Birmingham Goodies

I have heard/read a fair amount of disappointment with the Knitting & Stitching Show at NEC Birmingham last weekend and it's beginning to get on my nerves.
This year was only the second year that the show has taken place in Birmingham so it is bound to take a while for it to become established.
People seem to forget that it is called the Knitting and Stitching show for a reason, that reason being that there will be stitching stuff on display! Knitting has first billing purely because it sounds better and rolls off the tongue more easily than "Stitching & Knitting show" in my humble opinion.
True, there were not as many knitting-yarn vendors as last year, probably due to the cost of the stalls which I believe cost thousands of pounds, but if you want Colinette or Get Knitted they have well-established and efficient websites.
What I like about the NEC show is that there is plenty of opportunity to see fantastic exhibitions of new and upcoming textile artists/designers as well as smaller, independent retailers who have goods for sale that are not available elsewhere.
Suffice it to say that Mum and I both liked it enough last year to go again this year and Sandy (SIL) was very impressed with her first visit, enough to go again next year. (Yay! I'm converting her slowly too - she bought a kit for a knitted felted bag!)

OK, onto purchases:
First up was this



which is to make a new version of my Honeycomb bag (which I can't find a picture of at the mo). I wanted more contrast between the colours so this should fit the bill nicely. It came from Knitting4fun, where mum purchased some gorgeous silk yarn in a beautiful old gold, and Sandy bought her knitted bag kit. I also got this bit of loveliness from them

mohair and silk for me

Spinning supplies were obtained:

wool batts for spinning

sparklies to add to spinning

hand-dyed silk hankies for spinning
and also a little tool for measuring it all up when it's done (in about 2015 at current rates of progress)


The wool batts, silk hankies and Angelina fibre all came from Crafty Notions and the WPI tool came from Knit'n'Caboodle (who were selling the most gorgeous sock yarn - merino, silk and real sterling silver, heavenly). Unfortunately, I have completely forgotten where I bought the three reels of silver-grey machine embroidery thread.
The final yarn purchase of the day was some of this

Not entirely sure why I bought it, to be honest, but it has very er...interesting texture and might make a nice little insert in something else (maybe) or go in a stash swap. It's Noro Ganpi Abaka, if you're interested.

The other big highlight of the day was meeting a fellow-blogger, Kate, from Knit the Knits. I accosted her as she was taking a well-earned rest from the poking, prodding and fondling of all that yarn and we oohed and aahed over each other's purchases. I almost fainted with delight when she showed me her Kauni sweater - the pictures on her blog do not do it justice. I also met the famous Ann-at-work who features regularly in Kate's blog and is a novice knitter herself. I'm so pleased to see that Kate is pushing enforced indoctrination guiding and advising her so well.

OK enough is enough - see ya on Ravelry!