Monday, July 23, 2012

Awwww... Mr Goldfish!

sheep

I am spoiled!

As some of you already know, I had been planning to go to the Australian Sheep and Wool Show last Friday...

But Little Miss Charlotte was miserably sick - so I had to give it a miss.

(insert sad face here)

I first heard about the show FOUR years ago - and I've been trying to get there ever since!

But there were always other commitments which prevented me going...

Then I thought I had it all sorted for this year - and Charlotte got sick...

Aaaaarghhhhhh!

But after dinner on Saturday night Mr Goldfish took the kiddies (well, three of them anyway) to Grandma's house... and declared we would be making an early start for Bendigo in the morning!

And he took me to the Show!!!

YAY.

Bendigo purchases

Do you know that I've never ever ever ever ever bought fancy yarn before?

Not exaggerating.I have not bought hand dyed yarn before now.

Well.... almost all of what I use is recycled...

Lately I've been purchasing some acrylics for my toy designs - because when I'm pattern writing, I need to be using a consistent yarn throughout the project... (I'd rather not - but when your offering a pattern, people need to be able to replicate what you have designed, so I do.)

But that it all I use.

Recycleds and some new acrylics.

I'm not complaining - I love my recycleds... they always amaze and inspire me. Like that scrappy blanket I made - I have been blown away by the feedback I've received on that blanket - people are in awe of it - but it's just scraps!!!! How cool is that?

Anyway, lately I've felt the urge to make some 2ply laceweight scarves. And my experience of recycling laceweight yarns is not good. It's just too fine, which leads to so many breakages, and insane frustration!

So I headed off to The Show with a firm shopping list. Looking for three skeins of 2ply laceweight yarn. A green colourway and a deep red colourway for gifts I will be making... and  dark purple colourway just for me...

Bendigo purchases

And I did it.

ALMOST.

Just couldn't find a deep red (probably because it was the Sunday afternoon, and the show was almost over) which I loved in a 2ply laceweight. So I've gone a little thicker and chosen a beautifully dyed 4ply fingering weight instead.

Bendigo purchases

So the laceweights are a 45% Wool, 55% Silk... and the fingering weight is 100% Merino. Desperately excited to see how they work up, but I'm trying to restrain myself and finish a few other projects first. Like the design I am working on for the AUGUST CHALLENGE... you are going to love him! He is soooooo incredibly adorable. But I need to finish sewing the limbs on - and write up the pattern for you...

Back to the yarns for a minute. They were all purchased from the one fabulous vendor, Jane of Moseley Park. And I have to say... I LOVED EVERYTHING she had on offer! Her colourways are so wonderfully exquisite - I wanted one of everything... and the service was the friendliest we had. Jane also has an online store if you'd like to take a peek.

Bendigo purchases


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Glad you were able to go! Beautiful yarns and the cutie of a lamb is going to be so cool to make!