"You travel a lot, don't you?", Lindsay (aka The Border Tart) said to me when we bumped into each other at Yarndale. Sometimes you need other people to state things. I do love a good train journey even when it means loud people at 6.30am or drunk people at 7pm. I love sitting by the window and watching the mist obscure newly tilled fields, the sun set over faraway hills, and the birds heading south in intricate formations. Alas, I don't have as much stamina as I'd like and so a good train journey often means recovery time at the end of it. I had a seven-hour round-trip to Yarndale Saturday and I spent Sunday reading in bed. Today I am knitting whilst watch the sunlight play in the trees across from the living room windows. Yarndale was really lovely, actually. I work from home and often I don't really realise how many of you read this blog, knit my patterns, and follow me on Twitter/Instagram. I live in a little yarny bubble in my little leafy neighbourhood where I know everybody. Then I go to a place like Yarndale and you are all so very real and so very, very lovely. It was so overwhelming in such a fantastic way - so many stories, so many hugs, so much laughter .. it felt very special. I don't really want to single out anybody but I want to mention two people in particular.
First, the lady from Northern Ireland who unfortunately caught me just as I was heading out to lunch. I am so sorry I had to dash off and not be able to spend more time with you - I really, really needed to sit down and have something to eat. I do hope we manage to see each other in November, but I understand if you cannot make it to the work shop.
Secondly, I was so incredibly pleased to meet Charlotte B. who I have known online for many, many years and whose support & encouragement over the last five years has meant such a lot to me. I would have loved to have spent more time talking to her because I would not be doing what I do today with her stubborn encouragement. Thank you, Charlotte.
I want to show you two moments from Yarndale.
We had a Scollay cardigan meet-up following the BritYarn and Knit British knit-along this summer. This is one of the most amazing/surreal/strangest/fantastic moments of my life. Look! I was so incredibly pleased that I was grinning like a loon! And I loved hearing all about the modifications - from the gorgeous woman who had turned Scollay into a jumper to the lovely lady who knitted the sleeves flat - and seeing ALL THE COLOURS.
Secondly, then was the book launch party at the Eden Cottage Yarns stall.
Hijinks, I tell you, hijinks. I had never met Louise Zass-Bangham before but often admired her work - and we got on like a house on fire! Not sure Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns will ever allow us in the same place at the same time ever again. On a more serious note, Louise had sage words to say about friendship in the knitting world. Many of us are like-minded people who share interests and passions - why not make friends with the people you meet? I see so many posts on the Ravelry designer fora about "competitors" and I feel that line of thought means these people miss out on some fabulous conversations with pretty amazing people.
I am so glad that I made it to Yarndale despite a very early start. I hope to be back next year because I really like the atmosphere - it was colourful, warm, and very Yorkshire. I like Yorkshire.
Tomorrow I'll share my very few purchases and talk about some of the vendors I met.