The thinking stage

I thought I would have returned to the thinking stage by now, but I have to confess.  It's a little sluggish returning.  I had the loveliest day with a neighbor.  I returned some books I had borrowed to her and spent the whole day, the entire whole day at her house discussing projects and life and food and...well gosh darn it, I left at 10 a.m. and came home at 5 minutes to 5 p.m. It was wonderful!  We were both a little surprised at how the day just drifted away. Just a little.

To pay penance to the world and to right the karmic balancing of a day spent in leisurely chat, I did some terrible work in the evening.  I looked for missing documents in boxes of paper.  And had success, I might add.

But today, it is time to return from holiday mode.  I thought I would start my day right.

 A pot of coffee just for me.  You can share if you pop over though, but it isn't anybody's strong, It would be lukewarm strong to most, but suits me just right. And I have a feeling I am gonna need the whole pot.

Even with a pot of coffee, my day seems to want to start gently and slowly.  I played with yarn, but then that was my goal for the day.  To play with it enough to show you the wonderful time I had in Vernon visiting a friend and teaching a sock fitting class for the A Twist of Yarn in Vernon, BC.

First off, a warning.  This shop informs you of its vibrant nature before you step in the door.  Cascades of flowers overflow the porch.  Yes.  It has a porch of the very best kind.  

The shop is on the main floor of this beautifully restored home.  It is welcoming and warm and is a most wonderous place for those of you wanting to be led astray in the most delightful way imaginable. You might be headed to the Okanagan Valley for the wine, but oh my sweet heavens, do not pass up the chance to stop in Vernon for a visit.  You do yourself an injustice if you don't.

The moment you walk into the door, you are surrounded by colour.  A saturation of colour, if there is such a thing.  It isn't that there are not quiet colour corners.  There are, but the things that hits you when you step in the door is that energy of the marvelous rich things she carries.

The second I stepped in the door the first time, my eyes landed on this.

There must be a spirit in this yarn infusing it with light from within. I swear it glows in the darkest of rooms.  As you can plainly see, I did not withstand it's call.  Maiden Hair from Handmaiden in Berry.

I also fell under the spell of Elena Nodel and her wonderful Colour Adventure yarns.  

A kit for the Nostalgia Shawl came home with me.  

I picked up Tahiti for a little beaded scarf they had on display. Ah, here it is. The sample that is.  Isn't that just the prettiest thing?  The pattern is Dangling Conversations by Mindy Ross. The soft gradations of colour and a sea of simple knitting.  It only takes one ball, but I think I want mine a little larger.  I have two skeins.

The store also carries a really good selection of yarns from Hemp for Knitting which I was so pleased to see.  I wish I had a source locally.  I have always wanted to try some. This is Hempton, a cotton, hemp and modal blend that I can't wait to see worked up.  My mom mentioned that she wanted a small shrug for with a dress she just bought and if she wants, I will knit her one but if not, I have enough for me!

This is Colour Adventures Super Soft Aran base.  Trust me.  This photo is paled in comparison to the truly vibrant nature of the Tiger Lily colourway.  I honestly had trouble not bringing more of this home.  And soft too?  Utterly irresistible I have a plan for this...

I picked up a blue and vibrant Ocean colourway of Colour Adventures Merino Light blend, yes the same blue as in the Nostalgia Shawl kit, to pair with a hard to describe beauty of a colourway called Pavlin.  It is purple and green and blue and black and just stunning, stunning, stunning.  A Daybreak, perhaps?

And then, I swear I was standing there and these just fell in to the basket.  Some of the new Regia line of Arne and Carlos.  You just shouldn't wait to try this sock yarn.  The patterning in it is just  great.

And a little to temp me back to spinning (not that I need a whole lot of temptation), several braids of Polwarth in Tiger Lily and a braid of Polwarth and Silk in the Denim colourway.  No way can I get the nature of the Polwarth and silk across in a picture.  You just have to feel it.  

Anyway, I have errands and laundry and things to move away from my door.  I have a car in desperate need of clean.  

There is so much more that I want to tell you about my little vacation to the valley but it is going to have to wait for another day.  Onward I say, well past the thinking stage.

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