craft fair + vlog

February 22, 2013 by wink

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

Last weekend I went to a craft fair in my home town, Zwolle (The Netherlands). It was crowded and hot, and there were more quilt shops than yarn shops, but I still had a good time :) I went with my mom, my aunt and my sister-in-law, all a crafty bunch, and we came prepared with lists of what we needed (and thoughts about what we wanted).

Here’s a gallery of pictures to give you an idea of the fair. (click for larger images)

: Lots and lots of quilt supplies…

: Some nice yarn, I can’t remember the brand.

: This is embroidery. Yup, that’s right!

: Just one of the many amazing quilts at the fair.

: This was my favorite quilt there!

: I love this idea for a quilt. Very well made too.

: This giant granny blanket was up for grabs in a raffle; the proceeds went to cancer research.

: This stand was filled to the brim with little luck charms!

: This lady was making lace, and was just finished. I could hardly see the stitches!

: Some cool bobbins for sale.

: A curtain being braided with Zpagetti t-shirt yarn.

: Gorgeous crochet cardigan with very cool yarn (Katia, I believe).

: This lady was making parts of a quilt on her machine. She makes it look so easy!

(I’m trying out this gallery; let me know if you like viewing a large amount of pictures like this)

I came with a shopping list as well and there were only a couple of things on it, like these hooks I had been dying to try:

An Addi Swing hook in 4mm, and a KnitPicks double hook in 4/4,5mm. I got them in the size I use most; for my weekly mandalas for instance!

So the next day I tried to make something with the Addi Swing hook. It’s… different. I really have to get used to the size of the handle because it’s much larger than my regular Clover hook, and although I think it can really help with any stiffness you might have in your hands or wrists, I don’t think this is the hook for me. Having said that though, I plan on using it a couple of times more just to see if I can get used to it.

I also tried the KnitPicks hook, expecting to love it. I have circular knitting needles in the same edition and I love those, so what could go wrong, right? Right. This crochet hook is very scratchy; it kept snagging on my yarn and it didn’t flow nicely at all. I might take a piece of sandpaper to this hook because despite the roughness, it’s a good size and the wood feels good when you hold it in your hand. So the verdict isn’t quite in on this hook either; but so far I’m unimpressed.

Would you like me to write a more in-depth review of these hooks, and perhaps other hooks as well? Let me know! :)

And speaking of letting me know your thoughts: I want to make you guys a video, where I answer any and all questions you might have for me! So if you’ve always wanted to know why my hair is pink, what hooks I have, what my stash looks like or if you just want to hear me speak in my ‘cute’ Dutch accent; let me know in the comments! :) I really want to get into the habit of making more videos for you guys, like tutorials, tips, tricks and what not, and this will help me get over any ‘stage fright’ I might have.

I can’t wait to hear your questions! :)

xo,
wink

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