...but my attempts at stash control didn't go so well last week. I was in London teaching a 2 day course on Technical Editing (more on that shortly...), so I decided it was a good excuse to catch up with some lovely friends, and to head to Angel in order to visit Loop and Ray Stitch (follow those links at your own risk). With hindsight, it was perhaps a bit foolish to put so much temptation in my path.
I picked up some beautiful Cherry MadelineTosh Tosh Sock yarn at Loop - I can't wait to get this wound, and cast on for some socks. I've heard a lot about MadelineTosh yarns over the last couple of years, but this is my first purchase.
This Quince & Co Osprey also found its way into my shopping basket. Sadly, 2 hanks is nowhere near enough to knit the beautiful Cara sweater from Gudrun Johnston. I tech edited this pattern before Christmas, and now that it's turned cold I wish I had time to knit one up for myself. It just looks so snuggly, and would be brilliant in this shade of Osprey. Instead, I think these hanks are destined to become a large cowl, which will also be lovely.
That was the limits of my yarn purchases... Not too bad I suppose, given the extent of the temptation at Loop! However, I did also pick up a couple of pattern books, and my pattern stash is almost as overwhelming as my yarn (in fact, it may even be worse). I now have 5,108 patterns in my library! First up is Juju's Loops. This is a book of patterns from Juju Vail and Susan Cropper of Loop. Their own book!
It's a pretty little volume, with a mixture of accessory and garment designs. There are a couple of things I would happily cast on tomorrow if I had no work to do. I really like the format of the book - the cover flaps list all the book's abbreviations and you can use them to mark your page easily. Hopefully I'll get to some of these patterns before too long.
I wasn't planning to purchase Coastal Knits. I had looked at the projects on Ravelry, as people have been raving about it on blogs and podcasts that I read/listen to, but although I liked everything, nothing made me want to "have it NOW!" But then Naughty Rachel made me pick up the book, and it was an entirely different matter. The book is beautiful! There is heaps to read, and it is really thoughtfully laid out. I just want to curl up and dream over it for a few hours every day. What's even worse is that every non-knitting female friend who has seen it has made knitting requests. People who aren't normally that bothered by knitwear have gone weak at the knees in the face of the designs in Coastal Knits.
This is a dangerously appealing book. Don't pick it up unless you are prepared to part with your money. You have been warned!!
In the afternoon, I headed over to Ray Stitch to catch up with Belinda. She had refused to take any responsibility for my fabric purchases, so we duly enabled each other!
First up was this gorgeous bundle of 12 fat quarters from the Savannah range by Sara Morgan. I think I might turn this into a plain HST (half square triangle) quilt for my Gran's 90th birthday at the end of April. The colours are very "her". If that's my plan, I should really get a shimmy on. Perhaps someone would poke me into action if I haven't shown any signs of starting it by March?
Then I simply couldn't resist these fat quarters from Cloud9. They are simply stunning.
Those are herons on the top FQ, and the lower one features stunning lime green dragonflies. I have NO idea at all what to do with just 2 special fat quarters. I could just look at them all day, but that seems to defeat the point somewhat. So, if anyone has any bright ideas, please do leave them in the comments...
It's probably a good thing that I didn't actually commit to not buying yarn or fabric, isn't it?! *shakes head at lack of self-control* Please don't laugh at me - I'm laughing quite hard at myself.
In other news, I'm on to the yoke of my Warm Jacket with unusual bubble stitch yoke, so hopefully I might finish it at the weekend. It's going to be the perfect warm cardigan. I can't wait!