Yarndale 2016 - Part 3

So lastly, what did I buy at Yarndale?
Only one skein of actual yarn infact!
White boucle wool to try and crochet some 'snow' with lol

I have a lot of fleece tucked away in the loft, from when I wet felted so am going to try and spin it. The previous time I tried to do this with a cd on a piece of dowel, didn't turn out so well and I concluded that hand spinning is most probably abit like a meditation!

I think I failed lol

But maybe this nattier gadget will help me becalm my brain and bring me a meditative peace of mind!

(don't hold your breath!)

I got it from Cat and Sparrow Fibres and she has them in all sorts of jazzy colours and different sizes too -

https://www.facebook.com/CatandSparrow

you can see her Yarndale stall on her Facebook page too!

The Stitch Society were selling repurposed fabric scraps in 50p packets, with 3 or 4 pieces in each packet.
I paid out £2.00 and got this little bundle ..

I bought a new crochet hook to trial, its bent basically! but feels comfy in my hand the way I crochet .
It's by Addi and is in the picture lower down.
Will see how it feels in use and is the size I need for the Janie Crow crochet blanket pattern I bought - Mystical Lanterns.

I hadn't seen these knitting swatch tension checker gadgets before though in my ignorance, have no doubt they have been around for ages.
I am appalling at following a pattern at the best of times and making tensions squares has always been an anathema to me but I do need to start doing them.
I have acquired such an assortment of yarn oddments, I am bound to get better results if I use it more sensibly!
It's the wooden square at the back of this picture and has marked cms/inches on it.

 

I couldn't resist the sheep card and may have to frame it rather than send it anywhere lol

The 3 little books were also from The Stitch Society stall for a £1 each and will be useful for making some play food for my granddaughter.

I found one stall selling 3 of the Quilt Mania books that coincidentally I had been looking at online recently and had chance to browse them -
before buying : )

One theoretically is for our stitchy clubs library, if I can bear to part with it!
Scrap Valley by Yoko Saito ( in French and English) is divine, if I never make anything from it, it will still be divine lol

 and this which is all in French was for me -
                                                  and no I don't speak or read French!
But its much like those Japanese books and has lots of diagrams to work from, so should be easy enough to suss out.
And again the pictures are deliciously inspiring. 

If any of you rag rug, here's a book I picked up at a charity shop that's worth looking out for, it has much interesting advice on how to prod to get the best results.

The sample page here will show you what I mean for example.

( and yes, it cost me 25p!)

Yarndale 2016 - Part 2

Another pic heavy post sorry lol
Repurposed clothing for a start ..

 Really liked the circles afghan sample below, enlarge to see it better -

Just some of the very many socks that were also donated to be sold for charity and visitors sat sitting, knitting and relaxing : )

Loved these bowls made from - telephone wire!!

Handcrafted by Zulus, exquisitely made too.

http://www.injabulo.com/

 Don't they look different displayed upside down! Makes me go dizzy!
I spotted this fabulous coat on a visitor - if you recognise yourself -
I LOVE YOUR COAT GIRL!!

I bought the pattern for this Mystical Lantern below,

from Janie Crowe, she sold kits too but I resisted the full kit : )

www.janiecrow.co.uk

A cracking rug made from strips of wool laid on edge and stitched together. They had smaller sizes as plate mats too.

Found it on the stall Bapple and JoJo where

Gill Curwen displayed her work.

http://bappleandjojo.weebly.com/

Gill had been a co founder of Woolfest which takes place in Cockermouth each year and follow the link to see a magnificent sheep she made.

A rather unusual bag idea, pretend grass with a fabric lining but we saw one visitor sporting one on her shoulder!

So sorry but I cant have taken a picture of the seller to give 

them credit.

There was an 'ice cream van' outside into the full spirit of the event too!

I adored these kits to make little girls dresses too.

Utterly beautiful, love the idea.

Knitted bodices with liberty lawn skirts.

Pricelessly pretty but perfect with boots too!

www.theknittingshed.com

http://theknittingshed.com/product/ainsworth-prin-plover-liberty/

Oh and this is an idea I have been playing with,

an unfinished Frozen-ish tree lol

I've plans for several more, a bit different to my other trees but kind of fun to make.

Hopefully they may sell in time for Christmas.

Tomorrow I will post what I bought - erm for instance - 2 Quilt Mania books for a start - one theoretically for our stitchy club library - maybe lol

Yarndale 2016 - part 1

Okay, those of you who have heard of the Yarndale events, that have taken place in Skipton North Yorkshire these past 3 years - but who haven't had the chance to go and see it for yourselves -
well, here is a photo heavy post!
Do read abut how it was conceived please -
 http://yarndale.co.uk/about/

None too grand from this aspect but trust me away over to the right were the glorious rolling hills of the moors and vales, beautiful.
I had followed Yarndales success online and wanted to go and experience it for myself, so went with friends today, in a small coach.
Although I ended up travel sick each way, the weather was kind to us and the yarny event was delightful.
People from all over the world had each year knitted and donated items for Yarndale to display as an aid to collecting money for charities.
These lovely colourful donations had been kept and reused each year.

Initially folks were asked to make yarny flowers in aid of Altsheimers  and as you can see many were donated! Even today you could stand in front of the bounty and take a selfie for a donation in the collecting buckets.
I value my camera so didn't take a selfie!
I made a poppy at the time but would be hard pushed now to find it on here!

The next year (I think it was) folks were asked to make yarny triangular banners so they could be strung around the hall.
I didn't make one, cant recall why now.
These were strung in between and all around the pens in the auction market and from the ceiling in a walk through area ..

Last year Lucy of Attic 24 asked for mandalas in bright n cheerful colours to be sent in and there were oodles of them kept from last year and displayed again today.

Mandalas hang from the windows of the 2 buses which run people from the rail station in Skipton to the Auction Mart, free of charge.
And banners hang from the front too!
This year we were asked to knit sheep and send them in, these would be sold to raise funds for the chosen charity and I was told they had well over 700, again sent from all over the world by the sounds of it!
I sent in two from my daughter and myself and my friend Chris sent in a  ram, here he is without his horns at this stage.
Not sure which Chris sent but they were both fabulous, even hornless!

 I know, the nobbly one on the left looks abit like a Labradoodle lol

When I saw the 4 that were left, I was told that the others had all been sold! Some 30 minutes later these last 4 were also sold.

There were some yarny supplying furries there and oh the eyes on the Alpacas!

 There were sheep too!

and Wenslydales too

Okay, now some things that caught my eye ... such a lovely way to sell those old bobbins with yarn

The Brinkley Loom - would love one but don't have the space -
it has the most amazing heddle!
www.plantdyedwool.co.uk theres a you tube how to do it here
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=brinkley+loom+you+tube&view=detail&mid=2007FB73B9F3E37D7DCF2007FB73B9F3E37D7DCF&FORM=VIRE

The wonderful nobbly bits are simply fleece teased out slightly and also laid beneath the warp threads and then pushed down into place.
I have never woven but can see why its so intrigueing.
A natty way of blocking your crochet : )

Okay, more pics on the following posts : )