Yarndale 2013

Well, there would have been a photograph of Yarndale itself.... if I wasn't technologically challenged.  I took it with my phone, but can't seem to get it to go to my E mail so I can download it to upload here.  Ah well, you will have to take it on trust that there were lots of people, and lots of pretty crocheted bunting all over the place. 

It was, if anything, even more stuffed, and even more mad, than Woolfest was.  We had a lovely time though.  Some of the stalls were very difficult to see through the huge crowds but we still managed to come away with rather a nice haul.... despite having an immense stash already, somehow yet MORE yarn felt the need to come home with me... as you can see here. 

 

I am slightly embarrassed to admit, that all this is mine.  The undyed at the right hand side is just representative.  This is, in fact, my birthday present from my mum... twelve skeins of undyed, super bulky weight Blue Faced Leicester.  Which will become a lovely winter sweater, once I've dyed it up.  I'm currently trying to decide between teal and plum with teal slightly winning out because I seem to be obsessed with teal and turquoise lately.  It seems to be this year's colour for me. 

 

So, in addition to that, we have, at the left, Garnstudio Drops Delight.  A sock yarn that comes up sort of ombre/striped.  Next to that, and at the front, Garnstudio Drops Fabel, another sock yarn.  Both in the reasonably priced, suited to everyday socks, category and scheduled to be socks for me.

 

Behind the pink and purple Drops we have two different skeins of EasyKnits Deeply Wicked sock yarn.  Isn't that a fabulous name for a yarn (particularly appropriate given the amount of stash I own and the fact I'm adding these to it).  The colourways are:  Killer Queen and Ocean Floor.   And here is a close up of the Ocean Floor colourway.  (Killer Queen is feeling shy and doesn't want to upload).    When I got Killer Queen home I found she was rather similar to another skein I'd already made into a shawlette, so the original plan to make her into a shawlette has been shelved in favour of making fingerless mitts.    Ocean Floor will become a shawlette to wear with my new turquoise boiled wool jacket when it gets made up (its on the list and moving upwards).   

Also in the main photo are two new patterns.  One is for a very intriguing long shawl that has buttons on it.  You can wear the shawl as a long wrap, a shrug, a cardigan and a couple of other ways.  Its a fabulous thing, and a fabulous idea.... however, when I sat down at home and looked at the stitch pattern, its rather complicated in places so isn't on the immediate to do list.  There is also a fabulous cardigan pattern from Purl Alpaca with curved front, collar and blackberry stitch bands.  It is rather like a sort of a tailcoat and I've had my eye on the pattern for a while, having admired it at both the Knitting and Stitching show last year, and at this year's Woolfest.  That is likely to get made reasonably soon.  I plan this one in navy merino as I have a huge skein of that in stash.  It may have contrast collar and bands as well (as I am not totally sure of the yardage on my super bargain giganti-skein). 

OK.  I was going to tell you all, approximately how many projects worth of yarn I actually own.  And I did a list of projects that I've matched to yarn and therefore count as real live planned projects... I just did it off the top of my head, no digging about in the stash... but I've deleted the list.... because I was too embarrassed to leave it out there.  So, lets just say that I could knit for rather a long time without buying any more yarn.... and just very quietly leave it at that, shall we? 

And sewing has not stopped.  Indeed I have just completed a project today which I would have blogged about if I hadn't worn out the camera batteries photographing my wool for Ravelry.  I am going to wear my new project tomorrow so will be able to report on comfort level as well as appearance by the time the batteries for the camera are charged again.