After the events of the past week or so I wasn't even sure if I was going to make the Knitting and Stitching Show and, unfortunately, I didn't have the backup of Elsa with me this year. But I survived!! I listened to my body and when I felt the wobbles coming on I found a nice place to sit and recharge for a few minutes. Mind you finding anywhere to sit around Ally Pally is a challenge in itself! I had been sensible and bought my own food and drink so the queues weren't a problem.
I had a plan of attack worked out and first port of call was Dale and Ian Rollerson from the Thread Studio. They are busy very quickly and I only wanted some flimsies and a quick hello again. Just to show how small this world is I have a couple of pieces made by Nicole Burton in California. She buys her wool slushies for felting from Dale and Ian who are based in Perth, Australia. So there I was in the UK wearing a US made scarf in front of the Australians who had provided the materials. *Big grin*.
I then made a bee line into the main hall for an appointment with Liz of the Cotton Patch as I am going to be selling on my Avante 18 Long Arm machine. I love it to bits and have had a great time using it but I just can't do the standing at the frame for ages thing. So if you know of anyone who may be looking at a longarm for Christmas I will be putting it on eBay in the not to distant future!!
Some of the other pieces I bought were a couple of bags of Goldwork ends from Benson & Johnson at a bargain price, two balls of baby wool for knitting into bonnets for the local premature baby unit and 68000 metres of smoke invisible thread. (I'm sure Elsa's eyes have now lit up reading that!) I will have to put some Hugo's magic tape around it to try and control it though. I can find absolutely everything in my studio, some things need an hour or two to surface though.
Also some light modelling paste, some extra pins after all a girl can never have too many the new DVD from Jan Beany and Jean Littlejohn and a couple of lovely shawl pins that caught my eye. This seems to be the next thing as there were quite a few stands selling them. I was going to make my own but sometimes it's nice to treat yourself!
I was totally shattered by 1pm and made my way out of the halls by 2pm with a nice mug of tea and found somewhere quiet out in the grounds to admire the view and report in to home. I think I was asleep in the coach before we'd even hit the north circular!
Thank you for all the well wishes. It was a duodenal ulcer bleed which, in itself, has been healing nicely with the right pills and causing no other problems. The anaemia the bleeding caused however was a real side-swipe Blood iron is now at 90, should be 130, but everyday with more pills and John's wonderful care my strength is returning. Today is a good day!
Have a wonderful weekend.
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