Went crazy at Ally Pally

I figured out that it had been 9 years since the last time I got to the Knitting and Stitching show.

I came home with about a dozen books, two blouses, lots of thread, needles, a magnetic pick-up, two kits (I almost never work from kits), two packages of card weaving cards ... Totally exhausted, but very satisfied.

(Most, but not all, of the books are entered. I also went crazy at Blackwell's in Oxford and several other bookstores during our three weeks in the UK.)

But I know I missed lots of stuff.

I did the same thing at Rhinebeck on this side of the Atlantic this Saturday. Came home with lots of fiber to spin and, $40 worth of fudge, and a purple re-entry stamp on the back of my hand.

I went the Rhinebeck on Sunday and came back with a wonderful out-of-print book, Beyond Weaving, that I've wanted for ages.

One of the out of print books I came home with was Hardanger Embroideries which I'm fairly sure is pre-WWI. I have just discovered that it and lots of other really old handwork books are available at http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/completelist.htm

OMG!

I'm slowly working towards making a blouse based on one in that hardanger book, and I also have some machine experiments planned with a friend, (Based on another book I bought at Ally Pally), but if I need another idea after that, I should be able to find something on that site, don't you think?

There are enough ideas there for a lifetime. And I already had enough craft books in my house with enough ideas for my lifetime.

Don't we all? (BTW, we share an impressively long list of books.)

Oh, yes, and I have a new friend who is going to get me smocking.