TTC KAL

Creative Yarns: Estelle Baby Silk Lace

I didn't take any pictures during the event, unfortunately, but I do have pictures of what I brought home with me! Team Intarsia started off in Scarborough, at Creative Yarns, where I purchased 2 skeins of the above stunning red Estelle Baby Silk Lace. I intended to make a shawl (maybe the Marjamets Shawl?) out of it for use in August, but I don't think I'll be able to complete it.

The Purple Purl: 100% Merino Fibre

100% Merino Fibre

The next stop was The Purple Purl, where I laid my hands on some of this gorgeous fibre by sweetgeorgia. I was tempted to buy out the entire shelf of it! The colours are absolutely amazing. Even this grey is brilliant. Not muted at all, the blue one especially is very bright, and the name - summer skin - is a perfect fit. I started spinning up the blue one and it's so soft and smooth and it just glides along without any predrafting. Because merino is a bit of a shorter fibre, I decided to try ripping out chunks of it and spinning those (I think it's called short-draw? I'm actually not sure, but I'm pretty convinced it would've been very difficult with the Corriedale simply because that had such a long staple length).

Araucania Ranco Multy

Araucania Botany Lace

madelinetosh lace

Romni Wools was our next stop. I knew I definitely wanted to stop by Romni's for the Araucania Botany Lace (the yellow-green-ochre colour yarn) that I'd been eyeing for the longest time, so this was the stop I'd been looking forward to the most! While I was there, I also purchased more of some yarn I have in my stash so I'd have enough to make something large with it (no pictures of that one, but it's grey and white, and I haven't a clue what weight of yarn it is), and I've been meaning to try out madelinetosh for a while, so I indulged myself. They're so bouncy and soft! The Ranco Multy jumped into my basket while I wasn't looking (I resisted the urge to get more of an orange-pink colourway that I already have 4 skeins of, as well as a light green apple colour that I also love but wouldn't know what to knit it up using).

I think the Ranco is going to become a Kittywake Cardigan and the Botany Lace something that greatly resembles a Wickerwork Pullover (only because the pattern looks dead simple and I'm using a different weight of yarn so I'd have to recalculate all the numbers anyway).

Originally I was thinking of using the Ranco to make a Rime's the Reason, but I fear I don't have enough of it, especially since my gauge would be completely off and I'd have to make a larger size, and I had already snatched up all the skeins I could find at Romni's. There was a very similar colourway, but I think I'll just find another, more suitable yarn to knit that up in.

As for the madtosh, I haven't really settled on what I might want to knit them into. I'm considering getting more of each colour so I can make two full-size garments with each of them (instead of striping as I'd originally planned), but that will have to come at a later time.

Americo Original: 765 yards of llama, FREE!!!

Sedoso

Last was Americo Original, the store I was always afraid to step into because a) I'd seen their yarns online and they looked mouthwatering, b) they also looked really expensive, and finally c) I knew I probably wouldn't be able to resist if I did enter. Upon entering, I noticed that their setup was really nice - they had skeins hung up so that they lined the walls, as well as some in the centre of the store that were rolled up nicely (like the Sedoso above). Then they gave us all a lovely surprise by giving us each a skein of llama lace, free! That was such a generous gift and by then I'd completely relaxed my guard, so while I stopped a while at the Brezo (I really liked the Dark Citrine and Smoky Topaz), when I stroked the Sedoso I couldn't keep my hands to myself! The Brezos I had in my hands were quickly placed back where they belonged and two skeins of Sedoso brought themselves to the register and into my tote bag.

At the end of the day we all gathered at the Rivoli for drinks, food, and prizes! I won a $75 gift certificate for Patternfish (perfect companion to all the stash I acquired during the day!) and overall just had a great time! I'm definitely looking forward to next year, but I'll have to set some rules for yarn-buying (or not-buying, rather) for probably the rest of the year until Christmas/Boxing Day sales. That's to come.