I know from experience how busy Yarndale is on the Saturday morning but having arrived in the afternoon, I thought things might have calmed down a little. How wrong I was. I've visited Yarndale on two previous occasions, both times on a Saturday, and I've never seen it as busy as it was this time.
To be honest, it took a lot of the pleasure out of it for me. As I said, I wasn't feeling 100% as it was, but to be pushed and shoved as I made my way around was rather uncomfortable to say the least. I really don't know where some people's manners were, they must have left them at home as they certainly didn't bring them with them. I've made a decision that if I ever go again, it will be on the Sunday. I've heard that things are much quieter than on the Saturday.
We didn't stay very long and there were many stalls this year that I just didn't get round to seeing, which is a real shame, I just didn't feel up to fighting my way through the crowds. One thing I did make a point of visiting though was the Yarndale Sock Line, organised by Christine from Winwick Mum blog. These socks will be gifted to people in need after the festival. I didn't take part this year but I was pleased to see that there were definitely more pairs of hand made socks donated this year than last.
I'm always drawn to the animals too, this year there were rabbits, alpacas, goats and sheep.
I didn't take many photos, it was just too busy to start getting my camera out all the time and certainly too busy to carry it around my neck with all the jostling going on.
I bought more this year than I've bought in previous years even though I wasn't there as long this time. First of all, six balls of Drops Alpaca Mix, two balls each in three lovely colours. This yarn is 100% alpaca and is beautifully soft. I also picked up two 100 gram balls of King Cole Moods in a lovely tweedy grey. It was just £2.50 per ball and contains 68% acrylic, 30% wool and 2% viscose.
I've been using a Knitpro Zing circular needle and I've got on with it really well so I thought I'd give their double pointed needles a go. Each size needle comes in a different colour. I usually use 2.5mm needles for sock knitting and I was thrilled to see that this size comes in red. I know, little things make me very happy.
I bought three skeins of sock yarn from Knitglobal, I love the names of their colourways, Harvest, Summer Berries and Marine. This is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon.
My favourite purchase was this gorgeous dark grey yarn from Truly Hooked. Again, this is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon and I think it's destined to become a shawl.
I'm drawn towards yarn with tweedy flecks in it at the moment. This is Sparkleduck Pebble in Duckwing colourway which is 85% superwash bluefaced Leicester and 15% Donegal nep.
I did buy a little snowman Christmas tree ornament too but I forgot to take a photo of him before squirreling him away until December. I saw a lovely button stall which I couldn't get near so I meant to go back before leaving but I forgot. Ah well, I don't think I really need any more buttons, it would have been nice to see what they'd got though.
I wonder if anyone else had the same experience of Yarndale as I did with the crowds or whether I was being a bit oversensitive as I wasn't feeling very well. Did you go to Yarndale and have you written a blog post about it? I'd love to know, I like to see what everyone else thought of the day and what they bought. Do please leave me a comment with a link to your blog.
Don't forget about the swap I'm running. The Twelve Days Of Christmas Swap 2016 Sign Up is still open if you fancy joining in, just leave a comment on that post and I'll add you to the list. It proved to be a very popular swap last year and it would be lovely to have more people joining in. It's a worldwide swap so it doesn't matter where you live, it's a great way to make new friends too.
Oh my goodness, what beautiful yarn you bought! I love that grey, it will make a great shawl.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when people are pushing and shoving to look at things, not good for the nerves, or temper.
I've never been to Yarndale it's quite a long jaunt for one day from here but we, (my middle daughter and me) have said that we will go next year and stay overnight.
Sorry you are feeling under the weather, i hope you feel better soon. x
I couldn't resist that grey yarn, it looks even better in real life and it's so squishy. If there's one thing I can't stand it's bad manners. I know it was really crowded and you couldn't help but bump in to some people but goodness me, I got more than a few elbows in my ribs. It would be lovely for you to make a weekend of it next year, Skipton's a lovely town with lots to see and you're only a stones throw from the Yorkshire Dales, my favourite place on Earth. I'm much better now, thank you.
DeleteWhat a shame you didn't feel well, I hope you're feeling better now?
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an amazing fayre, what a shame people have to be so rude though. It was much the same when I visited a craft show at the NEC last year.
The stalls look amazing, I love the Crochet bunting and the sock line, I'm sure I remember you mentioning this before.
I love the menagerie, and the sound of a button stall. I think I would've spent a small fortune!
looking forward to seeing the snowman christmas decoration :)
I'm much better now, thank you. I used to suffer really bad with allergies but I've all but grown out of them now. Only occasionally do I have a bad day and Saturday happened to be one of them. I'm sure all the yarn fibres and animals once I'd got to Yarndale didn't help but never mind. Yarndale itself is a wonderful event, it's just the rude people which spoil it. As you say, I think you get them everywhere. The stallholders go all out to bring lots of lovely things to the show and they're so friendly, I always go home with lots of inspiration.
DeleteYou did enhance your stash, I have never been to Yarndale, but I do agree with you, the fun goes out of shows when they are too busy.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I'm very pleased with my purchases this year, I could have bought more but I held back as there's some beautiful yarn I've got my eye on in a few etsy shops. Yarndale is such a huge success, it's no wonder that it's so busy, but I'm definitely going to go on a Sunday from now on.
DeleteI have never been to Yarndale, it is always on our traditional end of season camping trip date. I am sorry you didn't enjoy it that much, crowds are not fun, I agree totally. It doesn't help if you are not feeling well. Hope you feel better now. Lovely purchases! x
ReplyDeleteTwo out of the four Yarndale festivals have taken place on the weekends that Daniel and Eleanor have moved to university, I missed the very first one because of this. Perhaps I'd have enjoyed it more had I not been feeling under the weather, that coupled with all the jostling didn't make it all that enjoyable this year but I'm sure I'll try again next year. I'm much better now, thank you.
DeleteSorry your Yarndale experience was not so good, Jo. I stopped going to quilt exhibitions and the like for precisely the same reasons - too many rude people who don't care if they smack into you with their overloaded shopping bags or - worse - their overloaded pushchairs! The yarn you bought does look lovely so at least it wasn't all bad.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you're feeling better now.
I've been to garden shows where people pull trolleys filled with plants they've bought around behind them, I'm not kidding you, I came home with bruised shins from those shows. I'm really pleased with the yarn I bought though, that goes some way to making up for all the hustle and bustle. I'm feeling much better now, thank you.
DeleteGlad to read you are feeling a little better. Such a shame that the crowds and lack of manners spoilt it for you. On a more positive note you certainly made some great purchases, so worth the trip.
ReplyDeleteI expected the crowds, it's such a popular event and seems to attract more people every year, but I don't understand why people can't have more manners. It's such a happy, joyful and positive event, it's a shame that a few spoil it for the rest of us. I'm very pleased with the yarn that came home with me.
DeleteOh, that sounds like such an amazing event...less the crowds though. I'm with you, I HATE crowds and will do what I can to avoid them,
ReplyDeleteBut those yarns you purchased are just gorgeous - it's hard to resist, isn't it? I've not tried any yarns from Drops, though I often see them & have tagged a few of their patterns. I've made a note to give their Alpaca Mix yarn a go. And I'm glad you are feeling better now :)
It's a brilliant day out, I just wish it wasn't quite so crowded, though it all adds to the atmosphere. It's the bad mannered people that really spoils it. It's very hard to resist gorgeous yarn and Yarndale is full of the stuff. I haven't used Drops Alpaca before so I'll be sure to do a post about it when I've knit some up.
DeleteHi Jo, I was there probably at the same time as you. It really was a tight squeeze but I am used to it. I always got to alexander palace and that is really a nightmare so much so that last year I couldn't bear going . I have the terrible habit Of saying sorry when people bump into me. It really makes me mad that I quickly apologise and others simply don't care.
ReplyDeleteThat aside you took some lovely photos and your bought some lovely things .I took a lot of photos .It was my first time and I will certainly try and go again. enjoy all your yarn
It was heaving on Saturday, wasn't it? It won't put me off going again but I'll try and get there on the Sunday in future when it might not be so busy. I'll pop over to your blog and see if you've posted your photos, I do like to hear what other people thought of it.
DeleteSuch a shame that it was so busy and that others were not taking consideration of that. Busy is different from shovey isn't it. Hope that you enjoyed it overall and that you are feeling much better now. Enjoy your purchases which are beautiful! xx
ReplyDeleteYou're right, busy is very different from shovey. It isn't the crowds that annoy me, I think the busyness adds to the atmosphere but all the pushing and shoving just spoils it. I'm feeling much better now, thank you, time to start thinking of how to use up that yarn.
DeleteI was there all weekend and the Saturday was BUSY! It was most definitely the busiest I've ever seen it, so if you're looking for a quieter experience then Sunday is the day to go. You've bought some lovely treats, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with them xx
ReplyDeleteIt was the busiest I've ever seen it too, I think I shall definitely stick to the Sunday next year. I'm really pleased with my purchases, I went thinking that I'd buy some Drops yarn but wasn't decided on anything else, it's nice to look round and see what catches the eye.
DeleteI'm not much of a people person and I don't socialize much and hate crowds so your day out seems like one of my worst nightmares. I love to see all these wonderful things...just prefer it without the people!! Glad you got some nice things to compensate all the jostling about you had to endure and I hope you're feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteIf you hate crowds I'd definitely say avoid Yarndale on the Saturday, it's absolutely packed. It's just the rudeness of people which I hate. I'm feeling much better now, thank you, I'm ready to start putting all that lovely yarn to good use.
Deleteyour wool purchases are divine. I've been thinking about a trip to it from New Zealand, as it does tie in with school hols... but I'm used to 1500 at a wool festival.... hmmmmm (think I read somewhere 8000 went to Yarndale?) - maybe they need to make it 3-4 days (if not already?)
ReplyDeleteWow, that's an awfully long way to come just for a yarn show. I'm not sure how many attend Yarndale but it's very busy on the Saturday. I know there's quite a few other yarn festivals around the country but it's good that we've got such a good one here up north.
DeleteKnit August Nights, a NZ wool retreat, which I went to a month ago, had dozens from Australia and Hawaii this year. We are thinking of a UK trip as a family next year too (family have moved back there) - I'd love to visit any UK wool shop in person!
DeleteIt would be great if you could make it. We do have some lovely wool shops here, we're very lucky really, along with quite a few yarn festivals too.
DeleteAs I don´t get to go to any exhibitions anymore it was lovely to share your day, although I am sorry you were not feeling well, nothing worse than being jostled. You found some lovely yarns, that will keep you busy, hope you are on the mend now and also that Eleanor is settling ok at uni xcx
ReplyDeleteI was spoilt for choice when it came to choosing which yarn to buy, there were so many lovely brands, fibres and colours. I'm much better now, thank you. Eleanor's having a fantastic time at uni so far, though her actual work doesn't start until next week so we'll assess the situation again then.
DeleteI think you did a fabulous job with your yarn purchases considering the crowds. I have been to a festival over here called Rhinebeck, in New York several times with my sister. It is the same thing, so crowded that you can barely get into a stall. It is still very fun to go, but you are just exhausted after due to fighting and jostling you way through.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
It's a shame it's so busy as I didn't get to see many of the things I wanted to. I still did well with my purchases though but I shall definitely try and go on the Sunday next year when it's probably much quieter.
DeleteIt's a shame that you not feeling so good and it being crowded made it not very enjoyable for you. I guess that the needles and wool you got helped compensate.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you're now feeling better. Flighty xx
Yarn is always great compensation and I daresay I might have even bought more had I been feeling 100% but there's lots I've got my eye on in the etsy shops. I'm feeling much better now, thank you.
DeleteYarndale coincided with our autumn break so I didn't make it but 4 ladies from my craft group took a bus trip on Saturday. It was their first visit and they all came away feeling unwell and unhappy like you due to rudeness and due to crowds, none if them are keen to repeat the trip again which is sad as they were so looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a shame. I've been for the past three years and it's definitely got busier year on year. The first time I went, the second Yarndale, I had such a great time but definitely noticed an increase in visitors last year and then again this year. I'm going to give the Sunday a go next year and hope it's better then.
DeleteOops... Forgot to say great stash you got. Nice sockie wool.
ReplyDeleteI'm really pleased with my purchases.
DeleteI hope you are feeling better, Jo, and what wonderful things at Yardale. I'm not a craftsperson, but even I an appreciate the lovely yarns and things which have been made from them.
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
I'm feeling much better now, thank you. Yarndale is quite a spectacle with so much colour and plenty to see, I don't think you really need to be a craftsperson to enjoy it.
DeleteShame you were not feeling too good - hope you are feeling fine now.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a shame when people's manners seem to go 'out of the window' it can rather spoil the day.
I do like the yarns you've bought, plenty to keep you busy - and I just love those finger puppets, nice to see the animals too.
All the best Jan
I'm fine now, thank you. I'm always at a loss to understand how people can have no manners, there really are some rude people out there. The finger puppet van was parked outside Yarndale, it seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
DeleteWhy do people get so pushy at these events, really takes the edge off a day out and that's not fair at all. Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well, hope you are much better now.
ReplyDeleteLove all the grey you've gone for and the name Sparkleduck just makes me smile!
Lisa x
I couldn't believe how rude some people were, I expected people to be bumping in to me, it's so crowded, but the pushing and shoving just so that they could get in to a stall before you was something else. I'm feeling much better now, thank you. I'm not really a grey person so I was surprised I went for greys but the Truly Hooked one is my absolute favourite, I knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it.
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