I have a lot of purchases which have not been shown and I'm a bit late for my promised post, but better late than never eh? Firstly we have the haul from way back at the end of August when I went to Waterford (Ireland) for a conference. I found a lovely little yarn store called Needles and Pins (I must admit this amuses me no end) and made a purchase or 14:
I got some present yarn (which has long since been handed over), some random blue acrylic which has already been knit into a competition thing (which could be a contender for you knit what?! if it was still around) and then what you see above. We have more random acrylic because I liked the look of it (this is what I need to stop doing because I have no idea what to do with it!), some Debbie Bliss pure wool because it was gorgeous and I had never seen it before and some Rowan Tapestry - on sale! Oh my, I was a happy child that day!
Moving swiftly on to a trip to the Ballymoney yarn shop, of which I had heard a lot. And it definitely had a good range, but alas no prices on the shelves. So after asking a million questions and getting confused at how much everything I liked was, I turned to the pattern books (which were priced).
I got the new Freedom Spirit/Wool book and picked out two winter sets that I liked, so the yarn was needed. The purply-blue is for a fingerless mitts and scarf set (I have boldly already cast on the scarf, bad knitter that I am). And the green is for a hat and gloves set. Also I got a little Rowan book because it seems almost impossible to find Rowan anything in Northern Ireland from my experience (please tell me if I'm wrong on this, I'd be ecstatic!). And the little Christmas Nativity book in the back is one my mum saw in Waterford but didn't get so I had to buy it for her when we saw it again.
And now we've reached Craft and Skills day at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, which was great! We met great people, talked forever and had a thoroughly fun day. Of course we had to go into the Bangor wool shop for a nosy as we were in the vicinity. And anyone who knows me knows that I don't just look in a yarn shop, ever.
My darling sister is after some knitted garments for presents so some Sublime and Peru books were necessary. I got enough Noro to do a full hat/scarf/mitts set for my New York holiday, some Sirdar Hug because it is so soft and some lovely Peru Naturals because I had to have it. And a little baby blanket book because I have become addicted to blankets. Some seriously cute buttons and sheep cross-stitch (for laughs and giggles) rounded off the swag.
Later that night we were heading out to Proms in the Park in Carrick, so had another nearby yarn shop to peruse:
I was good this time and stuck to the bargain bin. Got some pure wool (6 50g balls) for a cabled scarf I want to make from the pattern book way up at the top and 300g of cotton blend aran, all for less than £10. Can't do bad to that now can you?
And at this stage I was done, after all I am very nearly unemployed and have to keep my pennies while knitting through my stash every night because I can't afford to go out (not much of a punishment really is it?). Or so I thought ......
The interview did not go well, so a little yarn purchase was necessary. I mean I was in England after all, and it was a very nice yarn shop and when was I going to be there again?
Excuse the odd photograph, it was an impromptu at the desk shot! Here we have some bargainous Rowan linen print (6 balls at £1 a ball), some Regia Bamboo sock wool that I have been lusting after for some time, some Kaffe Fassett Regia for the sister's Christmas socks and an almost edible green skein of hand-dyed sock yarn from Chile. I felt better immediately!
Now I still have about a million WIPs to blog about (I cleared out the yarn black hole in my dining room and unearthed an archive), not to mention the advent of the crazy gift knitting season (why do I have to have so many family and friends' birthdays so close to Christmas?) and my envy of my sister's newly created stash. But all that will have to wait - I have rambled on for quite long enough. Perhaps I can remember to come back more frequently in future :)
3 comments:
So sorry the interview was yucky, so we won't talk about that, right? :O) You did well in the swag department! Lovely choices. I've been wanting to see that Kaffe Fassett sock yarn, but haven't seen it around here yet. There's a new yarn shop opening Thursday a three minute walk from my house, so maybe they'll have it. Gorgeous choices in yarn! Well done! samm in Canada
I know what you mean about "gift to self" yarn after a bad thing happens or a rough day. I found that I now drown my sorrows in nice yarn purchases instead of chocolate or ice cream or other such foods. Better for the waistline, worse for the budget. Oh well! Hope the job hunt goes well. I work at Michael's Craft store here in the US, so I'm tempted by yarn everyday. Not as nice as a LYS, but it's better than your average store.
Jennifer in Arizona, USA
I want your yarn!!!!!!
Is the blogging to become a regular thing again? Course i'm one to talk, I've photos to upload and haven't blogged since 25 September, lol
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