Yarn shopping is always fun. When it is combined with a sunny trip to the seaside, meeting friends and a Scandanavian bakery it is a recipe for the perfect day out.

Saturday saw me gleefully heading off to Brighton on the train, destined to meet up with Mairead - Vincakent and Kate - Scubamonkey at the wonderful yarn store that is YAK. I really enjoyed my first visit there some months ago and have been eagerly anticipating a second visit. It really is fabulous gem of a place, expertly run by Kate and stocked with an amazing array of yarns, notions and books. Even more so at the minute as she is playing host to all the pieces from the Interpretations 2 collection - the collaboration between Veera Valimaki and Joji Locatelli.

Despite the heat I was persuaded to try on the Adventurous coat and was instantly smitten.

I would love a version of this in a deep rich teal shade - it would be perfect for autumn and would certainly liven up my school run mornings.

After much yarn squishing I settled on 2 more skeins of The Uncommon Thread 4ply fingering weight yarn to add to that already in my collection.

The Uncommon Thread: new additions to my collection.

I was pleased to see that the sock knitters of Brighton were well catered for, with both the new books by Clare Devine and Coop Knits in stock.

There is a fabulous range of yarns from The Uncommon Thread, Eden Cottage Yarns, Lioness Arts, John Arbon, Malabrigo and many more. I also spotted a new-to-me dyer called Life in the Long Grass which is definitely on my 'to try' list for the future.

And then it was time to try out the nearby Nordic Bakery. The cinnamon buns were highly recommended and I can see why. Good coffee, excellent cake, chatter and knitting - it really was the perfect way to spend a few hours.

Going to yarn shows is amazing and gives you a chance to meet so many new people but sometimes, just a few friends sharing their knitting and catching up over coffee is all you need for a great day.