I have bought a lot of yarn in the last few weeks, most of it at the wonderful Yarndale festival. Luckily for me, Skipton, where the festival was held, is within a couple of hours drive. Even luckier still, I was able to head there for two nights with my Mum’s caravan and a yarn-loving friend. I was very, very pleased to have her with me as navigator and for general reassurance, especially as it was my first ‘solo’ caravan trip. I had a bit of a panic when we reached a particularly interesting archway across the road. You can see a picture of it here. We breathed in, peered in the wing mirrors and drove through very slowly. We made it through without a hitch but I had the return journey in the back of my mind for most of the weekend.
Apart from the thought of driving back through that arch we had a perfect weekend. We were able to visit another friend and her new baby who lives close to Skipton. Her husband treated us to a delicious home cooked meal (and a much needed glass of wine) and on the day of the festival, she acted as a taxi service.
We found our way to the auction market by following the bunting that had been strung along the path. As we approached the building we admired the other wooly decorations.
But of course, there was much, much more to see inside.
I took very few pictures inside the exhibition. I was far too busy, viewing, stroking and buying yarn.
This was one of the more eye-catching pieces of crochet on display. I’m sorry I don’t know whose stall it was on.
I could have taken pictures of ‘The Natural Dye Studio‘s’ stall all afternoon. Their patterns and yarn were absolutely amazing, so brightly coloured and so soft to the touch. I bought a copy of their ‘Desirable Crochet Motifs’ book though goodness knows how I will make use of it. If you want to spend some serious money on some beautiful crochet, you could do a lot worse than to visit their website and buy one of their kits.
My friend and I both spent a ridiculous amount of money (I had been saving up for some time so I don’t feel too guilty).
This was our joint pile of purchases, mine on the right, hers on the left. Anything left of and including the cone of thick, carpet yarn in the middle is hers, including the fabric. We both had things in mind when we bought our yarn. I really shouldn’t need any more projects for at least another year. In order to use up this stash I am going to have to learn some new skills. For example, the fluffy, brown coloured yarn in the bottom right-hand corner came with the most delicate, flowery pattern for an infinity scarf knit on a circular needle. You can see how it is supposed to look here. I bought three different sock yarns, though I have absolutely no idea how to cast-on with four needles. They may become crocheted slippers. I think my favourite purchase of the weekend was the fluffy, rainbow dyed yarn. I specifically wanted something in these colours in order to make a new hat for The Middle Miss as she really has a thing for rainbows at the moment. Apart from some tiny snowflakes, made from the crochet cotton near the top right of the picture, the rainbow hat has been my first project.
I don’t think it will be long before it is finished, though there is a bit of trial and error going on as I decide how big to make it and how to finish it off.
I think that that is about the end of my post about Yarndale. There are lots of other bloggers who have written about it much more definitively than me so if you want to see more, do a bit of googling or maybe start here.
More yarn talk coming soon….
Oh, and I made it back through that archway with centimetres to spare, under the gaze of a group of cyclists and a worried looking motorist heading in the opposite direction. Not. Fun. At. All.
Wooden Hill Diaries 