A wee cough...

It's a week since I returned from Edinburgh and I expected to be telling you all about my trip as soon as I got home.  Then I got flu.  Not a cold, not just a fever but aching limbs, lack of appetite, bone crushing weariness and zero desire to look at any electronic device.  I haven't even felt like knitting.  I must have been really ill!  One week on I still have a cough but at least feel able to share with you the most amazing colourful fibre experience that was Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2016

Just look at this selection from the many stalls in the market place : hand dyed yarn from The Little Grey Sheep, felted slippers by Edinburgh based Felting Studio, more skeins of hand dyed from Tall Yarns and fabulous  merino braids from the Porpoise Fur stand where I chatted to the charming Rachel Brown.

Each afternoon I was also helping on the stand belonging to Lindsay Roberts The Border Tart.  Lindsay, pictured left, dyes yarns and fibres with natural indigo as well as spinning beautiful fibres into yarn.  We met on a knitting retreat in 2014 and Fiona, standing beside me was on the same holiday.  Dorothy was interloping from the Ripples Crafts stand!  It was fun selling Lindsay's yarn, buttons, sari silk etc and meeting her customers.

Especially when Renee Callahan of East London Knit and Karie Westermann stopped by.  I also got the chance to meet and chat with other stall holders and admire the many goodies for sale.

From top left, going in a circle, here's Helen from The Wool Kitchen, me and the irrepressible Jess from Edinburgh's favourite wool shop Ginger Twist Studio, Lucy Hague and her beautiful Celtic inspired shawls, in the presence of royalty with Zoe Queen of Purls, me and my pal Helen of Ripples Crafts and Louise who is Spin City and whose Instagram I love!

No one minded being approached by complete strangers admiring their knitwear.  I accosted Nathan the Sockmatician to have a wee chat about his Sanquhar scarf and he explained the double knitting technique he'd used to create this very inspiring masterpiece.

Finally, the festival had visitors from all over.  These ladies are from Norway and came to find me after my husband told me his colleague's twin sister was at the festival - that's Turid Bo on the right.  Geoff has worked with Laila for years but I bet they never talked about knitting as much as when they found out this coincidence!

I had such a good time meeting people, helping out, shopping...  I haven't even mentioned any of the gorgeous purchases I made.  A future blog post for certain!