Birthday Yarn

This past weekend was my birthday (never mind which one), and as it has in past years, Webs tent sale fell just on the very day of my nativity. I'm so lucky! So a friend and I motored out to Northampton for the day, and I got myself some birthday presents. I love birthday presents!

Aside from lots of sale items, Webs puts up their own tent, but also, around the perimeter of the parking lot, are tents from local vendors, farmers, shepherds, and yarniacs. Things sold here are not things you can find in regular stores. While I didn't have much money, I was able to indulge a bit, and you can be sure that I collected business cards from every booth I visited. And I took copious notes. There's a certain burnished bronze yarn I want. Lace weight. It rocks my stripey socks.

OK. So even though money is tight, I bought myself some stuff, both from Webs and from some of the local vendors. Here it is in pictures.

From Webs, I got some Noro Kureyon.  The dominant colours are blues, cobalt, dark, intense, royal, with a few others thrown in (hey, it's Noro!). I am going to make yet another Noro Striped Scarf, but instead of using two of Colour A and one of Colour B and one of Colour C, I am using four different colourways. I think it will work, and if it doesn't, well, I'll still have an amazing technicolour scarf.

There's some purple, and red, and orange and black and green mixed in with all the blues. I'm really excited about this project. Maybe I'll even keep this scarf for myself.

I also got some Malabrigo Rios, in the delightful teal feather colour. I have a project already planned for this yarn, I'm making a scarf for the daughter of a friend with it, and for her sister, I'm making one in purple. I've got the purple yarn (got it in New Orleans in February!), and now I have the teal.

I love working with Rios, it feels so good to knit with.

I have seen this yarn around in a few places, but while I was at Webs thought I'd get it on sale. Jojoland Fantasia is a superwash wool, with vibrant colours. I think a 1x1 rib, in alternating rows will make something quite nice.

There is a bit of purple running through each skein which I think will work nicely together. There are other colourways that I like, and I think it would make a good sweater. I need to mull that over a bit.

There were a lot of other yarns at Webs that I saw that I wanted to take home with me. Madeline Tosh's entire collection yarns, in just about every colour, was just begging to be put into my shopping cart. Lorna's Laces were calling my name, too. Alas, unlike my first trip to Webs, when I had saved up mucho dinero over the course of the year, this time I was limited in my budget. But there will be other trips, and I took notes on all the things I wanted. And I should be able to order some of this stuff at my LYSs.

 Some of the yarn that was just hanging around at Webs this past weekend. Alas, I didn't buy any of this, but I was sorely tempted!

Yarns that I got outside, at the vendors' tents are unique and sometimes handspun or hand dyed. Brook's Bend Farm supplied me with two skeins of the prettiest Shetland wool, in undyed, natural hues (the website is still in development, but Suzanne Webber assures me that it will be up soon).

The picture doesn't do it justice, but the white is really very creamy, and the brown is an intense chocolate colour. I'm thinking a scarf or a Fair Isle hat. This yarn is so soft that I don't think I'll want to give it away. They had a nice collection of undyed yarns.

I will keep their contact info, and will definitely be ordering more from them. Hmmm, I'm thinking holiday presents.

Barbara Parry was there with her collection of Foxfire Fiber yarns. Her yarns are so beautiful, and every time I go to the tent sale I end up buying something from her. I haven't knit it up yet because I can't find a project worthy of her gorgeous yarns. This year I got yarn that is 80% wool and 20% alpaca. The colour is Nightshade, and I am thinking a scarf would suit this yarn.

The purple and black yarn, with a wee hint of brown, is so gorgeous, and so wonderful to feel. I might never knit with it! I'll just put my hand in the baggie and hold it.

Finally, from Rue at Kama Suutra Fiber Arts, this gorgeous hank of hand painted yarn. It is 100% superwash Merino, sock weight yarn, 405 yards. I could make a small neckerchief with this, or a lovely scarf.

 

 This yarn is very soft to the touch, and she also had a burnished bronze that I fell in love with. Alas, budgetary restraints kept me from getting both skeins. But I noted it and will order it when I can afford it.

 This was my birthday present to myself. The best thing is that I really do have projects for all this yarn, and will even keep some of them for myself! I had a terrific day, got some terrific yarn, and am looking forward to some terrific knitting!