Last weekend was the first Proper Woolly event which was held in Holsworthy in on the north Devon/Cornwall border. I went up on Sunday with a friend and we had a great day. This show was similar to Woolfest and Yarndale but smaller. Great exhibitors though.
I normally have a stall at shows so to be able to just walk around and chat to everyone and enjoy it was a real treat. As it is a local-ish show, I met lots of people I know from my workshops in Devon and Cornwall and it was great to be able to have time to chat. When I'm working there isn't always time to chat for very long if we're busy. I enjoyed talking to some stall holders I know from other shows too.
And I discovered some new yarny businesses. As I'm in the middle of sorting through my stash and de-stashing lots of yarn (there's still some gems left), I really didn't want to add lots of new yarn to my stash. I accidentally left my cheque book at home which was good as it meant I couldn't spend more than I had in cash although a few stall holders took cards.
I've been following Devon Sun Yarns on Instagram recently and her yarns always look gorgeous. I'm always keen to try out new indie dyers. I knew I wanted to buy a gradient yarn and settled on one of Devon Sun Yarns Dazzler sock blanks which will become a shawl eventually. I do have an idea for this yarn but I can't cast on yet.
Another indie dyer I'd heard of but not seen before was the Knitting Swede. She had some luscious yarns too and I came home with a skein of Stride self striping sock yarn for a pair of rainbow socks for Vanessa. I've already wound this skein and will be casting on later today. Vanessa and I are off to London on Thursday for three days and this will be my 'take along' knitting for knitting on the tube and when we take breaks.
West Country Creative had a stall full of beautiful treats but I managed to control myself and only got a few of their delicious buttons. Aren't they beautiful?
I also really liked Korutumi who does gorgeous crochet hooks with hand-made handles. She also has tiny crochet hooks perfect for adding beads to your knitting. We did have a chat and there may be a collaboration for the next Beads & Lace Club (the next round starts in August, so don't forget to sign up).
I was very tempted by A Yarn Story's stall and it was lovely to meet Carmen. I tried to get to her shop last time I visited Bath but we got there too early and couldn't wait until they opened because we were meeting Vanessa. But they will definitely be on my 'must visit' list on my next trip to Bath.
As you may have guessed, I was rubbish at taking photos. I didn't take a single photo all day. It didn't even cross my mind but take my word for it, it was a great show. In addition to all the gorgeous yarn and other fibre goodies on sale there was a food market which had produce from artisan food producers from various parts of the South West. We tasted some chutney and some chocolates. The only thing I was disappointed in was the food on offer in the cafe. There was nothing even remotely healthy as far as I could tell.
As well as de-stashing yarn, I've also been de-stashing some books. I have a large number of knitting books but only have three shelves available for these books so I decided to have a clear out. I'm selling some beautiful books which I really like but since they're mainly pattern collections or basic design books they don't really suit me. I don't have time to knit from other designer's patterns. I wish I did!
Here are some of the books available:
I'm working on a semi-secret new design. It's going really well. Everything seems to be coming together nicely at the moment. I'm about halfway through and I'd really like to finish this shawl by Sunday. Which if we were home wouldn't be a problem but as I've got three days in London I'll have less knitting time. This is fine beaded lace so not really suitable for public knitting although I do plan to knit on this on the train to and from London. I've booked a seat with a table especially to make handling the beads easier. I'm also hoping to squeeze in a few rows in the hotel.
It's extremely wintery here at the moment! We've had two days of heavy rain and stormy weather. It's cold! I was hoping I could wear some summer clothes on our London trip but now I don't know what to pack. I hope it's warmer where you are!
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