Ally Pally

Every year, Twisted Thread host The Knitting and Stitching Show in London at Alexandra Palace (it is also held in a couple of other cities in the UK).  It is the biggest marketplace at a show of it's kind in the UK and so it was with great excitement that myself and some friends booked tickets.  A couple of people couldn't make it, so myself, Sarah, Danielle and Sarahs mum went this year.

Random woman, Danielle and Sarah

We got the train at a perfectly reasonable time of 9.02am, and got there shortly after 11 I think?

Sarahs mum and Sarah

The marketplace did not disappoint.  It was massive.  Overwhelming almost.  And yet, there was not much there to tempt me.  Had I been an avid quilter or sewer in addition to yarn crafts I would have been in heaven.  I do enjoy sewing, but not to the same degree as knitting, or even crocheting.  I did find some things to tempt me, including the Shilasdair stall which I didn't find until near the end.

Noro Sock

Nimu Mickleden

Shilasdair Luxury DK

Shilasdair Luxury DK

I went to the show completely 'bought out'.  I have bought so much in the last few months, it almost pained me to go to a marketplace with the intent to buy anything, so I was very considered with my purchases.  I did really enjoy wandering around the stalls outside the main marketplace - some of the embroidery stalls were stunning, and I saw some things I really wanted to buy, but realised I should probably deal with the embroidery projects I have planned first *laugh*.  A friend of mines mum was also there showing her felting work, but I didn't get a chance to hunt her down before having to leave.

Despite the marketplace being so overwhelming, the number of yarn related stalls were quite underwhelming considering we had spent almost 2.5 hours getting there!  So I have decided next year, I will be attending Unravel in Farnham Maltings.  It offers the perfect balance between luxury yarns and mass-produced yarns, and I had such a good time this year when I went with Danielle.

After Ally Pally, I met with my mum who took me to The Beatles shop to buy Bubba a Yellow Submarine lunch box.  I am sad to say it, but that was the shopping highlight of the day for me *laugh*

Oh, I did fall in love with the Tulip Carry C set of interchangable needles though!

Stash Enhancement!

I'll cover our trip in another post, but want to flash my many new goodies first!

I already posted a bit about Knit Nation, but I took better photographs of my purchases today, so will include them here again.

Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball

Socktopus Sokkusu

Love the colours of this!

Noro Kureyon Sock

Wollmeise Twin

Wollmeise Twin

Crystal Palace Mini-Mochi

Toft Alpaca British Alpaca Yarn

Fibre Harvest 4ply

Fibre Harvest Lace

Alpaca & Bluefaced Leicester

Alpaca Merino & Silk

The Kureyon Sock, Mini-Mochi, and Zauberball are for my Year of Projects, the Toft Alpaca has been earmarked for a crocheted scarf pattern that came with it.  The Wollmeise and Sokkusu were my guilty purchases.  I have always been very curious about Wollmeise, and almost choked at the price tag (which was a 50% increase on last years prices apparently!), but now I can say I've owned some, and will eventually try it.  I can see why people rave about the colours, but Easy Knits also had very vibrant colourways available at Knit Nation.  I obviously don't know what it's like to knit with, but it doesn't feel like it holds much stretch and seems quite tightly plied.  I don't think I'd buy more, purely because of the price tag.  Sokkusu was my one really guilty purchase, having said previously I'd be buying no more single skeins (Wollmeise doesn't count since it holds more yardage), but these colourways really are unique so it's not really something you can buy 2 of.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!

Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball

Borgs Bavgarner Mora Lace 

Cascade 220

Malabrigo Lace

Ruler & stitch markers!

Cascade 220

GGH Baby Alpaka

GGH Baby Alpaka

Ribbon - 10m in each thingy, and dressmakers rulers

vintage fabric, 1.75*0.80m each

Black/grey thick jersey, and thinner blue & white striped jersey

Cottons

Light grey linen, grey cord  and black cord

Amsterdam was more of a trove than I initially thought.  The markets were fantastic for cheap fabrics, between 2 and 3 euros a metre!  The ribbon was 1.80 euro each, which is jaw-droppingly cheap!  Some of them I already have ideas for, and went shopping with those projects in mind.

The yarn stores I visited were good.  First one was de Afstap, which sold mainly Rowan yarn, which I could get cheaper here, but there was also some others, hence the Schoppel-Wolle and Mora Lace!  I'd never heard of Mora before, but it's feel lovely and came in some gorgeous colours!

Penelope Craft was the highlight, as even though they sold yarns that I can get here, they sold yarns that I actually want to buy!  The prices were marginally cheaper for everything, and the GGH is just divine, both in feel and colour.  It has already been set-aside for some special projects, as has the Malabrigo Lace.  The shop has such a nice feel to it, and the owner was lovely.  I will for sure be returning next year with more money, and hopefully the pound will be stronger then.

I still need to order the rest of the yarn for my YoP, but I may hold off a couple of months as I can't make my mind up on colour.  Stash also has another sale on which has proven very dangerous, I am looking forward to visiting Yarn Cake next month while in Glasgow, and picking up some more Shilasdair.

I have promised Jitterbug after this, that is it for a long long while (but in the same breath mentioned the Knitting & Stitching show in London in October, which doesn't count)!

Home sweet home!

We are back!

Exhausted but very happy to be home.  Bubba is still having bad dreams of his near-drowning so none of us has slept well.

It'll take me a few days to settle down, and get my photos uploaded, but should make a start tomorrow with my 3 bags of goodies!

Knit Nation

This'll have to be a quick one as we are in the midst of packing and preparing for a 4.30am start tomorrow.  You will have to forgive badly lit photos, I may attempt to get better ones when we get back.

Rush for Wollmeise!

Danielle looking too happy at 7am

Starring in the photos is Lee and Danielle.  We attended the Saturday morning Spinning for Knitting class.  It was quite good, and I did learn a lot.  Mainly that I really want a spinning wheel!

I attended the bohus stickning class on Friday morning, hence the bohus photos.  You'll have to wait a while longer to see the wristlets we were given, but I am addicted!

The marketplace was big, but contained mainly indie dyers and 'art yarns', which is great and nice, but not totally what I wanted!  I still have a few things to get for my Year list, which I'll order in a couple of weeks.