Yarn Tasting and Book Launch

A great time was had at This Is Knit last Thursday at their annual Yarn Tasting event. It's so much fun. You get samples of all of their new season yarns along with cake, wine and fun! It was the first one I'd made it to and I loved every minute. Not only was there yarn galore, there was also the launch of Carol Fellers new book, Contemporary Irish Knits. I'd been eagerly awaiting this book for a while, I love Carol's designs.

Here's here stall, with Carol hidden in the background. The photos are not the best, I was kind of dashing round the room taking them. I didn't want to appear too stalker-like.

Carol very kindly signed my book for me. I'll do a review next post, it really is a fantastic book.
There were loads of sample garments knit using other yarns, as well as representatives of the three Irish mills. Lots and lots of eye candy. Feast your eyes!

 

This is only a portion of the crowd that was there, this room was packed full by the time it got started. It was great fun.

 

Hubby was away with work, so I had to bring Alice with me. As she did last week at the HandmAid Charity Fair, she dug in and helped out! Here she is doing her best impression of shop girl. She ran errands all evening for the shop staff.

She also got her modelling on again! Here she is with Carol, modelling her Nepal Wrap. I think I may have to get her an agent soon!

The wonderful Kate Davies was also there, and she gave a talk on her designs as well. A really lovely lady with gorgeous designs. I don't know why I don't have a picture of her, I was sure I took one. Maybe I was too busy oohing and aahing over her designs.

Of course, there was stash enhancement too! This Is Knit had blogged earlier in the week about shawl pins they had begun to stock, and I loved them. I bought this one:

Isn't it lovely? They also had magnetic ones too. Really clean and simple designs, and not too expensive.

Alice flicked through Carols book and asked me to make a cardigan for her, Rossbeg (Ravlink). How could I refuse? She's great, she loves wearing handknits. She picked out this colour herself, and I think it's going to be lovely on her:

Studio Donegal Aran Tweed in a really nice orangey/red shade. And the best bit, it was 10% off! I loves me a bargain :)

Here's my progress so far:

I swatched that night when I got home, and cast on Friday after work. It's going great at the moment, I'm at the point where I split for the sleeves. I'm loving the project so far, it's really easy to follow and the yarn is divine to knit with.

Thanks so much to This Is Knit for a fantastic evening, and especially for being so good to Alice. She really enjoyed herself, and I got to have a great time too!
Thanks Carol and Kate for bringing us great patterns, and for your interesting talks on the night.
Thanks to the Irish mills for producing such fantastic Irish yarns!

Good knitting!

An Ethereal Girl

"Some boys kiss me

Some boys hug me

I think they're ok

If they don't buy me lots of yarn

Then I just walk away"

I couldn't resist the pun on Madonna's Material Girl. Sorry.

Hot off the needles, it's finished! The Ethereal top is finished!

What'cha all think? I'm not wild about it, but I guess it's ok. It looks nothing like I had planned it to.
The sleeves are shorter, the body is much more fitted and there's no real stitch pattern to speak of.
Pattern Deets:
I used the basic instructions from Barbara Walkers Knitting From The Top and  the rest just kind of evolved as I went along. It has a square neck, and I tried to give it an empire waistline. I placed a couple of rows of purl stitches in two bands under the bust to create that and mirrored it at the hem and sleeve ends. Then I increased both sides every 5th round to make it flare out a bit. It's a good thing I did, otherwise it would have been too tight!
Overall, I suppose it's ok, but I'm a bit disappointed if I'm honest. I should be happy as I really did wing it, and it could have been so wrong, but I had hoped it would be a bit more flattering.

Whatever the result, it's ready in time for me to wear to the yarn tasting tomorrow night at This Is Knit. It's going to be so much fun! Samples of all the new season yarns, chatting with the girls, the book launch of Carol Feller's new book Contemporary Irish Knits, an appearance by Kate Davies the designer of the famous Owls sweater and the gorgeous Paper Dolls and special offers & prizes! I cannot wait.

Good Knitting!