New Stash

Dear Cathy and all - I have run out of excuses for being away so long, and have to show you what I have bought on my yarn-foraging trips. On the bottom you see yarn I bought in Alexandria, VA at Springwater Fibers and Knit Happens , which is Wendy's LYS. I was in Washington, D.C. for a meeting and managed to schedule a few hours before my flight home to visit with my cousin Roberta and shop for yarn. If was so much fun! In the center of the bottom row is a huge spool of 2-ply linen that could make a very unusual shawl.

On top is all the yarn I brought back from my trip to Norway, which is truly the land of yarn shops. Isn't it good Norwegian wool? I will post pictures of the sights of Norway later, but for now I had to show you the stash. Yarn seems to be the only commodity that is less expensive in Norway than in America, and it is sold everywhere. The multiple colored skeins are wool that I bought for felting; it would be too rough for any garment that touched the skin. The clear plastic bag holds a Hanne Falkenberg sweater kit. The store where I bought it had samples made up of almost every Hanne Falkenberg style, and it was hard to buy just one.

The turquoise blob on needles is a scarf in progress that I'm working on ebony needles bought in Norway. They are the best ever lace needles; I had started on metal needles with sharp points, but the wool (Zephyr by Jaeger, a wool-silk blend) kept sliding off and I was just about ready to give up when I decided to try the ebony. They grip to wool (I wouldn't use them for cotton) and really sped up the process.

Needless to say, I won't be in the market for yarn for quite a while (except sock yarn, of course). I even bought a Norwegian pattern for a sleeveless pullover, in case I run out of challenges.

Cathy, I have presents and would love to see your new house (even if just from the outside if that is the appropriate exposure level for now) so let me know when I can trek up across the state line.

I'll have more pictures soon, and maybe a finished product or two.

Ellen