Wow, what a day.
For those of you not in the UK, the Knitting And Stitching Show is the yarn-related event of the year in this country, held amidst the splendour of Alexandra Palace on a hill in London. It started today, and runs until Sunday. May I just at this point thank Stylecraft Yarns for my complimentary ticket – very much appreciated, you kind people.
Settle in, my friends. This threatens to be a long post. With many photos. Help y’selves to some of that wine. There will be moments of amusement, I promise.
So. It might be argued that I walked the twinnage to school with just a little more haste than usual, before running back home to jump in my car and begin the 72-mile drive to north London. Given that it’s a knitting event, it seemed reasonable to apply quite a lot of knitwear to my person:-
Now, it takes a lot to tempt me into London, given my feelings about the place. I really struggle with the concept of London. But in case I offend any Londoners who are reading this, I’ll just park that thought there, turn the engine off, and move on. Except… I can’t find a parking space: because it’s London.
Anyway, to the show. Alexandra Palace is rather splendid:-
…with its views across London:-
And inside, the grandeur continues:-
Clearly they’re more efficient about watering their houseplants than I am about mine.
Would you like to see inside the show? You would? Well, there were many, many stands:-
So I went to the Knitting And Stitching Show and the biggest surprise was that nobody was knitting. Or stitching. Or even crocheting. Is it me, or is that weird? Following your lovely responses/comments to my last post on knitting and walking, I imagined that at least some folks would be wandering around, needles in hand, click-clicking away. But no.
Anyway, the quirkiest thing that happened was being recognised via the bag I made for the Stylecraft blog tour! Lovely to meet you, friendly people! Thank you for coming up and saying hello.
Of course, the whole thing was a festival of colourful loveliness:-
And did I mention that Arne and Carlos were there? ARNE AND CARLOS!!!!!! My stranded heroes!
There were walls and walls of tempting colour:-
…but being the sort of weirdo who isn’t into stash, I didn’t buy any. My only purchase was a pair of oversized knitting needles. And lunch.
There were so many little details to see. This security guard on the right seemed fascinated (for ages) by the woman teaching a customer to use a drop spindle:-
And then I went to a brilliant talk by Michele Turner of the Association Of Guilds Of Weavers, Spinners, And Dyers, all about spinning. This is a woman who can make a drop spindle out of a banana!
She said it wasn’t quite the right kind of banana, but I was too shy to ask what could have been improved on the fruity front. I’ve been holding out on learning to spin for a long time, because I know it would eat up what little non-yarn life I have left, but there is a bunch of bananas in the fruit bowl not ten metres from where I’m sitting, and it’s very tempting to try this new skill. She also made a more conventional spindle using two CDs, a length of doweling, a hook, and a rubber band. Oh, and she spun some rather fine (in both senses of the word) dog hair:-
Impressive, huh?
There were exhibitions, too, of designer knitwear:-
…And stunning fabric art by DAMSS:-
There is so much else that I could show you, but time was ticking. I popped in to say hello to Annabelle, sales director at Stylecraft. Here she is, getting into the spirit of the event. It was good to see her again:-
In all, it was quite overwhelming. Oh, and I was glad to see a massive range of ages attending, although it seemed that most of the youngest folks were there for the stitching rather than the knitting. But for all that the popularity of knitting is increasing amongst men, it was a heavily female-dominated event. C’mon, blokes: pick up your needles!
Far too soon, it was time to go. But if you’re somewhere near London some time between now and Sunday, I thoroughly recommend the experience. Enjoy!
This makes me wish we had something similar down here! We do have shows and expos, but they always seem to be more focussed on patchwork or sewing than knitting or crochet.
I do like the idea of a banana as a drop spindle. Once you’ve finished your spinning, you can eat the banana to revive your energy levels!
To be fair, it does seem to be becoming The Knitting AND STITCHING show. But there was still plenty to interest a knitter. I did notice that all the young folk were flocking around the sewing events, though.
Love your thoughts re the banana spindle, by the way.
Snap! I was just thinking the same thing – many quilting expos, very few knitting ones. If I wasn’t the Procrastinating Queen of All Things I may well start my own. However it would be easier to fly to the UK and attend this fabulous one. I was salivating just looking at some of those yarn pics.. It’s going on my bucket list!
Now I must go and wipe my keyset off.
Well yes, BUT as others whose thoughts I’ve read have pointed out, this event does seem to be becoming (The Knitting) AND STITCHING show. And all the younger folks were flocking to the sewing events. (But do hop on a plane and come take a look. 🙂 )
Lovely place to have any sort of expo! I too have toyed with spinning …… and decided lord give me a break I have enough expensive hobbies as it is …….. please let me give one a miss. Next life time – I promise.
Yup, definitely in your next reincarnation, you must become a passionate spinner. Why does pesky life and work and admin have to interfere with our true calling?
Oh I know. Spinning is dreamy. I tried it on a cheap wheel – sold cheap wheel. If I do it again I have to have a GOOD wheel. Sigh.
But most people learn on a drop spindle, apparently. Which is, at least, cheap. (Says she who has never spun.)
I never tried that. I know it’s less expensive but since I am seriously all thumbs, not sure the neighbors could take the swearing.
Your neighbours need to chill. Seriously.
Must have been fun, I’d love to go some day, too …
PS: LOVE your beautiful skirt!!
Thank you (re the skirt). I hope you go one day. It’s a lot of fun.
It looks fantastic. I visited the show last year and was blown away by the shear scale of it. The Dublin Show is tiny by comparison. It is my life’s ambition to exhibit there one day….oh and your outfit is FANTASTIC!
Oh I hope you do! (Just been browsing your lovely website: PEOPLE, GO TAKE A LOOK!) It is a ridiculously huge event, but lots of fun.
Our old Crouch End flat is in that view. I used to see Ally Pally every day from our lounge window. Great farmers’ market, great gigs, great fireworks, great times.
Oops, I thought of you (and also Anna) guiltily as I was dissing The Big Smoke. But I’m afraid I’m just not persuadable on the London-is-fab front. Give me countryside. And villages. And farmland. So can you draw a little red circle round your flat on the picture?
All this beautiful yarn and these so lovely colors!
Nice event and nice plance, thank you for sharing us this event!
You re welcome to visit my blog:
http://helenamybeauty.over-blog.com/
Wish you a fab day!
It looks great. Beautiful yarn, beautiful building.
It was quite a lot of fun. Tis a pity you’re not nearer (although I’m sure you have equivalent events???)
We have more rustic events held in fields. The animals and all. Tents are set up through out the field. Nothing like the inside of your beautiful buildings.
I like this channel. Note to self “subscribe to this channel on Netflix”. Oh…it’s an “event”. Saves me the bother then. You certainly were k(n)itted up to the nine’s Ms Twisted. You were obviously the brightest thing striding with purpose in Auld London Town (unless you met a wandering, dancing tribe of Hare Krishna’s and then you may just have blended in well…at least complemented them nicely 🙂 ). Not being in “the know” and being of a decidedly antipodean and thus foreign persuasion, was that Carlos or Arne gesticulating to the right (his right, not mine)? I am glad to see that they gave the boys a nice comfy looking Chesterfield to recline in. I am guessing that they are cardboard cutouts behind them? If not, they shouldn’t get too comfortable as it looks like a knitty lynch mob is out for blood (just sayin’).
Not sure whether to applaud or blush with the drop spindle banana. I will take the middle ground and just remain politely confused. I can send you as much dog hair as you like when you decide which of your C.D.’s you are going to turn into your new, you-beaut spindle. I would suggest anything by KISS or Billy Ray Cyruss might be the go. If I was a more mercenary person I would be goading Stevie-boy to pick up the needles and start a blog but I am graced with a rather colourful imagination and the end results could only end in tears (most probably mine). Cheers for going the extra mile to the London event for the rest of us Ms Twisted. I would like to quote an Antipodean rock anthem in honour of your accomplishment “For those about to rock, we salute you!” By the way. NO ACDC C.D.’s may be harmed in the production of your spindle by order of the antipodean society of Narf7.
I scarcely know where to start in my appreciation of your comment. (No, ‘comment’ isn’t enough of a word to encompass your wonderful thoughts.) But please generously permit me to try…
I will never EVER be the most colourful thing in London. Much as I detest the place, I can’t complain that it’s devoid of colourful characters. But thank you anyway.
Oh, and I always get muddled about which is Arne and which is Carlos. I just assume that whichever is on the left at any time is Arne. Those are indeed cardboard cutouts behind, and they were clutching ‘out to lunch’ signs when I first went to look, but as you can see, I eventually got to see the real thing.
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man I am SO jealous – I need to make sure I save up for this next year, I always get really envious seeing all the bloggers I love (compliment intended) go to the show, I always seem to miss the build up so when it’s here its like ‘dayum, tickets from manchester to London on short notice are NOT affordable’ – i need to save my pennies 🙂 glad you had a lovely time, and I envy your ability not to stash…I can’t help it…. jenny xx
ps Totally agree – whut is up wit’ London? it’s TOO MUCH
Oh you must! (Or can you get to Harrogate? There’s a mid-year even there, too.) But yeah, I hear you, those of us not predisposed to organise our lives eight years in advance do miss out on the bargain train fares.
(London is indeed far too much. Folks’d step over your corpse and curse you for the inconvenience.)
Oh, so jealous. I had the wine, and I was amused 🙂
I can’t believe your self-discipline to not buy anything. I would have been completely broke.
Glad you had the wine. I didn’t know what to buy! I’m mid-project, so no idea what I’ll be doing next…
Lovely to see the Knit and Stitch pictures! I can pretend I’ve been. I really wanted to go but Norfolk is always so far from everywhere. Thanks for looking at my blog – I will be following you in future for crochet help! It’s urgently needed.
I didn’t manage to get there this year but I went last year. It was amazing and inspiring, came home with loads of ideas and projects I wanted to do. It’s a fantastic event, so jealous that you got to go x
Wish I could of made it to the show! Your photos are a great alternative though 😀 BK x