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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Holiday Part 2: the Loot!

I managed to do some 'stash enhancement' on our recent trip to the Okanagan. Seems Kelowna has a new yarn store called 'Art of Yarn'. My first trip out was on the holiday Monday, except I forgot the holiday part. I met with closed doors and had to press my nose up against the glass and window shop. On a little kid, it's cute... not so much on a (ahem) 'mature' woman. I went back a couple of days later and bought these skeins. They are silk and mohair blend in amazing colours. The pictures don't show the deep shimmer. I couldn't decide between the deep mauves, lavender and smoldery pinks.... or the earthy tone, green shimmer and copper gleam. So I bought both. They are yarns by Hand Maiden.


I went back to the store on my last day with Lynnette and Ngaire and this skein of fine merino said 'crock pot dye session' to me. Or maybe not: lace weave in this cream would be lovely too.

While in Vernon, we went to the local yarn store (LYS) and visited 'Never Ending Yarn'. These skeins are baby alpaca and 50 grams each. They two shades are of equal value and looked so nice together. What ever the project finally gets to be, it will most likely use both colours. I also bought some fine (000 or 1.50 mm) circular needles for some beaded knitting I'm doing at night while watching TV.

My friend and weaving buddy, Gudrun recently had visited Germany and Austria in July to see family and friends.
Then while visiting with Gudrun for our lunch and (too short) visit, she gave me a little gift. Inside is a nifty sley hook tool that was made in Germany. It's quite thin and used on finer reeds but apparently they come in all sizes depending on the reed being used. There also was a special needle for hemstitching: on the point there is a small ball. I have yet to try it but Gudrun assured me that it would be my new favourite. I tried to take a close up picture of the needle's ball but my camera wouldn't cooperate... or focus!

I also added to my linen cupboard and brought home these snowflake and fancy twill runner and four mats woven by Gudrun. They have a fine cotton warp and a fine black linen weft. If I recall rightly, this linen is newly home from Germany. I sampled some on a cone and it was so smooth, and fine and amazingly soft. I would have thought cotton but just *really* uber linen.
Gudrun said she should have brought back a suitcase full of it. I agree!


Lynnette showed me her bead storage system while I was there. She has these little clear 'cuppettes' with snap on lids and so you can see what's inside and they are stackable and secure. Fantastic! So, once home, off I went to Wally World and while no cuppettes appeared, I found these nifty storage cases.

There are many (37?) of the little boxes in two main sizes, plus two larger ones. It came with a spoon for dishing up the glitz and a pair of fine, cheap tweezers. I hate to say this but my bead stash filled three cases and I spilled over into two back up units of these cups. But its way better than those little baggies and all stuffed into a heap in a soft carry bag and stuffed again into a drawer. Now they are more accessible and I can colour code the boxes and take out only the ones I need.
My husband has his eye on these cases below but the pink clips are a theft deterrent! Thinks the guys will laugh at him when they come for railway modeling sessions.

I've been home a week now and there's been a fair amount of business to tend to and so I have been around our little town running errands. I stopped into a local book store and found this gem:
I used to live in New Zealand for five years and so have an appreciation of the Maori and their culture. I'm looking forward to studying this book more closely.

Anything I missed this trip, we can catch next time and that appears to be coming a lot sooner that I had thought! Looks like we'll be going back again this Christmas!

I have also been busy working on Elena's shawl and it's hanging to dry as I write. I got the fringe twisting done ( 2 full afternoon's) and then the beading ( another full afternoon) Next post should be the big reveal!

10 comments:

Life Looms Large said...

Oooh - beautiful yarn....perhaps I should use this as inspiration - as if I need any inspiration in the stash enhancement department!

I'm not sure the pink clips will prevent DH from using/stealing your stuff! I bought a pink computer because in the model I wanted I basically had a choice of pink, black or very dark blue. The pink was the only fun color. Anyway, later I thought it would mean that DH would never use my laptop. Not so. He'll even use it in public.

Looking forward to the reveal of the shawl & that's good news that you get to visit your buddies again soon!!

Sue

Lynnette said...

The stash additions look so much larger on screen than when we pawed through them in person, how does that happen? I think your bead storage solution is wonderful pink snaps and all! I find that being organized really makes life easier. When are you coming back?????????Enquiring minds want to know!

barbara said...

What wonderful yarns you found on your travels. Love the placemats and runners, your friend does beautiful weaving. During your blog you made reference to "Crock Pot Dying" - I never heard of these technique. What type of dyes are used? How long in a "crock pot". Any information on this would be great. As always, thanks for sharing your travels. Love the bead containers ...... yes, you seem to have a stash!!! I too lived in New Zealand on a "working holiday", back packing around and having a grand time. At the time I knew nothing about weaving/crafts/wool, etc. Really a shame ..... oh well, I was busy having a good time!!! Weaverly yours ..... Barbara

Cindie said...

Oh, what beautiful additions to your stash! Love all the colors you chose. And those bead storage finds at Wally World are the best. I'm stopping there today, will have to see if they have those.......recent remodeling at our new store (why??? since so new) and they took out most of the crafts department (why??? again).

Susan said...

Sue: He actually used a bright pink computer in public? Yeah, mine would too. Guess they are in touch with their feminine side :)

Lynnette: It's all in the presentation I guess. Yes we did quickly paw stuff in the bags but they were heading home in the car before me! Time was short...

Barbara: What a nice coincidence! You, myself and Lynnette all have NZ in common then. Lovely country isn't it? I was in Dunedin in the South Island. Back packing was a common way to tour the country then.
Crock pot dyeing is great fun and quite easy to do. It uses premordanted (with vinegar) wools and then 'dab' with acid based dyes such as Lanaset or Telana. You set it to simmer and leave her be! The clear water is an indicator that the dye has aall been taken up.
I will do a post on this technique and show how to do it. It was the first dye technique I was ever shown and by Juith Mackenzie McCuin no less... some years ago!

Cindie: The cases are in the hobby section. I learned that in order to have the new 'super sized' store, they actually reduce the overall size of all their other depts in order to squeeze in the new grocery section. So while it looks like you are getting so much more, you actually have less! The grocery section is more like a giant convenience store with reduced selection there too. I got all this from a WM employee! I don't have a MIchael's near by otherwise I would have tried there.

charlotte said...

The yarns are really beautiful, and the linen as well, what a delicate pattern. I think the pink color will work well as a deterrent: my husband gave me a pink i-pod for my birthday almost a year ago, and none of my three boys has ever touched it.

bspinner said...

Yarns are lovely!!!!!

I don't believe I've seen a reed hook so large. Looks like it will fit better in your hand than the skinny one. I have a very large cone of black linen and now I know what I'm going to do with it. Love the runner and mats.

I have a feeling my husband wouldn't refuse something just because it was pink especially great storage containers like you have.

Can't wait to see your shawl.

Theresa said...

An envious pile of loot! And those place mats and runner...spectacular. How did Connor enjoy the trip?
Did he look on it as a big adventure?
Have fun with all those wonderful goodies!

Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio said...

Please know that you're not alone pressing your face up to (LYS) window glass. ;) I'm pretty sure everyone who reads your blog knows exactly what that is like;)

Dorothy said...

Lovely, lovely yarns. Super storage boxes... I'd be getting ideas if I had any space left for anything new!