nonaKnits

Stitches Haul

My more questioning readers might be of the opinion that yesterday's post was a bit of a tall tale.  "There's no way nona came home with only 4 cents in her wallet", you're musing to yourself.  But it's true, all true, Girl Scout honor, pinky swear, cross my heart.  I'm sure Cookie and Kristi will vouch for me, as I spent my last dime -- literally -- at their Bay Area Knit Co-Op booth.

Not only did I enjoy the purchases I made yesterday, but I had a blast browsing the market place with my friends, running into people, learning a stretchy cast on from Nancy Bush, watching the Victorian Lace Today fashion show, seeing beautiful, beautiful things, and generally having a nifty time.  Without further adieu, here's the haul...

1. The Bay Area Knit Co-Op booth was one of my first stops as I knew I wanted Cookie A's collection of 8 sock patterns.  I also picked up 5 skeins of Louet Gems in Linen Grey to make her Rhiannon Socks.  What can I say, Cookie has a way with socks and I love having a stash of excellent sock patterns.

2. 2 skeins of Seduction -- 50% merino and 50% tencel -- from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, color ways Smoky Blue and Rooster Rock.  I've already swatched these two yarns for knitting the Chevron Scarf from Last-Minute Knitting Gifts.

3. I always enjoy the Brooks Farm booth and look forward to my annual visit.  Their Acero yarn -- 60% wool, 20% silk, 20% viscose -- drew my eye this year, so I bought a skein and a pattern to knit their Crest of the Wave Moebius.

4. My 13 year old fiber enthusiast friend is into Orenburg style lace shawls and has me curious about their construction.  While we were in the Skaska Designs booth I picked up Galina Khmeleva's book, The Gossamer Webs Design Collection.  This book has already inspired today's swatch.

5. In my opinion the small corner Pick Up Sticks! booth was the best designed booth at the show.  It's bright colors and clean graphic sensibility stopped me in my tracks.  I was going to buy something from this creative booth and buy I did -- 3 hip and modern felted pillow patterns.

6. For me, the treat of the day was stumbling upon the Victorian Lace Today fashion show.  Narrated by the books author, Jane Sowerby, the show allowed me to see Jane's designs first hand and to hear the stories behind these designs.  I plan to buy the book from my LYS, but did pick up some lovely Zephyr Wool-Silk from Terilyn Needleart at the Bay Area Knit Co-Op booth. 

And with that, the money was gone and the buying complete.

Farm Yarn

One positive aspect of aging is the self awareness that comes with the passing of the years.  Me?  Well, I've learned that I -- nona -- am particularly susceptible to an Intention vs Reality disconnect when it comes to yarn.  Last Saturday when nona-sister-in-law and I set off for an afternoon of yarn shopping in the great outdoors, I intended to buy 2 skeins -- one from each farm.  The reality?  12 skeins.  Which leaves Reality at a 500% increase over Intention.  Shall we see what Reality brought home? 

1. From Dancing Leaf Farm -- our first stop -- I bought 3 skeins of Salsa, a wool & mohair blend.  I plan to knit another version of the EZ baby sweater using the multi raspberry & purple & green for the yoke and the tone-on-tone raspberry for the body.  As for the neutral with a hint of green, who knows -- it was just beautiful.

2. 1 skein of purple Luster Spun Wool and 2 skeins of Morning Mist, a Wool & Mohair blend, for a crocheted scarf with lots of spiral fringe -- currently in the works.  (Kiparoo Farm)

3. 1 skein of Starry Night already knit into the Mighty Manly Hat. The label for this yarn reads, "Beautiful sheep with shiny fleece dreaming under the stars at night".  Who could resist? (Kiparoo Farm)

4. 3 skeins of Ole! -- a Mohair and Rayon blend -- earmarked for a super long, diagonal scarf with long, loopy fringe.  (Kiparoo Farm)

5. 2 skeins of Lacy Loops -- a Mohair yarn -- screaming mobius neck warmer, which I plan to knit the cheating way.  Inquisitive reader, you'll have to wait and see.  (Kiparoo Farm)

Which leads me to another lesson learned over the years -- It's not necessarily bad if reality doesn't match our expectations.  Perhaps we need to keep our expectations to a minimum and just deal with reality, as it happens.