tripping again

I am sitting in the sun, which is a small miracle in itself in October, admittedly I am behind double glazing but there are still flowers within and without, the doggy is stretched out with a contented sigh at my feet and if I hadn't just knocked over and broken my cup of tea, it would be perfect. Which would be frightening, so just as well I am clumsy.

The wireless is spewing out financial disaster, not much I can do about that except keep my fingers crossed that the pension funds hold out.

Daughter in America is expecting her first, her husband is on a 4 day week now so they are nervous. Hopefully the Bailouts and interest rate cuts will help steady the ship.

Son, also in the States, is part of a Messenger Co-operative, so he needs businesses to keep growing and communicating so his bicycle wheels can keep going round.

So, yesterday, in an effort to graduate into the Age of Irresponsibility I betook myself, and mother, up to the Big Bad City, ignored the steam rising above the Stock Exchange, or was that smoke, and joined my peers [and commoners] entering Alexander Palace to see the annual Knit and Stitch exhibition.

Actually Ally Pally is a bit like this conservatory, only a bit taller - and with a Palm Court. The textiles are shown in two huge halls - or maybe more, ma and I are rather dyslexic re. direction, and usually have no idea where we are, or how to get there, thank goodness for mobile phones. One hall has a large and colourful Rose window, so we can tell when we are in that hall, and we Know that in one of the corners there is a cafe, just not which one.

We had a potter round the individual and group shows, plus the graduate shows. Each ridiculously young woman has an alcove decorated with the fruits of their years of study, usually highly decorative and accomplished [graduate and work]. I have just realised i should have taken some pics of the ubiquitous knitting for Heide, I will ask Allison. The latter is so dedicated she is going up tomorrow and staying overnight B&B so she can spend two days indulging herself in fabric and colour.

I took some pics for the lacemakers of my acquaintance

and this

For myself i liked these dancers [life size].

My ma liked this quilt [below], with the Diver appliqued. Instinctively I take the opposite view partly because we have unresolved issues [which she is much too old to have any interest in resolving, [the new bus time table etc demands much more attention from her and needs angry emails to whoever] and also because I think the black -what do you call it, silhouette is too .........easy.

The stalls seemed to be arranged more by theme this year, so I was able to dive into an orgy of thread buying, without getting distracted by gadgets, and a wonderful dyed and combed Finnish fleece which I am convinced I can turn into a Mistresspiece or two.

I took a pic of a patchwork piece to remind me to be more adventurous. obviously i have a room full of half finished bits and pieces and I would love to think this would inspire me to combine them in a contemporary manner. Equally obviously no-one would then be interested in taking them off my hands as "contemporary" is not a style that goes over big outside the Big Bad City.

This is really when i miss the presence of my daughter whom instinctively goes for the jugular - in design and all other matters.