Yarn Weekend ....

Last weekend has been yarn, yarn everywhere in a good and not so good way I have to say. First off a friend of mine, Lasairiona, had a knitting night at her house. Nikki and myself were knitting teachers for the evening, bringing two new recruits (Clare and Kerrie) into the fold. They did well, but with Kerrie having to leave early for her train, I don't think she got the real bug. Clare, on the other hand, knitted through the night, even knitting past the dreaded knitters shoulder burn and beyond. However, she didn't take her knitting home, so I'm concerned she too may have dropped away. We'll just have to keep on their case now, won't we?

I came to the knitting night in a bit of a foul mood however, as I had lost part of Las' housewarming present while I was out for mum's birthday lunch. I had knitted a cushion and was sewing it up, but when I got home I was cushion-less and distraught. Luckily my mother was able to locate it today in peacocks so I am much less upset.

But that reminds me, the mother's clapotis. I was hoping to get lots knitted at the knitting night and was staying at Nikki's to try and get more finishing time. However I forgot to bring extra balls of the yarn with me to finish it, although realistically it was not to be. Here's the current progress, just 7 repeats of the straight section done and 6 more to go:



So when it was agreed the clap was not to be finished, a new project was required and a quick one at that. Enter Calorimetry:




Well they're definitely quick and addictive! I did three this weekend! the back two are for the mama, one made from Kimono Angora and one from cream cotton. The front one is my own made from some Marble I purchased on Saturday. Oh yes, we had a bit of a yarn crawl. Nikki and I headed out for the local yarn shops that keep a lot of baby acrylic and not much else, just to see what they were like. Of course I found things to buy - what did you expect?

First up was The Wool Shop in Glengormley. I feel this shop is underperforming as it has lots of unused space and whenever I go in, there is never anyone else there. I would love to work in it though, to get an idea about ordering and salesmen and of course, because I could knit all day. Alas, I have a PhD to finish. Anyway, purchases were as such:



A funky sheep-covered project bag, 2 balls of BabyFab in a nice green mix (green is my current colour of choice) and another random ball of Jarol Hyde Park because I like the colour. I boght a random ball of that in Carrick too, and while I had no clue what to make with it, I went and bought a single ball of another colour. I don't know, sometimes I get like this.

Then we headed across the street to the pound shop, which, despite the name, has more than just pound-a-ball acrylic. So I added to what I bought before. They had a new colour of the King Cole Wool mix aran weight KwiKnit. So I bought two more balls of this colourway to add to the two balls of the other two colours I bought the week before. Because you know, I really need more yarn and all that. < / sarcasm >



Next we got back into the car and headed for The Patchwork Goose. Now that was an experience. When we arrived there were three people in the shop ahead of us, so we couldn't get in. Nope, it's not a tiny shop, it's just that all of the products are piled en masse in the middle of the floor from wall-to-wall, with small path from door to till. I tried to pull a couple of balls out of a wall pile and thought I was going to start an avalanche, but the crisis was averted. Nikki bought nothing and I think that was on principle because of the mess. You could tell she was dying to give the place a good tidy. However, I didn't let a bit of disorganisation get between me and some yarn acquisition. So here we have it:



3 big balls of Marble Chunky, because I like Marble, had never seen it in that weight and the colours were nice. 2 balls of Rio because I have lots of it but not in that colour. And two balls of an Elle Gold that I'd never seen before and felt gorgeous.

As we left, we noticed a sign on the door about opening hours. Sometimes she opens up as early as 9am, somedays it's 12 or 1. She usually closes at 5.30pm, but it might be as late as 9 or 10. Some days she doesn't come at all, but she's usually there unless she's someplace else. That pretty much sums up the shop, but it does give it a bit of an Aladdin's Den factor - you never know what you might find!

Next we were onto Wee Ellie's Wool Shop, which is one of these yarn shops with kids clothes. I don't get that, they weren't even knitted. But again, purchases were made:



Lots more Marble, some to match what I've got, some new colours and more of that Supersoft Baby stuff because I'd not seen that colour or wanted another ball to match what I've got.

All in all I have no idea what I'm doing with it all, but I like it. Oh and a lot of Ebay yarn came too ... but I'll keep that for another post. It is rather lovely if you ask me, but then, I'm biased!