I left WonderBoy in Pete's excellent care and headed up to Sydney in one of CityRail's 'finest' trains, ready to meet faces, marvels over projects and NOT spend more money on yarn.
I followed Brenda Dayne's advice to plan, choose and work on a 'train project', and brought with me the pink/cream/green soy+wool hat I'd started, as well as a big ball of my handspun that I was thinking of using to start a scarf with cables. Didn't get to that one, but I got lots done on the hat, to and from Sydney later that day.
The timing and location of the World Wide Kit in Public day itself worked out beautifully, as the Sydney Quilt and Craft Fair was being held right next door, in the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour. Always good. I'm personally not too interested in taking up any more new crafts, as I'm finding it hard enough to knit and spin as much as I'd like to; so I was able to pinpoint the yarn and knitting stands and get myself straight to each one, saving myself extra time for touching, holding, sniffing and generally pining over some of the gorgeous yarns on offer.
Hilarious scenes ensued at the Bendigo Woollen Mills stand, where grown women were bent double into baskets and crates of yarn, grabbing armfuls and armfuls... I don't know what kind of sudden sale had been called, but it looked like the Boxing Day sales had started well early. I stayed back. Way back... Mostly cause I already know just how fantastically inexpensive their wonderful Australian yarn is, and it's so readily available over the internet.
I did end up making two purchases, however: a set of Addi Turbo dpns so I could start the crown of the hat on my way home (so it was a necessity!), and a wee sock kit from Sarah Durrant, comprising a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in the colourway "Dusk"... as modelled here by young Luna), with a set of Addi Turbo circulars, and a pattern to make said sock on said circs. I figured I wanted to learn this technique anyway, and since it came with the needles, well... I couldn't argue with the price tag ($28)!
The turnout for WWKIP was stunning. Last I checked on Ravelry, we had fifty-three proud knitters, all confusing the locals. I met several lovely crafters, whom I have since 'friended' on Ravelry, and I'm hoping I'll see them again soon. It was also great to put a few faces to names, so to speak - my only big gripe is that I could only stay to knit for just over an hour. :( I'd already missed the train that I'd planned to take home, so I had to pull the plug at some point, sadly.
Stay tuned; I will be posting the most recent finished objects!
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