[caption id="attachment_209" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pick by Alice Twain, Edinburgh 2015[/caption] In July 2014 I went to my first yarn festival. It was Unwind, in Brighton, and I gathered there with 2 of my patterns in crime and met new friends. That weekend was a kind of revelation for various reasons:

• it was the first solo trip in a long time after becoming a mom. And it was the first of many.
• It was my first yarn festival, the first time I was inebriated by yarn fumes. If you are a yarn junky like me, it means being in paradise.
• It was my first knitting class with my favourite designer, Veera Välimäki, and it was magic! She's a wonderful person, but being there speaking about knitting and yarn, in the same room with her and other passionate knitters was incredible: finally I was among my peers!

I already told you about the story behind La Cave à Laine, but this time I want to go further. That weekend in Brighton was a real revelation for me. Since I've become a mother I have realised that I wasn't going to be the kind of person that cherish unconditional commitment to parenting... I love my kids, but they are a lot to deal with on daily basis: they are very very very very very active and lively. Very. My "career" in food blogging and professional Social Media management was behind me and I was ready for a new adventure. And by adventure I mean something meaningful for my own fulfillments and joy, not someone else's. My children are happy if I am happy and fulfilled, no the other way round. Anyway: this isn't a post on motherhood! It is a post about yarn and knitting :) Unwind Brighton was my first festival. It was followed by:

• Aiguille en fête, in Paris
• Edinburgh Yarn Festival, where I gave a try to spinning.
• Berlin Knits, where I had another chance to take a class with the lovely Verra Välimäki.
• Swiss Wulle Festival, in Zug.

And now it's that time of the year again: Edinburgh Yarn Festival is this upcoming weekend! I'll meet there some old friends:

• Alice, la mia compagna di merende (an Italian expression to indicate someone with whom you share your snack time. And snack time in Italy is always happy time!)
• Cinzia, creator of Di Filato, the best yarn selection in Italy.
• Enrico, owner of Les Tricoteurs Volants, the best yarn shop in Paris.
• Alice Hammer, prominent French designer with a new book on the shelfs.

And I hope to meet many other nice people, to knit with! Last year I have met a knitter on the plane going to Edinburgh, just sitting beside me! This year I have some research in mind to do during my time in Edinburgh, concerning a new idea I want to pursue. I'll arrive in Edinburgh Thursday the 17th March in the afternoon and go the knit night at Akva and I'll be my usual Alice in Wonderland as knit night are so rare for me and always involve to much organisational effort and there isn't nice places to go to here in rural Alsace... On Friday morning I will hit the marketplace and in the afternoon I'll take a class on Brioche knitting. I will be happily helping out Caerthan of Triskelion Yarn at his boot sometime Saturday. I will enjoy the yarn fumes and the happy relaxed atmosphere that only people dress in their own knits can create. I will drink tea, beer, cider. I will eat scones, maybe haggis, probably porridge. I will enjoy the wonderful Scottish accent thinking of Ewan McGregor. I will dream of vampires coming out windows of the Old City as usually when I am in Edinburgh. I will knit undisturbed for hours, without the burdens of a dinner to cook or the children to pick up at school. Edinburgh here I come!