Stitch & Craft Show, Olympia

Yesterday (dosed to the eyeballs with cold remedies that left me feeling seriously like I was orbiting the planet) I went to the Stitch and Craft show at Olympia.

It was on a much smaller scale than Alexandria Palace last autumn and the majority of the show was non-knitting. However, I did:

- pick up some 4ply (100% mohair) and 8ply (80% mohair; 20% merino wool) Wagtail for three different projects;

- bump into Kaffe Fassett while he was being shown up to Brandon Mably's stand for a book signing (my mother would be so envious);

- meet Kate Haxell and Luise Roberts (both very good news). I bought their Decorative Knitting book (and not just because it contained two beading techniques that are not in my trusty Finishing Techniques for Hand Knitters);

- meet Maureen from Newport in the Relax and Knit area with its friendly volunteers. The area itself was pretty dingy. In very sharp contrast, what a lovely, interesting lady. I've added a link to the Knitting Pure and Simple website to my blog as one of the volunteers was knitting one of their patterns that is knitted top down, with no seams. So Maureen, if you find and use the pattern, I hope it results in a non maternity knit for your husband!

This is a bit rich coming from me but there were a few things at the show that left me wondering quietly about curious array of people that the art of making attracts - all very different. e.g.

• the fantasy sock knitters finalists - I voted for Morticia Adams (it did look like the entrants had a lot of fun knitting up their entries);
  
  
• the rather eccentric 40s knitting lady, whose force of personality alone was sufficient for me to snap up a copy of her book; and
  
  
• the Bayeux Tapestry lady.

Please don't get me wrong, it was amazing. It must have been about 20ft long (at least). I admire her skill, endurance and interest in history but being the UFO merchant that I am, I cannot fathom putting 20 years of my life into recreating something as huge and detailed as that...

...the very idea terrifies me. If it had been my piece of work, Harold, Earl of the English, and his retinue would be stuck for eternity, only half set off for Bosham. The rest would never materialise.

The real question for me is, now that she's done it (with years of her life to spare), what does she do next? What possible making challenge might tempt her?

Somehow, I doubt that a Kaffe Fassett cross stitch cabbage cushion cover would hit the spot after recreating the Bayeux Tapestry!