Yarndale and Yorkshire :: part 1

Hello Lovelies,

Here's my fist post about my Yarndale experience this year......once again it's hard to put into words the special atmosphere of this wonderful event, but I will try.

I'm going to  include almost all the  pictures I took ....and I took a lot, as I know many of you would have loved to have attended but couldn't. 

On Saturday Mum and I left home at eight in the morning, the journey was trouble free but it was still after eleven by the time we arrived. Like last year mum dropped me off and headed off to do her own thing for the day. 

Unlike last year, this visit I had made firm plans to meet up with bloggy friends....people I knew would be lovely, but who I had not actually met ( well momentarily maybe ) before.

Coopers cafe was looking extra pretty with it's flowers painted on the glass and bunting hanging above the window ............

I was meeting up with a friend who I first met at last years Yarndale festival (right at the end of THIS post),we now chat  regularly via e.mail. Jo had her sweet teenage daughter with her.
I had also arranged to meet up with Jones her little family, we had missed each other last year and didn't want to make the same mistake again.

Coopers was very busy, but after some musical chairs we all managed to sit around the same table and chat happily. Phew.......I knew it would be great, but I still felt a bit anxious beforehand.

We all enjoyed a treat, mine was Parkin and some beautiful loose leaf tea served in the cutest red teapot...........

then, feeling refreshed we climbed the stairs, past the pretty little window on the landing..............

Where we saw the first teeny tiny bit of yarn :0)................

Of course we were heading for the studio..............

where yarn is abundant and beautifully displayed...............

and made into the most wonderfully happy, creative and colourful things............

There are old favourites to swoon over...........

and new designs to marvel at.............

The prettiest mandalas hanging on the simple white walls..............

and so many wonderful small details that we spent the whole time saying " oh-look at this"........

I was a rather entranced by Lucy's magnetic memo board this year.......remember when she made it HERE?

The pictures and postcards were gorgeous, and what a great way to enjoy them...............

I'm keen to try and and do something similar myself.

This gorgeous embroidered hoop also caught my eye............

the quote is by Henri Matisse........"Creativity takes courage"............perfect.

We chatted happily with Tracy and friends, laughing easily and  admiring the beautiful creations on display. Eventually managed to tear ourselves away and headed for the start of the yarn walk.

The first yarn bombing we spotted was one of Lucy's gorgeous signs pointing across the canal bridge...........

Hello again canal............

Then there was another on the park gates............

It's a beautiful stroll through the park and all the colourful yarny creations looked so jolly in this setting..............

We loved all the crochet Lamp post "leg warmers" and the bikes created by local school children with the yarndale teams guidance.............

Who could fail to smile at all this happy creativity..............

I'm sure the children who helped make them were thrilled to see them being admired by folk from near and far................

This year much of the crochet had added details which made it extra special...........

I loved this mini bunting so beautifully made..............

and was surprised by just how many bikes had been created.........about twelve in total I think...............

We all loved this underwater ripple with fish and button bubbles...............

Oh look another sign..............

This one was my favourite.

and another lovely lamp sock, this one had birds...............

and flowers.................

We were getting near to the top of the park now.........this was the final sign I saw...........

But the lamp posts carried on.....all different and all gorgeous..............

This was the final lamp post and I think the yarn bombing team saved the best for last.........this one really had impact with it's solid stripes and falling autumn leaves...........wow............

Phew , I need to stop writing now.
I do hope you will forgive me for stopping at this stage.


Personally I love  Coopers, The Studio and the Yarn Walk just as much as the actual show in the auction mart. I was a very happy Jacquie at this point in the day, and the rest did not disappoint.

I'll write part two just as soon as I get the chance, promise.
Jacquie x

Early Autumn Light

Hello Lovelies, 

I'm back from Yarndale and I can't wait to share my photos and memories with you....it was wonderful.

But I still need to upload and sort my MANY photos into a few manageable posts.

So, in the mean time, I hope you will enjoy this post that I started last week and didn't get time to post before I went.

This photo was from Monday morning........sunrise at 7am on the last day of Summer.........

On Wednesday morning I noticed how low in the sky the sun was at 9.20am...........

Later that morning I had an appointment in the city, afterwards had a little spare time. It was such a beautiful day that I walked over the foot bridge..........

and looked down on the river, with it's blue sky reflections and trees along the bank just begining to drop their leaves..................

The gardens behind the war memorial still had some summer bedding............good old red Geraniums......

and beautiful yellow Roses................

I  loved these red berries...............

and the low sunlight filtering through the leaves...............

I really adore the light on a sunny Autumn day................

It shines into my camera lens..........

and creates shadows that add interest................

I love sparkles of sunlight reflected on water

 I'm walking towards the big Victorian bridge............



and I love all the details on this beautiful structure................

on the other side there is a little canal I've never explored before..............

There's a working lock but it's very quiet today............

 just when I was thinking I would not see any narrow boats one appears from around the bend.........

such a happy sight.

Next post  we can visit  Yarndale :0) ...........I do hope you will pop back and join me.

Jacquie x

Something Yarny for Yarndale :: mark 2

Hell Lovelies,
it's nearly that time of year again ....eeek...... Can you make it? You wont keep me away!

I do feel lucky to live within 2-3 hours drive of this event and I love seeing that pretty button at the top of my sidebar....I'm going to Yarndale 2014....yipeeeee.

source

Saturday morning, bright and early, I will be travelling up the motorway to Yorkshire. And this year Mum and I are staying overnight so we can spend a few hours exploring the Dales too....happy, happy, happy.

Source

 I  think this event is brilliant for bringing us like minded folks together and I really appreciate all Lucy and the teams hard work in staging this joyful creative weekend. I particularly love Lucy's mandala idea.....giving  visitors a feast for the eyes....and involving so many, whether they can make the festival or not.

 Like LAST YEAR I've decided to make myself a little brooch, so if any of you lovelies  spot me in the crowds you can say hello....if you want to!

When I visited last year I met many sweet people, and it being a yarny event, my crochet owl was mentioned quite a bit. It's my most popular pattern by miles and still gets about 3000 views a week, nearly two years down the line.

So it seemed a good idea to make myself one to wear, and to make it a neat size I thought of using embroidery floss. So not yarn exactly, but cotton thread anyway.............

I used a 2.00mm hook to go with this fine thread. I can't deny it was a bit fiddly and progress was much slower than it would have been with ordinary yarn, but with the aid of bright light and reading glasses I got there.............

And here is my finished brooch...........ta-dah...........

 an easy crochet owlet....isn't he cute :0)

I attached THIS sort of fastener on the back and he was ready to go.............

  You lovelies will know I'm generally rather camera shy.....but I'm getting better at braving the eye of the lens.....and this post seemed like a good time to show my face......

Hello Lovelies

See you at Yarndale if you can make it. And for those who can't I'll be taking loads of pictures once again. 

I do do hope you will enjoy all the colourful creativity and beautiful Yorkshire scenery.

Jacquie x