Tuesday, November 15, 2016

At the fair

Once again, Pete has taken me to the Royal Winter Fair.  I wasn't keen to go this time because I felt it prudent not to bring anything more into the condo, especially yarn, but he really didn't want to miss it so off we went.  And... well.  You can guess what happened, right?


I bought yarn. I mean HONESTLY, who can resist amazing alpaca/merino yarn?  Plus, just the night before it was cold out, and I'd worn socks I made from a previous year's yarn purchase from this farm's shop. In my defense, you can't get more vulnerable than that, with a fresh reminder of how fabulous the yarn is both to knit and to wear.

The thing about this particular source of yarn though is that none of the skeins quite add up to 100 grams.  They're just not enough for a whole pair of socks, and when I run into that problem I either plan to pair the new yarn with scraps of old yarn in complementary colours, or else buy my yarn in groups of three so I can mine one to eke out the other two.



Which is why I bought two more skeins, neither of which have any colour relationship to the first, or even to each other.  SIGH

That's all right.  I can pair them all up with yarn scraps from earlier indulgences and I have a feeling I will need some seriously yarn therapy in the weeks ahead.  That's really the thing for me with the Royal: I try to shore up comforts, the way squirrels bury what they hope will be enough nuts to get them through till spring.

And it wasn't just yarn that caught my eye.  There was also a chicken...


and I think you can forgive me that weakness, after all the agonizing I did over dishes for the new house.  Henny matches the dishes perfectly, is sporting a bit of much-loved red, and is super soft as well.  What's not to love?

Most of all though, I am a sucker for something warm to put around my shoulders.  I've seen so many women with beautiful lambswool wraps that you can buy from the British shops at the Royal, and this year I spotted one I thought would be perfect for me:


As it turns out, it's really perfect for my knitting chair.  The colours are flattering on me, and it's incredibly soft and cosy, but it's one of those long pieces that hangs over you like a poncho, and only really works if you pair them with heels (not really my thing) or if you're quite tall, which I am not especially (and less so every year it seems.)  Still: at home, knitting, it is the pinnacle of safe and warm.

That's really what I want this winter, if only in practical terms.  I've heard it will be much colder than last year, and I would like to creep through January and February feeling safe and warm, at least while I'm at home.  So: cuddly wrap, comfort knitting, and a Kitchen Chicken on her roost of dishes.


What more can you ask from a Fair?

(the answer to that is fudge, and yes, we bought some of that too.)


No comments: