Skip to main content

one day, 2 festivals

On Saturday I went to the Handknitters Guild market - we usually just call it Coburg, because it's at Coburg town hall. This market happens every year. According to my records (this blog!) I've been once before. Generally think about going and then decide it's too far and I have enough yarn. Last year I decided not to go because I was going to Bendigo and I didn't need to shop twice in two months...and then Bendigo got cancelled. So this year I decided to go to both.

It was so nice walking into a room full of excited knitters and crocheters and seeing all the beautiful fluff. So much fluff. I was paralysed with indecision for a bit, but then bought this pile:


I'm excited to have my next spinning project ready to start. Also yarn for knee high socks, and a mohair carry along for a Carbeth I am planning.

Then a few of the Richmond Knitters went for lunch at a brewery - if I'm organising, it's always a brewery. 

Kris and i hung our for a couple of hours and then it was time for our second festival for the day - the Great Australian Beer Spectapular (GABS)!  

We've been to at least ten of these, most recently in Brisbane, but this was special. It was back in it's spiritual  home, the very beautiful, historic Royal Exhibition Centre. The atmosphere was amazing, really vibrant and positive and I was there with the best of friends.

Both events were the most crowed places I have been in years, and i didn't mask - I thought about it at Coburg, and didn't think about it at GABS. Still my cup is (metaphorically) full, and we'll see what happens over the next three to seven days.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Linky Wednesday - the one with the pause

In meditation it's said that the pause between the in breath and the out breath is a gap, a space to rest. Well, I'm in that in-between space for reading, listening and knitting. This is a random photo of a highlight of my week - I filled up my lolly jar. These are just supermarket party mix. During the lockdowns, we sources a great pick-and-mix delivery service, but at some point they started sending from the UK, which is a bit silly. Rachey messaged me a new one she found, and I impulsed purchased a kilo of mixed lollies, and then she sent me a link to the biggest lolly shop in Melbourne, which also delivers sweets by the kilogram, so i think I'm sorted for the rest of the year!  In reading I've just finished  The Beckoning Lady   by Margery Allingham . It's the second last book in the Summer of Mystery, and I have to admit, having now read nine Margery Allingham books, that they are OK. I wouldn't have read them if they were not connected to this club, but on...

Geogradiant MKAL Part 1 - that was unexpected (spoilers)

Stephen West released the first MKAL clue on Thursday night. I started knitting it without looking at spoilers. When I got up on Friday he had sent through an "alternative" clue one. I then went and had a look at the spoiler thread to try to work out what was going on. Which was that some people thought the pattern looked like a "German hate symbol". I knit on anyway, since I was half-way through. Then he took down the original clue, replacing it with a mitred square in garter stitch. The Ravelry forums and Instagram are a complete shit-show, even though Rav is being moderated. It's been a bit disheartening, having something that is usually quite light and fun weighed down with all this. I admire Stephen's quick and sensitive response to this drama. I also feel that anything can look like anything if you squint. To me this looks like a Celtic knot. I think mine is pretty, and I'll knit on through all crises. 

Unravelled Wednesday - the one where it's ordinary

This week I finished my first book for the  2025 When Are You Reading? Challenge , which was   The Silence of the Girls   by Pat Barker , which covered the pre 1200 time period. I loved it, it's a retelling of the siege of Troy from a feminist perspective. I haven't worked out what I'm reading for the 1200-1399 time period. Suggestions are welcome. I'm currently reading  Central Station by Lavie Tidhar , which is science fiction set in a future Tel-Aviv. It's good, but there are loads of characters and I'm not overly invested. Although at least I'm having no problems telling the characters apart, they are very district. I just don't overly care what happens to them.   I'm listening to a NetGalley review copy of  Mona Acts Out by Mischa Berlinski , which is the story of a woman unravelling. It's very different from Mischa's other books, but quite compelling. I'm not sure what's next, probably something from Kobo-Plus, perhaps Regrets...