Things to be excited about...

There are so many things for me to be excited about at the moment...

1).  Weekend away

I'm sooooo excited to be having some time away this very weekend.  Me, my good friend A Bunch of Buttons and my tiny car are heading up to Yorkshire from Friday to Sunday.  For me, it's nice to have a little break from the worries of work and life, but for Anna, it's even bigger news. This will be the first time she will be away from her Little Lady since she was born.  Exciting but scary, I'm sure.  We have booked a lovely quaint little inn where the food is supposedly excellent and I'm looking forward to the chance to have a little relax and lots of uninterrupted crochet time!

The real purpose of our trip however is not merely the chance to get away. Oh no, it's for something much bigger...

2).  Yarndale!  Yarndale!  Yarndale!

Yep, Yarndale is finally here!  When we booked it, it seemed like an age away and the time passed dreadfully slowly.  In the last few weeks however it's crept up on me and suddenly it's here!  I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this event.  The Yarndale team have been dropping hints and teasers of what's to come on Twitter, and now there's a Facebook exhibitors group so that you can see the amazing goodies that will be waiting there.  I've already got a shopping list forming, and it's growing everytime I check my Facebook account!

I'm also eager to see Skipton yarnbombed top to toe.  The rumour is that from the station to the Auction Mart is completely decorated in yarn and everything in between.  It's definitely going to be something to see :)  I'll be sure to get some pictures so you can admire it too.  

3).  Kit Club arrival

I'm sure by now you've realised that Fresh Stitches is one of my favourite crochet designers.  Earlier this year, or possibly even last year (time moves so fast!) Fresh Stitches organised a 'Kit Club' where a mystery package of crochety goodness was sent out every 2 months for 6 months, each complete with everything you need to make a new cutey animal, and a special gift/technique to use in the kit.  

This kit club is just the same; a new package is sent every 2 months, and each has something special included to take your crochet skills to the next level.  The first kit is en route to me right now!  It's got a long old journey though from America, so I'm not expecting to receive mine anytime soon.  That doesn't stop me checking the post everyday mind...

4).  Janie Crow crochet blanket club 2014

Another club!  I guess I'm a sucker for a good crochet mystery.  I've signed up for the 2014 crochet club which starts in February.  The Crochet Club has been held every year since 2011, each with a different theme including art deco, victorian lace and persian mosaic.  This year the theme is 60s and 70s retro flower and geometric patterns and the colours are right up my street.  The kit includes all the Rowan yarn you need to complete the blanket and the online support to do it well.  Now just to tackle the payments...

5).  Movement to the dark side...

Quite possibly the most exciting news of the week is that lovely Leanne Leanne is moving to the dark side.  She's starting to feel the crochet love and becoming a happy hooker!  I gave her her first proper lesson on Friday.  She had been working on sample squares of different stitches and I was helping with crocheting in the spiral, with increases and decreases.  I thought a good place to start was a caterpillar, as it's made up of 6 repeated balls.  I made the eyes, all ready to be attached, and when I left, she had already made one of the balls. 

Later that day, I got this!

I'm massively impressed!  For a first attempt at amigurumi, this is incredibly neatly stitched and perfectly round; so much better than my early work.  I can't wait to see the finished result!

What are you looking forward to over the next few weeks, crafty or otherwise?