Goodies goodies GOODIES!! Everywhere!

As always I have returned home from Library SnB completely inspired, excited and geared up for all the fabulous projects I have bustling about in my brain!

I took along ball-winder and swift as I knew Helen had many a skein of delicious sock yarn she needed to ball up for future knitting. So after settling in and chatting with all the gals, flipping through all the new books to the library, and Helen's stunning and amazing Victorian Lace Today we set it all up (with the help of Suzanne - I'd never set my swift up before!) and got winding!! First some delicious wool/cashmere, then the cherry coloured SeaSilk Helen has received in the mail! Oooohhh it's SO DIVINE!!! I'm in an extreme state of anticipation for my four lovely skeins zipping their way across the seas to me! Helen had bought the subtly variegated colourway of berries - not as strongly hue changing as the Nova Scotia I've ordered, and my goodness it is sensuous and delicious! Just look at it shining in the photo as it was being lovingly wound into an edible raspberry waffle ball!!

Linda then had a fang on the very popular winder and swift combo - many/most of the ladies had never seen them used before so it was quite a mini-presentation and demo we had going! Linda's yarn was gorgeous, the colours all purple, green, blue, yum yum! Another tasty waffle I'd eat up if I could!!

I talked over some design plans with Helen for patterns I wanted to knit up, the yarns I had, and whether a combination of the two was viable! In most cases it wasn't, but has led to a fruitful outcome none-the-less! Two items we discussed shall remain secret as they are Christmas and Birthday presents I'll be working on this year for people who read da blawg, but the others we thought through were a pair of Fetchings out of the Sunshineyarns Welsh Green Dragon I bought months ago (and meant to blog about but didn't! So here's a photo of the AWESOMENESS that is Welsh Greenie!!)

I've wanted to knit these up for aaages, and bought two skeins so I could knit the Fetchings and a pair of socks too. But then realised quite quickly that the Sunshines yarn is more of a socky/sport weight, and the Fetchings call for Aran weight! "Bah!" Thought I, "Double stranding it should do the trick!" But no.. on further inspection it probably won't do the trick. So I decided instead to knit up a Clapotis with both skeins combined!! I've been planning to knit since I first knew of it back last year when I started my whole knitting fandango but didn't yet know with which yarn, so it's brilliant! Even better, it will be much more snuggly and enjoyable around my shoulders rather than around my ankles, plus gets rid of the tricky gauge dilemma!! Yay! What a perfectly magical Dragonny solution!

Next, for the direct purpose I picked up from Helen & Ann's Knitting Inspirations my first ever pair of Addi Turbos!

*crowd gasps*

I know! I've used the addi bamboo circs a lot and ADORE THEM!! It's a post I've been meaning to do lately, to show off my stunning 5mm bamboos and gush for a while on how smooth, silky and yummy they feel and how fabulous they are to knit with - but I shall say that now instead! haha! Plus I could not believe how inexpensive they were to buy!! I'll be comin' back for more in all sizes!

So I'm super keen to try out the metal addi turbos *insert light saber sound affect from Brenda's Cast On here* on this most exciting and anticipated project!!

Then, as if all this excitement and mental stimulation wasn't enough! I returned home to a PACKAGE!! Skoota had told me over the phone earlier today that there was a package awaiting me, but that it was a box inside a huge bag, and labelled from Sydney!

How bizarre - I didn't order anything from Sydney... ? So I came home, puzzled a moment and cut open the bag to reveal...

My amazon order! Hooraay!!! =D

So now I have two more glorious books to keep me inspired and drooling over such fantastic use of colour, fabulous yarns and brilliant patterns!

Now after all that excitement I must MUST go to bed! Don't know how quickly I'll be able to doze off with all the knitterly thoughts and urgings, nay, cravings to cast on IMMEDIATELY, but it's almost midnight and I have work tomorrow!