Yarny Goodness

Finally got a chance to update my stash on Ravelry with some recent yarn purchases. I've been collecting special yarns for something that I have up my sleeve ;)

Lacey Lamb in Heather Grey


O-wool Classic 2ply in Sage (this picture does not do the color justice!)


Ultra Alpaca Light in Heather Teal


Greenwood Hill Farm DK (wanted to pick up a local yarn when I was in MA)


Fleece Artist Woolie silk 3 ply in Salt Spray for my next neoknits pattern


Malabrigo Lace in Sealing Wax

A Llama Wedding Weekend!

So my co-worker got married this weekend in Massachusetts on a llama farm. Yes, a llama farm! How cool is that?!

Saturday started off with a huge rainbow that went from one end of the sky to the other. The rain from the previous day had finally begun to break, so good news for an outdoor wedding.

Later that morning, we took a llama hike on the property which was a working farm for 200 years. The farm is long gone, and the trees have grown in, but portions of the very old stone walls used to keep the Merino sheep inside were still visible. This is Tanner, the leader of the pack who kept me company on the hike. He was part llama and part alpaca (and so very cute!)

The bride was beautiful, the groom was happy, and the rain managed to stay away til we were all tucked safely under the reception tent. Here we have the wedding party posing with the llamas.

I was also able to see a few yarn stores in the area and walked away with some goodies. We stopped at Wonderful Things in Great Barrington on the way up. Very nice selection of yarns and the friendly cat kept my husband busy while I browsed.

On Saturday, before the wedding, we took a short drive to Lenox where we visited Colorful Stitches. It had a wonderful selection, the staff was very pleasant, and I got to see the St. Denis yarns trunk show (which I just found out will be at Knitty City on Oct 12th & 13th).

While we were at Coloful Stitches, we also got to witness the annual tubs parade. We had seen flyers, but had no idea what this meant. Well, it was a parade of horse drawn carts, carriages, coaches, fire "engines", and delivery trucks. It was certainly a site to see! Sadly, I forgotten my camera back at the farm, so couldn't take any pictures.

On Sunday, as our stay was wrapping up, we took a trip over to The Mount - Edith Wharton's estate and gardens. This is where she wrote her most famous book, The House of Mirth. The house and gardens have been under serious restoration work since 2002 and they have made tremendous progress. The house was lovely and the gardens were so beautiful. The estate is one of the mere 5% of historic landmarks dedicated to women.

We will definitely have to return to the Berkshires soon! There is so much we were not able to see in the short 3 days were were there. Also, Webs is about 45 minutes away from where we stayed, so we'll definitely be back!

Possum Yarn?

My boss was in Australia and New Zealand a few weeks back and she was nice enough to bring back my assistant and I some yarn surprises. She told me that she had brought me back Possum yarn and I was intrigued. Possums don't exactly look like the most cuddly creatures, nor would I think of them as a yarny type of animal.

When she brought it in and I got to feel, I have to tell you, it was quite a nice yarn. The exact blend is 50% Merino Wool/40% Possum Fur/10% Silk. She told me that she had asked the lady what to buy for a knitter that sniffs yarn. The woman looked at her a little puzzled and pointed her in the direction of this particular yarn. (They have a website too)

I'm not quite sure what I'd like to do with it yet, maybe a stripy scarf? There is about 200 yards in each ball, so I have quite a bit to work with. I'm sure I'll be consulting the nifty Ravelry pattern search engine eventually for ideas.