Yarndale 2013

It has been many years since I last attended a yarn show and I was determined to make it along to Yarndale this year. Rounding up the Madmum household for a 6am start prior to a 4hr car journey was not fun but boy, was I determined. The boys were in the back of the car with half a croissant each before they knew what had hit them.

Unlike others who arrived later on the Saturday we had no traffic problems and parked with ease at the venue. We had more difficulty persuading DS1 and DS2 to get changed from their PJs into real clothes. For a while it looked as though I was going to be accompanied by 2 small boys in tiger onesies.

I had some doubts about how well the boys would fare but DH was adamant that we all go and enjoy a good family morning and I have to say that it was brilliant. We were all entranced by the alpaca, especially when you could hear their gentle melodic humming. DS1 fell in love with a small angora bunny and both boys had an amazing time with a drum carder. If I can ever learn to spin properly and persuade DH to buy me a drum carder I have two handy helpers who think that turning the handle and feeding in the fibre is the best fun ever.

Anyway - the serious business of stash enhancement had to take over and in short order I managed to procure some serious beauties:

From the Knitting Goddess:

Sparklynne Sock Yarn - semi solid Pearl

Sparklynne Sock Yarn - Undead

I also scored some of Joy's new Britsock - more about that later as it deserves a blog post all of it's own.

From Fivemoons:

 Diana ply sock weight yarn - As the Crow Flies

Beautiful Vintage 4ply sock yarn in the rather unattractively named 'Vermin' colourway

I also bought some Red Lace Chiao Goo sock needles and couldn't resist road testing them as soon as I got to my parents house - along with the Britsock - they deserve their own blog post.

After a lovely lunch it was time to pile back in the car and head to my parents house so they boys could chill out and get back into their PJ's.

A fabulous day was had by all. I know that some people experienced a few teething problems but it was an amazing event and I for one will be in the queue for tickets next year.

Going Steady

In my knitting life, monogamy is unusual. I am generally a bit of a magpie with lots of different projects on the go at once. At the moment though I am finding that my Icon dress continues to hold my attention, making it my 'go-to' project except for when I am out and about. I have a pair of socks on the go - well 1 sock halfway through the design process but apart from that, I am just happy to sit and work with this beautiful alpaca.

For a sportweight yarn it is growing pretty quickly - this photo was taken a couple of days ago. I'm now almost up to the armhole shaping. of course I do have to knit a back as well but so far, so good.

It isn't as though there aren't lots of other pretties trying to grab my attention though. I am very keen to cast on for a Brickless, especially since the lovely Knitmore Girls are going to be having a Martina
Behm KAL soon - with a discount code off the pattern purchase price.

I aslo want to make an Ammolite from the most recent edition of Pom Pom Quarterly.

And then there is the sweater I promised DH two winters ago - I have 15 skeins of Rowan DK British Breeds waiting to be knit up into a lovely warm sweater for him. But it is Brown, and he wants it Plain and it needs to fit a 48" chest - I bet you can guess where this item is on my to-do list :)

Under a Rose Moon

Just a flying visit today but I'm determined to post this in the midst of a crazy day.

A new FO and also a new published pattern - yay

The pattern is Under a Rose Moon and is toe-up only this time due to the slightly more complex pattern motif. I did try to go for cuff down too but it defeated me.

The yarn is the gorgeous Coniston from Solstice Yarns in the colourway - The Vanishing Lady. Simply beautiful to work with and the colours just glowed at me whilst I was working with it - a real treat.

Enthusiasm

Don't you just love that fit of enthusiasm that comes over you at the start of a new project? The yarn is fabulous, your tension is spot on, the pattern set-up is a doddle. You feel as though you are flying along and this little beauty will soon be gracing your wardrobe.

Of course, we all know that it won't last. The lure of Ravlery will seduce me away. Something brighter, shinier, newer, more popular is bound to draw my eye at some point. Easily distracted...me?

But for now, this project is enthralling me and entertaining me in equal measure.

It is the Icon Dress in the fabulous Purl Alpaca Designs alpaca (colourway Mushroom in case you were wondering).

I am knitting as part of a KAL over on the Stitched Together Designs group - the challenge being to use a hard copy pattern (book, magazine etc) from your craft library to create something you have been meaning to make for ages...but just never got around to.

There are some lovely and inspirational projects over there - do go and take a look.

The deadline for finishing is 31st October - I have a feeling that I may not make it in time (this is a dress in sport weight yarn, let's not forget) but I think I will have fun trying.