Yarndale

What a great weekend it has been and such fun with three good friends.  I have been wanting to go to Yarndale since the beginning and I was not disappointed.

Our day started early on Saturday morning when we queued to get in at 10.00am

and once in the hall, I decided to visit 'Lucy' of Attic24, who has been my inspiration since taking up crochet again.

After a quick chat I left because I knew she would get busy and I wanted to start looking round the rest of the show.

Delightful alpacas

 

Just a small amount of the bunting

I bought a small woolly sheep that was made in Yorkshire and now resides on my workroom window sill.

I checked out the Mandalas and was delighted to find mine (made for Yarndale 2014)

That is mine - the bright pink spokes emanating from a lime green centre!!

and I even found one of my brooches that I made last year amongst a sea of brooches!

Mine with the blue bead centre - bottom right just below the pale blue with red button centre!

A wall of brooches

The brooches were being sold off for Alzheimer's Society.

I found the pair of Socks for the Homeless knitted by one of our Higham Piecemakers group

The pair hanging between the bootees

I spent more than anticipated on wool, which I couldn't resist and I even managed to get a photo of the surrounding countryside

The hills above Skipton

and of this wonderful knitted 'river'

The 'Leeds - Liverpool' canal

and Attic24's giant Mandalas

 

and these delightful yarnbombed bollards -

After the show we walked back into Skipton and I took this final look back at the Auction Mart where the show was held.

We walked through the park past all the yarnbombed lamp posts

Fishes under the sea with button bubbles

and along the canal

 

and I loved this sign -

Speed limit 2 mph

We stayed at this excellent hotel and had canal view rooms where there was plenty of river traffic that all had to stop and move the swing bridge to allow passage.

Sunday we went out for the day to Bolton Abbey and spent time looking around the ruins of The Priory

 

and we went into the church to have a look round.  I loved the wall behind the altar which was built in 1877 to replace the old wall built in 1539.  It was decorated three years later by a local artist, Thomas Bottomley, and his apprentice, R H Greenwood.  It was beautiful

and all the flower pictures represent Christ in some manner. ie the Barley is how Jesus described Himself as the 'Bread of Life' (John 6).

We watched walkers cross the 'Stepping Stones'

but decided to cross on the bridge and later on went on these children's stepping stones.

We carried on walking up the valley of the River Wharfe and I was impressed with all the different things there were for children to do, including this safe tree climbing.

After a visit to the tea rooms, including a cream tea, we walked back down the valley

having spent a warm, fine day, with a little gentle exercise, out in the open air.
A memorable weekend, full of laughter, spent with three good friends and don't forget the 'Garforth and Shipley' chocolate.  Sorry, an in-house joke which we will remember for ages; there is no such thing!