choices. The koigu yarn I knew only from 2 skeins made into a cute little scarf (too good to be a sock, they told me), have cast me under their spell...the touch, the colours...beware of me if there is one of them behind you... only sayin'.
So all these fibery emotions have another impact on my knitterly life : as I do not wish to have too many projects on the needles, I better get a move to finish what is keeping me busy right now, so I can choose from the newly purchased yarn, the next project.
On the needles?
The Flared jacket from Rowan Studio issue 8, in Rowan's Scottish tweed chunky
Only have the finishing to do on that one.
A a cardigan in Rowan Purelife cotton, my own pattern, which is always risky for me...
Debbie Abraham's baby blanket, for which I am much behind the others, my summer not having been very knitterly active...
And also , there has been some spinning going on, even if very little :
