Inspirations

Hoo boy. Yesterday I totally overdosed on my very first ever needlecraft show. I spent about two hours wandering the booths on my own, and then returned later with a friend for an hour. Today I almost feel hungover from the binging on colour and texture and fabric and yarn.

This was the Inspirations Needlecraft Show. Certainly nothing compared to the recent Rhinebeck and MDS&W shows people have been blogging about, but plenty exciting enough for me. The emphasis was definitely on quilting, but there were several yarn booths, including Shelridge Farms, Cabin Fever, and Apple Laine, and several local and not-so-local yarn stores.

Here's a snap of what I came home with. I restricted myself to things that I knew I couldn't get elsewhere in Ottawa.

One pattern: Tasia's Cardigan from Cabin Fever, which is a top-down raglan cardigan with sizing for 6 months to 4 years.

One beading kit: to make Christmas ornaments. I've never done beading like this but I think I'm going to enjoy it.

One skein of Muench Touch Me chenille in navy blue.

Two skeins of Shelridge Farms Soft Touch Ultra fingering weight yarn: one light blue (Robin's Egg) and one handpainted blue/purple (9604). These are destined for socks or gloves, possibly in a fair-isle pattern if I have enough.

Four skeins (to be followed by six more) of Koigu Kersti in a dark teal (K1500). Someday these will be the cabled sweater from Vogue Knitting. I've been lusting after this sweater ever since I bought the issue, and I wanted to be able to choose my Kersti in person, so yesterday I finally got my chance.

And finally, six skeins of Briggs and Little Regal worsted weight in Quoddy Blue, meant for a lap blanket/stole for those chilly days at the office. I've been scoping out lace patterns for this afghan in my Barbara Walker books. I got these for $3 CDN a skein! What a steal!

The Regal 100% wool is a bit rough, with lots of vegetable matter in it, so I decided I'd be happier working with it if I washed it first. Into the machine it went with some Eucalan. I soaked it for 30 minutes or so, then drained the water out (no spin cycle, ladies). I squeezed out the excess water and laid the skeins to dry in my cozy laundry/furnace room.

The skeins are much softer after their warm bath, and I love going into the laundry room to squeeze them and see if they're dry or not. Something about this boatload of yarn is so comforting.

All this lovely yarn couldn't stay in the house long without something jumping on the needles, and I succumbed first to the Muench Touch Me. Mylanta, is this stuff ever soft. I'm making Velvet Oblivion from Knitty, and I'm happy to learn I'll be able to get two eyemasks out of this one ball of Touch Me. I bought some pale gray/blue Bernat Boa to do the eyelash edging. I've read some people had problems with their eyelash, but I think it's because they weren't using Boa, which is soft but very sturdily constructed and won't pull apart. Now I just need a 3.5 mm 16" circular needle!

An eyemask will come in very handy when my husband is reading in bed and I want to sleep. Or when I'm too lazy to get up and turn off the hall light. Or when I want to pretend I'm Audrey Hepburn.