Purple Purl

While up on the farm my mother gave me two cones of bulky weight yarn because and I quote "it doesn't felt." I did a little swatch and I got gauge for a pattern of a peacoat that it will be turning into. Mind you it will be slowly since the yarn is not gentle on the hands and it's not soft so it will be perfect for outerwear.
I have also gone back to my spinning. I started this black alpaca a while ago and put it aside for the reason I always put aside my spining. Because it always breaks on me when I try to make it as thin as I want it. I got a great tip on Sunday from the Stashaholic (Ravelry handle) while I was at the Purple Purl (great little knitting store that actually encourages you to hang around and knit and chat). She told me to treadle faster and draft less. It works like a charm and I got through the rest of that bag so easily. Here are the singles. I have two more bags to spin up.
One sleeve of the shrug is done and the second sleeve is on the needles. There has been some more headway since this picture was taken. The knitting part may be finished as soon as tomorrow.
While chit chatting at the Purl I made a few purchases. I bought a Malabrigo pattern book and "Knitting without Tears" by Elizabeth Zimmerman. And these are the new stash purchases. Can anyone say yum!
I will be taking a spinning course at the Purl in the beginning of October. I've heard my teacher is really good and I can't wait!

Update Part II: The K-W Knitters Fair

Disclaimer: If you haven't read Part I yet, scroll down and read it first.

Mel and I took our annual trip to the K-W Knitters Fair held by the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter Guild. We arrived late since we take the VIA train up there (next year we will be taking a car and will be getting there early). We paid and went in and thought we were going to be okay. The room didn't seem as crowded as last year and thought we would have enough time to thoroughly check out all the goods. Well one of the organizers overheard us and said "oh I overheard you and thought I should let you know that there is a second ballroom full of vendors." If you only could see the look of sheer panic on our faces! There was way too much to see and not enough time to go through everything, hence our resolve to drive up and get there early next year!

I managed to stay within budget (which sadly wasn't very large). I am starting a jar to put cash in throughout the year and whatever is in it will be spent at the Knitter's Fair.

Here is the list of spoils:
A kit for a shrug with malabrigo yarn from Spun Fibre Arts. I cast it on immediately (even before we got on the train to go home). We talked with the designer who let us try on the samples. I didn't want to take off the one made with malabrigo. I could have lived in it. Mel liked the black one better. The yarn was silk and merino and has more drape than malabrigo. We will be taking a picture of the two of us together in them when they are completed. This is what I have done so far. Yes this is the project that the cashmere sweater was cast aside for. If you knew what malabrigo felt like you would understand. That and it is a quick knit.
Some laceweight yarn that was dyed here in Ontario and reminds me of the ocean when it's that moody green colour on a sunny day.
I also found some lovely silk laceweight from a dyer in BC at the Purple Purl booth! I talked with they owner of Indigo Moon on Ravelry. She is very nice and gave me some great tips for keeping the dye as bright and beautiful as possible when washing. She also told me this colourway is a one-of-a-kind that will probably never happen again! I must find an extra special pattern for it.
I also got a pattern. It is suppose to be for a baby blanket but I thought with a little alteration it would make a great stole or scarf! And it only cost me $1! Mel picked up several Fiddlesticks patterns for $6 a piece (that's half price people for gorgeous patterns).
I also picked up some 6mm addi turbo circulars for the shrug and a chibi which is a darning needle holder so you don't lose your needles!

Here is some free advertising for those vendors that gave reuseable bags to carry your stuff in instead of plastic!
That's all for now folks! Hope the updates were worth the month long wait.

Update Part I: Vacation at the Farm

The animals and I spent the first week of September up at my parents farm for my first paid vacation. It was nice and relaxing even if the TV was on more than it should have been. Here is a little summary with pictures:

Mom and Piper enjoying the "great outdoors".
TC enjoying being outside.
Dad and I went on an ATV trip with Peter from Top of the Mountain ATV Tours.
Which had great view from the top of hills; "mountain" is a bit of a stretch in this part of the country, especially when the girl you're trying to convince is from BC.
Dad and Piper hung out. Piper has a thing for men. She is much more picky about which women she will keep company with, just ask Tori.
Oh and some knitting did get done. TC was voluntold to model it.
The red cashmere sweater is alive again and on it's third incarnation. The first incarnation was to be a tunic with a high waist that was knit way too many sizes too big and was thus frogged. The second incarnation was as an arrowhead lace top, which became too big when I lost some weight. And now it is a cardigan with cables. However it is a on a wee bit of a hiatus. But only for a short while until the project on the needles is done (will be seen in part II).