Purl City Design Competition

I was very flattered to be invited to be a judge for the Purl City design competition. It was my first judging experience and it was much more difficult than I anticipated! All the beautiful designs were very different but each had special qualities. The inspiration was Manchester and the participants had drawn from a very diverse range of things "Mancunian". Architecture featured prominently and some of Manchester's great landmarks were creatively interpreted into knitted projects. Perhaps less well-known to those outside Manchester, there is an amazing history of science and scientific discovery in the city and this, too, was reflected in some very imaginative designs. And, being Manchester, the weather inevitably played a part with some stunning interpretations of our "(in)famous" propensity for the wet stuff!

Jeni from Fyberspates was my fellow judge and we had a tough time picking the winners. I won't spoil the surprise but look out for the announcement on the Purl City blog soon. And if you're in the area, be sure to drop into the shop for a warm welcome (and awesome yarn of course!).

After the judging it was onto a well-earned drink in Porterhouse, the great new bar that's just opened opposite the shop (did Charlie know this when choosing her location I wonder.....?). Given that we knitters can often be persuaded to enjoy a beer (or two) with our knitting, it is the ideal pairing - yarn shop with real alehouse opposite - perfect!

We rounded off the evening with a great meal at the St Petersburg Russian Restaurant. The food was yummy and we did a respectable job of trying some of the 47 different vodkas on offer! Highlight of the evening was the in-house cabaret. Difficult to describe but try to imagine a human slinky doing flips and turns to Russian music - yes, it was as unique as it sounds - if you're in Manchester I'd highly recommend a visit!