After Leeds our next stop was a night at BabyLonglegs dye studio for an informal evening of knitting, Hat talk and jolliness. A barbecue was had, along with a glass of wine or two.

Sadly, I don't think anyone took any photos even though Hats were popping on and off heads! Typical. We had fun! And it was nice to drag my family up to meet BabyLongleg's family properly for once, rather than surviving on fleeting meetings. Aran found himself in boy heaven with more trampolines and space hoppers than he'd ever dreamed of, as well as new playmates. Now that we know our bus fits in their driveway I think we'll be back again.

From Leicester we headed off to Stone in Staffordshire, to a gorgeous wee shop called the YarnGathering of Stone. Look what greeted me!

How cool is that banner?! I was blown away by the welcome - amazing.

One of things the lovely folks here asked me to talk about was subbing yarns, which is a good topic, especially for those unsure of how fibre behaves. It can take a while to get experience with the different yarns, how they behave and how their gauge affects things so I hope I helped in some way.

There was lots of trying on of Hats and plenty of book signing!

Knotty Artisan sported her Tudor Cap!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs B, who has knitted more than a few of my Hats. Here she shows us how she's knitted and decorated her ColdHarbour Twist berets:

Isn't she wonderful? And her knitting too! It just goes to show that Wormhead Hats work for all ages, and that a little bit of imagination can make all the difference in the finish of a Hat.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is another fantastic yarn shop. I really have been spoilt on this tour as I couldn't pick one shop over the other - each have been wonderful and so warm and friendly. The YarnGathering of Stone is a relatively new shop yet I've no doubt it will be around for a while to come yet. Their weekly knit meetings bring in big numbers, and if the response to my visit is anything to go by, they are a loyal customer base open to new ideas!

On our way out of Yorkshire towards Leicester we stopped at Eureka in Halifax. A totally bonkers, mad sort of place that would give any parent a headache after a few hours yet could keep any child entertained for days.

Aran spent most of his time either in the bathroom area upstairs - running taps, pressing buttons that made water gurgle, flushing the toilet (you get the idea) and downstairs in the car & mechanics are - getting in and out of cars, filling up petrol tanks, playing with mechanic type things.

Our campsite just outside Stone was, well, different from the rest.

Not that it was bad, not at all. It was basic, which is fine with us as we're all set up to handle a few nights without electricity and running water. It was cheap and behind a pub so we had options of eating out, which is all good and reminds me very much of the travelling we used to do when I was a kid in our caravan.

What they didn't tell us was that there was a Biker Rally that very weekend in that very campsite in that very pub. When we pulled up we were told we could park anywhere, so we found ourselves a flat spot at the top of a field containing a few tents at the bottom end. Within only a few hours we found ourselves surrounded by tents. They were mostly pretty friendly but any large group like that can be pretty intimidating.

Now, there's nowt wrong with Bikers or Bikers Rallies. But I do think the campsite should have at the very least reserved that area for them and told us to park elsewhere. Likewise in the Pub. When we went in for dinner we were happily told we could sit anywhere and being as it was rather crowded we found ourselves some seats in a section near the rear. Within no time at all we had a balding & bearded Biker telling us rather firmly to move as we were taking up seats... either that or stay and pay. All mighty uncomfortable but it could have been avoided if that area had clearly been reserved.

Still, it served us for the night! And the funniest thing? We Googled our camping neighbours and found them all to be policemen! We had nothing to worry about at all.

Next stop is Knit Nation this very weekend where I'm sharing stand 128 with BabyLongLegs, NicsKnots and Atomic Knitting. I'll be signing books and will have most of my Hats with me. Do pop by to say hello and if it's quiet, we might get started on the photos for the how to wear a Hat thing I mentioned in the last post, models permitting!

After our fun time in Cheshire, we headed east and slightly north to Leeds, to visit the fabulous Baa Ram Ewe.

One thing that's fascinated me about each shop that I've visited is seeing how the personality of the owner brings out the best of their knitting group (and shop) and Verity is no exception. She brings in a busy, friendly and chatty crowd and if you're not careful they can wear you out! There were knitters everywhere, around the crowded table and spilling out in all directions, until even the floor at the rear of the room was covered. Even the main part of the shop stayed busy throughout the evening!

Needless to say, with so many folk it was a little difficult to get individual shots of knitters in their Hats but that's cool, group shots say just as much.

(not sure why we have such serious faces in this one... think they were trying to keep a straight face!)

As we'd done before at Fibre + Clay Hats aplenty were being tried on and advice was on offer for which styles suited who and how to wear them. There was one lady who swore she didn't suit Hats yet before long we'd found the right one for her and then it proved tricky getting it off her head!

It always seems to be the way that berets suit more women and that's pretty much all everyone reaches for when faced with a pile of woolly Hats. Or at least in my experience. So you can imagine how chuffed I was to see an adult version of Tinker! It pleases me no end when I see WW kiddy Hats on grown-ups :) (and yes I know, Tinker does come in adult sizes but who doesn't see it as a Hat for little people?)

If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, do go visit Baa Ram Ewe. It's an amazing shop with a really lively atmosphere and ultra friendly staff and customers. Honestly, they couldn't do enough for me. Verity has worked hard on the shop and it's environment and she's created a vibrant place which welcomes all knitters.

Thank you guys for having me!

As you'll know by now, we didn't want this tour to be all work and no play! Whilst here we visited the Abbey House Museum, which is set up to not only show the history of the local area but also be pretty kid friendly, too.

Aran got to play at having a tea party:

Whilst Mummy got to play at being a Mad Hatter:

Accommodation wise, we found ourselves a nice little site in Bardsey, north of the centre. Now, we had real trouble trying to find a campsite that would take us. Not because they had a ban on bus dwelling travellers with wool dreads, but because most of the ones we found online that were within a decent distance from the shop were over 18's only. Be warned if you want to camp in this area and you have little people - your choices are limited.

Most of the campsites were for static caravans and mobile homes, with a few pitches for tourers and motorhomes. The site we stayed on, Haighfield Caravan Park, were really friendly yet you could tell that they weren't geared towards tourers. That said, I'd say they were thinking along those lines, as the toilets and facilities were very clean and very new. What was lovely was the amount of green space we had to play with - we pretty much had a 5 acre field all to ourselves and Aran could run around without a care in the world!

All this Hat talk has got me thinking - would you be interested in a blog post or 3 or an article of some kind, on how to wear Hats and how to choose a style that suits you? Quite a few folk have expressed an interest but I think I may need your help in putting it all together - there are a lot of styles and different shaped faces and heads to cover!

Blogging on the road takes on a whole new meaning for me as I sit in the back of the bus typing this! No doubt we'll be parked up and settled in for the night before I finish typing (rear suspension + tiny netbook screen + European keyboard = interesting typos)

We've spent the last few days in Cheshire visiting the truly lovely Fibre + Clay shop in Knutsford. When I say it is truly lovely, I mean that. The shop, the owners, the hospitality - everything. We couldn't have spent the first part of the tour, my first ever tour, in a better place.

Saturday was all about Hat Design. I love teaching this workshop, as not only do I get to talk Hats all day but I also help knitters understand how to take their own measurements and make themselves a Hat that fits. We discuss different styles, shaping, incorporating stitch patterns and more. It isn't a prescriptive workshop - we cover the basics and then I go with the flow of the students and cover their needs. The need to be flexible can make it more intense to teach but that makes me love it even more - everyone comes out with a Hat that they want.

Image copyright Fibre + Clay

Tuesday morning is one of the weekly knitting meetings at Fibre + Clay and they asked if I'd visit and talk Hats with them. And talk Hats we did!

People are always telling me how Hats just don't suit them, so one of the things we focused on was how to wear a Hat. It's true, not every Hat suits every person but people who don't suit any Hat at all are very, very rare indeed. Picking the right style and shape to suit your face is key, but how to wear it on your head is the secret to being a happy Hat wearer.

Most of the Hats shown here are berets, and this was the most popular style by far in both the design workshop and the 'show and tell' yet that doesn't make them all the same. The different elements that make up a design, whether it be yarn choice, weight or drape, the different types of brim or how a stitch pattern affects the fabric all make a subtle difference in how a Hat looks. The most noticeable differences come from the brim choice (rolled brims are softer on the face) and how far down or back the brim is worn. Don't be afraid to experiment when trying on Hats!

I really did have the loveliest time - thank you Riana and everyone at Fibre and Clay for making me feel most welcome :) If you find yourself in the area, do pay them a visit. It is a beautiful yarn store but it's more than that too - it's full of beautiful ceramics and buttons, gorgeous hand made textile jewellery and other such gems.

Whilst I was at the shop on Tuesday morning, Tom took Aran to see the Jodrell Bank and I was a little sad that I missed it. Still, Tom tells me that Aran absolutely loved it, and was especially entertained by the 3D cinema. It would seem that planets flying out of the giant screen directly at you don't scare our boy.

We stayed at a couple of different campsites, as we made visits to my aunt & uncle in Sandbach (hi Janice & Graham - I know you're reading!) and to Just Call Me Ruby in Southport, making the most of our time. By far our favourite campsite was a little site called Strawberry Wood, just outside Knutsford.

Some the sites we've stayed at have been set up for statics, with space given for tourers and tents. This site was different because it was all for tourers and motorhomes and had plenty of space for each pitch.

That awning hiding behind the tree and foliage to the right of the photo? That was our neighbour. All the pitches around the outside of the site are separated by dense greenery and trees, giving you complete privacy. Even the pitches in the middle, where the trees where less dense had more privacy than just about every other site we've stayed at. There's no shop and my internet dongle struggled to get a signal (and I suspect most mobile networks would have virtually no coverage as it's slap bang in the middle of the woods) but other than that, it was perfect.

Well, that's all so far - what a great few days! And as suspected we're now parked up in a campsite in Bardsey, Leeds, ready for tomorrow's visit to Baa Ram Ewe.