Adventures with a Norwegian knitter.Part 1.

I am bravely blogging through the rigours of our third cold since term started !
I know you are all desperate to know what Sissel and I got up to during her four day visit from Norway.
Confession no.1 is that we hardly did any knitting ! We were too busy careering around the North-East of England,chasing fellow knitters and yarn.And talking.And generally having a great time.
Sissel took quite a risk,travelling abroad,on her own,to meet someone she only knows from e-mails.I think her work colleagues all expected ''Missing Norwegian knitter found,in pieces,in English garden'' headlines.We got on so well.Spoke the same language,in the truest sense,based on our love of yarn,knitting,fibre and colour.Of course we put the world to rights as well,as you do !
We got on so well and she won our hearts with the beautiful traditional Norwegian sweater she knitted for Oliver.It is in the Fana pattern.

You'll have to wait a few days for picturesof people as I'm waiting for film to be developed [ Santa knows I want a digital camera for Christmas ],but can visit Polly's blog for details and pictures of our Binns get together - I am still recovering from the incredible surprise of a large crowd of Rowanettes coming up from London in honour of Sissel's visit.More on that later.
The day after Sissel arrived we went to Whitby to visit .Bobbins,after a detour to Middlesbrough and some lunch [ I should say that we covered over 500 miles,including the trips to the airport ! ].Despite being a shadow of it's former yarn emporium self there's still plenty to enjoy and buy! I think Sissel was somewhat overwhelmed by the displays of Colinette yarns,the variety of yarn type and the range of colours.She settled on some Giotto to make a little top in Fruit Coulis,a stunning yarn in mauves and deep,dark purples,like crushed blackcurrants and blueberries.
Being of weak will I also bought yarn.It was the huge cones of Rowan Denim that did it.

I bought enough,wound into 250gm cakes,to make myself a huge cardigan/jacket thing.One day ! I'm looking at numerous patterns and shall cobble something together.I also bought one hank of Colinette's Isis,in Magenta,as the colours went so well with my nearing completion Linen Drape top.I'm knitting a triangular scarf in garter stitch on 7mm needles.Instant gratification.Such gorgeous yarn.

Whitby is such a great place to visit.So many little shops full of things you didn't know you needed ! We had a great time just looking at stuff.Then had fish and chips on the cliff top,looking over a glass smooth sea,watching the world go by.

Fridays adventures to follow in part 2.
In the meantime the great Elfin knitalong has started over at curlsandpurls.
Wait for me.I'm not ready !