Because the picnic had been such a success and we'd all got on so well, we had mentioned about a weekend away together. We'd talked about it for so long and were all very excited about it.
So, last weekend, 18 of us went to Knockerdown Cottages near Ashbourne, in Derbyshire for a crafty long weekend together.
On the Saturday, we had a visit to Griffiths Mill where they talked to us about how their business had started and showed us all of the wool processing machinery.
They had a small shop where I bought 2 skeins of Blue Texel wool.
Then they let us cuddle some lambs which was lovely.
We also got a lovely group photo - with the lambs of course!
After that we went to Ashbourne and browsed the vintage craft fair at the town hall and went to lots of charity shops and antique shops - and looked lovingly at all of the beautiful antique wooden furniture. We visited the Sticky Fingers shop which is full of pretty gifty things.
Apart from that one busy day, the weekend was mostly spent crocheting, knitting, chatting, and drinking gin and tonics (and making jewellery by melting cheap plastic knitting needles).
Because this much wool is perfectly acceptable for 4 days away... (more about the crate soon)
I'm making blanket squares using Grandma's Knickknacks pattern available for free here
But this was the biggest shopping haul of the weekend - including 4 dresses from charity shops which I then was forced to show to the others as a fashion show.
I can't wait to meet up with everyone again at Yarndale this year but until then we've got a bit of a group project - one of the ladies left a bag of crocheted hexagons and 7 of us were crazy enough to volunteer to join them into a blanket to give back to her.
