Ally Pally report

The weather was glorious, and short sleeves were the order of the day for the stash enhancing event of the year. I took my camera, but got distracted by the shopping opportunities, and didn't take photos. I did manage one of the knitted Ferrari in the foyer.

I was amazed at the number of wool suppliers; I don't remember seeing so many in previous years, but don't know if I just blocked them out because I wasn't a knitter at the time. The show was less crowded than usual, probably because the organisers laid on an extra show a month earlier in Birmingham.

I did buy too much yarn, but was at least limited by what I could carry as I went by public transport. It was a bit of an ordeal - 4 hours round trip, and I live in the same city- but I was keen to go on the first day of the show in the hope of rounding up a bargain or two.

So here are my show shopping highlights:
1) Tweedy yarn from Texere - I'm hoping this will be good for the Sunrise Circle jacket, as I think the orange alpaca blend I previously bought for this pattern is too soft and won't hang well.
2) A few skeins of hand dyed alpaca - should make gloriously soft socks.
3) Sublime yarns from Sheepish. This is a new range and I was surprised to find it was by Sirdar, which is more of a budget synthetics brand usually. I guess that's why they've brand their beautiful new range of natural fibres with a different name. The lovely ladies at Sheepish had a number of worked up models, and they allowed - nay, encouraged - me to try on the striped cardigan that is heading the advertising campaign. I liked it so much, I had to buy the kit! The pattern support for this range is great, with modern, attractive designs for men, women and children.
4) Blue Sky Alpacas baby Bobbi bear pattern and yarn. Blue Sky patterns are hard to find in the UK, and I've wanted this one for a while.