Wednesday 14 September 2011

Woolly Wednesday and a Give-away

Hello, it's a woolly Wednesday today at l is for love and I thought I'd share a little of my yarn adventures in Gothenburg 10 days ago. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of 3 hour "window" periods at the conference I went to {posted here} and so I pootled off in to the city centre and the older quarter which was gorgeous.




I love a gargoyle or two, don't you think we often forget to look up in cities? I always forget and then when I do I love seeing the beauty of the architecture and spotting a gargoyle if I can.




So today I'm going to tell you about the two divine yarn shops I found in this amazing city. Firstly Deisy design which was a feast for the eyes, full of unusual yarn and colours bursting out of every corner.




Oooo mama




Super bright hand dyed yarn at ahem... silly prices but gorgeous to admire anyway. The lady who own this shop was so friendly and open to chat about her yarny world and how she has a knit and natter in one of the local cafes. I simply had to come away with something local and delightful. Unfortunately I could only afford 1 skein of this beautiful merino and silk blend but I was thinking along the 1 skein wonder knits and that I would find something meaningful to make with this lace weighed yarn.


What do you think of these colours? They reminded me of a little miss whom I adore very much and who is going to be 11 very soon. I rolled the skein up into a ball on the aeroplane home as unfortunately as you know knitting needles are a "no-no" on board a plane. It was quite therapeutic and as soon as I got on the 3 hour train journey home from the airport I started knitting one of my favourite scarf / shawl patterns the Boneyard shawl designed by Stephen west and free to download from Ravelry. 


This will be Alice's handmade element of her birthday present and is perfect for the coming chills of Autumn. I am hoping she will like the end result and colours too, I'll let you know x


The lovely lady in Deisy Design told me how to get the Gothenburg's other yarn shop Strikk which as D.I.V.I.N.E to say the least, I had to prise myself away from this shop with great reluctance. I especially fell for the Malabrigo yarn which is so soft and cosy, I can see why the Swedes would want to hand knit with it for all those freezing winter's.


After much umming and ahhhing {I had to come away with something!} I chose 2 skeins of Azul Profundo Twist yarn and will be keeping this for myself this winter. I may make a cowl with the lovely Penny's {from blog Planet Penny} pattern which looks so effective and cosy and easy to knit up.


Another one of my delights is button collecting from wherever I visit and these snow flake brown retro beauties had to come home with me too, perfect for some woolly gloves I think.


All in all it was a lovely break away from all the heavy science of the conference and a bit of escapism into my creative place.

I'm very busy at the moment what with work, being mum and family life, juggling 101 other things life throws at you. I feel like I am on the brink of a little cross roads in my life again and no doubt will be blogging about decisions that I've made etc. In the meantime I think it's time for a well over due little GIVE-AWAY what do you say? 

So here's what you will receive if your name is picked, all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog and your name will enter the hat. If you want a double entry, let other's know about my give away on your blog by copying and pasting this picture below and don't forget to tell me that you've done this and I'll enter you twice. 


Yay, I love a little give-away!
Thanks for popping in and commenting, I am more than happy to send internationally and will end this give away on Wednesday the 21st September 
xox

34 comments:

  1. Hello...I'm first! Lovely give-away I must say..especially as that Tweedy yarn is in my all time favourite colour.... I too am making a 'Boneyard Shawl'...it is a great little pattern isn't it....and shows off that beautiful yarn so well... I shall indeed reblog your giveaway as soon as I can finish cooking dins ;)x

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  2. Oh how I hate blogger! I just wrote a whole comment and it has disapeared. Not sure I can be so profound again. It looks like you visited some great shops please enter me:)
    Arianwen

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  3. Wow I can see why you had such a great time away. Those yarns are just gorgeous! I am wishing I could knit now big time! I can do a basic plain and pearl. I think I can remember how to reduce stitches and cast on and off. But to make anything gorgeous seem a long way off! I will have to stick to the crocheting for a bit longer!

    Hope your lovely girl enjoys her handmade pressie. It certainly looks lovely with all those colours.

    Oh a giveaway! That yarn looks gorgeous! I would love to play it I may?


    MBB x

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  4. hello my dear, i called my son rowan after the wool xx would love to win great blog too x

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  5. I love the give-away!!! Beautiful yarn!!! Sounds like you found a couple of beautiful shops!!!

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  6. I would love to enter. I would also love to win :)
    The colours in the photos are just stunning!!!

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  7. Gorgeous looking yarn, pretty vintage needles, lovely card and mirror, what's not to love! Great giveaway.
    That boneyard shawl looks superb, the colours are lovely, Alice will love it I'm sure. And that blue yarn! The colour is stunning, and I could just smooch it!
    Kier x

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  8. Ooh what a lovely colourful post, I'm definitely suffering from yarn envy. Love the fruity colours of Alice's Boneyard shawl Thank you for the link. I'll be putting the pattern on the blog in the next few days, or maybe I ought to be getting to grips with Ravelry! I'd love to join in with the giveaway please!
    love Penny and Higgins x

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  9. what a sweet give-away, looks like you had a fab time exploring wool shops! i'm just about to start my 2nd boneyard shawl - great pattern,
    kellyx

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  10. waw!!!!!!!!
    All that yarn !!!

    Love your give away so I 'm in!

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  11. Oh my! You sound a lot like me umming and ahhing, I think I would have come home a little worse for the purse I think! All the yarn looks divine. Love the shawl, thats one lucky little girl who will receive it. As for the gargoyles, we are quite partial down here, we have one rather big one who sits in our garden and guards our front door, and three smaller who remind folks out the back to see/hear/speak no evil. They are rather cute!

    I would so love to win your giveaway because that ball of yarn is GREEN, I can just see it included in my one a day project, so I am crossing my fingers. xxxxxxxxxx hugs xoxo

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  12. I would really really love to win!!! Thank you for this lovely give away!
    Angie

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  13. Gorgeous giveaway. We popped the link on the Hey Cherry blog, so maybe one of our readers will be the lucky one. :)

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  14. Beautiful yarn for the Boneyard shawl! I love it, and I know Alice will too!
    I love malabrigo too, it's crazy, we can only buy it from one place in wellington and you have to get in quick!
    I'd love to win your giveaway, I am particularly partial to those pink knitting needles, they are just me!
    Have a great week XXX

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  15. So I'm not the only one who buys yarn if she can afford it and buttons if she can't absolutely wherever she goes? And of course yarn and buttons is best of all :D

    Lovely giveaway :)

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  16. What lovely yarny places to visit. The colors were fantastic. Love the colors of you knitty object as well. I struggle with knitting! Dropping stitches, loose stitches lol. Maybe one day I'll get the hang of it.
    Your giveaway items look lovely!

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  17. I bet all that yarn was hard to resist! What a lovely giveaway, I would love to be entered please. xx

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  18. Nth try at this for me. I would like to win [and after all this actually deserve to. I've also put you on my own blog. Here's hoping ...

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  19. wow! I just love yarn...the colour, the texture. Would so love to win. Love your blog, will definitely revisit:)

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  20. Hi! I'm a new follower here! I'd love to enter this giveaway and can't wait to catch up with your blog ;).

    Miki.

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  21. Oh my goodness, all the colors of the yarns, stunning. Ooh I would love to be in the draw for your generous giveaway. I am such a yarn and button a-holic, I received some beautiful Sublime yarn today, so soft. I hope you come to a happy decision re your cross roads.
    x Sandi

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  22. Me again, just to let you know I included your giveaway in my latest blogpost. Have a great weekend x

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  23. All those wonderful colours! What fun you had!
    Great giveaway!

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  24. I do love a good yarn shop! That hand-dyed brightness is fabulous. Thanks for offering such a great giveaway!

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  25. im envious of your wooly adventures..i just want to snuggle with that pile of malabrigo! id love to win thanks for the giveaway! raineoc@yahoo.com

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  26. I've been a little remiss at blogging lately, and commenting on others blogs, but I always make sure I visit you at least once a week to see what you're up to. So glad the conference week went well, and I LOVE those snowflake buttons!

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  27. Oh to be able to visit shops that sell such gorgeous yarns.
    I'm a quiet (but enthusiastic) follower of your blog and would love to enter the giveaway.


    Margaret

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  28. Hello! I found you through Victoria of Yarn Round Hook. Thanks for the virtual yarn shop tour. I love seeing all of those colors--now if only I could pet the skeins through the screen!

    Your Boneyard shawl looks lovely. I've got a shawl still on the needles because I've got to figure out how to read a lace chart in order to finish it. The simplicity of Boneyard makes it very appealing.

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  29. what a lovely giveaway! thanks for the chance to win!

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  30. Just love this yarn, and I'm so envious of the shop you visited. Thanks for the give-a-way chance to share!

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  31. Hoorah! Managed to comment at last - and post on my own blog to let others know. Hope it has the right effect and I win!

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  32. Oooh, I'm just knitting a cowl from blue Malabrigo :-). Lovely yarn!

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  33. In love with this amazing and lovely giveaway. Your trip sounded rather exciting - always great to see new (old) things. x

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