Cruise Catch Up - Canada

Our first Canadian stop was St. John, New Brunswick.  It's an old city, not particularly beautiful downtown, but the nearby Bay of Fundy park area was a delight for the photographers and birdwatchers.  Anne Marie and I got off the ship just long enough to visit the Cricket Cove yarn store in Brunswick Square, where I scored this:

 

A special Fleece Artist worsted yarn dyed for Knit East the previous weekend!  I'd like to try making a fascinating scarf that one of the knitters on the cruise was working on.  It starts with I cord fringe, that's then braided for a few inches, and then the stitches are laid out on the needle and become a ribbed scarf section, then divided and knit as I cord and braided again before starting another flat ribbed section, repeat I cord braids before the final section and end with braids and loose I cord fringe again.  She said her pattern was from Classic Elite Yarns and I searched for it in the next yarn shops but couldn't find it.  I think I can make something close from her explanations and seeing what she had done so far.  She was using three different colors; I'd like to use the green colorway here in the middle and the blue for both ends.

I also picked up this beaded wool metallic from Blue Heron Yarn, which has already become another Beech Wood Cowl.

I wish the textured stitches showed up better in the photos - I love this Ilga Leja pattern.  The gold thread in the yarn sparkles more in real life too.

My other purchase here was a skein of Opal Handpaint in blue with multicolors.  I really liked this fingering yarn when I knit my friend Jude's orange vest and socks, and I still have some left to knit her a small scarf.  But I "needed" some in my colors.  Dixie B and her daughters Linda and Lorrae were wearing some lovely shawls by a designer new to me, Kitman Figueroa.  (They were actually collecting clues for her current Mystery Shawl while on the cruise.)  So I checked her out on Ravelry when I got home and bought her ebook.  My Opal will make a beautiful Peacock shawlette.

The next morning found us in Halifax, where the knitters had their own bus again.  We crossed to Dartmouth to visit well-known Canadian knitting instructor and designer, Lucy Neatby. Her business, Tradewind Knitwear, is internet based, so it is in her home, and that is where we pulled up and invaded her basement, office and kitchen, currently under renovation.  She also had a house guest, Cat Bordhi.  They were both very friendly and gracious.

I was now in the guilty hangover phase of my yarn shopping spree, so I limited myself to only one skein of Lucy's Cat's Pajamas in tonal mauves.  I'm looking for a very feminine sock pattern that is worthy of this, the most expensive sock yarn I've ever purchased.  But Cat Bordhi said I had to try it;  how could I not listen to the sock maven!

Back in Halifax, we were treated to a demonstration of the dying technique used for Fleece Artist and Handmaiden yarn.  It was mindblowing to see how they can put all those beautiful colors in each skein using only one waterbath and ordinary home appliances and utensils. 

The dyer artist knows her colors, amounts, and timing.  You and I would end up with a swampy brown mess, I'm sure.  Our guide was Handmaiden herself, in the pink tee below.

 After our demo we visited LK Yarn, where Fleece Artist and Handmaiden yarns are among many lovely brands for sale.  But I resisted further spending.  I did a mental check, and I have five Fleece Artist/Handmaidens projects in the stash back home.  I will return instead with new inspiration from this port.

 

Thanks again to Sabrina for some of these photos.

Comments

[freshisle]

I am so jealous, so in awe, so want to be retired and travel with you!!! Wonderful.