The Knitting & Stitching Show 2015

There was so much to see and do at this year's Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. Interesting vendors and fascinating exhibits filled the three halls. I volunteered to help on the Knitting & Crochet Guild Stand. This is one of my favourite things to do as I can spend the whole time talking about knitting and crochet! Fantastic! 

Crochet Gloves from the Knitting & Crochet Guild Collection

I really enjoyed talking to all our lovely visitors and catching up with Guild members who were also volunteering on the stand or just popping by to say hello. There was a lot of interest in the Guild and everyone enjoyed looking at the beautiful items on display on the stand.

Last year, the Show organisers introduced "Stitch by Stitch". These sessions feature demonstrations of many different techniques. The K&C Guild had some great demos this year including Tricia Basham on Amigurumi crochet; Marian Dye on Knitting with Beads; Bronagh Miskelly on Confidence with Cables; Annette Brown on Unravelling Crochet Charts and Symbols; Marjorie Needham on Designing Waistcoats to fit. These sessions were very popular with visitors and showcased the many talents of our Guild members. 

KC Guild Stand with yarn winder at the ready!

Afternoon Tea items from the KC Guild Collection

It was great to see some of my favourite yarn companies and designers at the show. A highlight for me was saying "Hi" to the amazing Jane Crowfoot. Her fabulous crochet designs are really stunning and it was so good to have a chat to her.

Yarn Stories had an great display of their most recent designs including my Galena cardigan. As well as being available for download through the Yarn Stories Website, all the patterns were available to buy at the show. I am very proud to have designs featured in the recent Minerality and Alchemist Collections. The printed book of the Minerality collection sold out at the show and more copies are now being printed!

My Galena Cardigan on display at the Yarn Stories Stand

Beautiful yarns by Yarn Stories

Yarn Stories were also displaying the beautiful result of this summer's competition with the Knitting and Crochet Guild. This gorgeous blanket is made up of 13 different repeated designs, each one inspired by an item from the KC Guild collection. The popular winning square, announced at the show, was the blue cabled design by Bronagh Miskelly. The blanket pattern will soon be available as a download from the Yarn Stories website. I am delighted that my square was also included in the blanket. My design is made as a cabled mitred square and was inspired by a gorgeous cabled sweater in the KC Guild Collection. You can read more about the blanket and see the squares close up here.

Louise Walker's stand had a brilliant display of her "Critters" and it was great meeting her Mum! You can read more about Louise and her talk and workshop at the K&C Guild convention here and take a look at her website here.

Louise Walker's Critters

Louise Walker's Critters

Toft Alpaca had a huge number of the really cute Ed's Animals on their stand. This year the menagerie has been joined by these amazing birds! You can read more about Kerry Lord and Toft Alpaca here and about her talk at this year's K&C Guild Convention here. 

The Toft Alpaca Stand

The Toft Alpaca Stand

I had a lovely chat to Jennie Atkinson on the Make it Coats Stand. Jennie was at the Show promoting her beautiful new Rowan designs that use Swarovski crystals. Jennie had given an excellent presentation on her research into beading in knitting at the recent In the Loop Conference in Glasgow so I know how passionate about this subject she is! 

No visit to Ally Pally would be complete without a visit to the Black Sheep "Yarn Dive"........ Ever since I began visiting the Show this has been one of my favourite things to do. I am convinced that Sara and the team are hiding a secret treasure at the bottom of their enormous pile of yarns. Like every other visitor, I am determined that it will be me that finds it!!!

As ever, this year's Show was great fun and I am already looking forward to next year's Show. Dates announced...... 5th to 9th October 2016.