I started writing this post yesterday evening, but gave up after about two minutes because I was just too flippin’ exhausted.

Yesterday I met up with Diane, Kai, Meeta, Ali and Jacqui and our little band of eager knitters went to the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace.

I will never go on Saturday again. I need to have that tattooed on my forehead or something because it it VITAL that I don’t forget. It was fine when we got there, but after about an hour, suddenly every other crafter in the universe arrived and it was packed.

I wanted to get lots of photos, but instead, you’ll have to be content with one of my haul:

I bought 150g of denim blue hand-dyed bamboo silk and wool blend from The Handspinner Having Fun. The secret parcel (bwahahaha!) and Folk Knitting in Estonia (which has been on my wishlist for ages) are both from Socktopus – who eaily win the award for most beautiful giftwrapping, if there is one. The purple cashmere laceweight is from KnitWitches and was my early Christmas present from Kai. Well, it saves her carrying it all the way home!

Not in the photo is the bag of sweets bought from the stand in the entrance hall which cost almost as much as a skein of sock yarn. Still not entirely sure I wasn’t conned. After all, fat people will pay a fortune for sweets, they are so desperate. Well, ha! Because I didn’t eat any of them. Um, yes…

I also picked up a copy of the new Yarn Forward magazine, which contains the pattern for the Pomegranate Shawl I designed back in Februrary. The Interweave Holiday Knits magazine wasn’t strictly in my haul, but Diane gave it to me on Saturday so it counts as far as I’m concerned.

I should add at this point that despite being overcharged for sweets, aching in places that I didn’t know it was possible to ache, etc, etc, that I had a BRILLIANT time. Highlights include spinning with a potato!

I will be spending today fondling my haul tidying the house ready for a VIP visit tomorrow. Send very overpriced chocolate.