My Frolic 2010

First things first - here's what I got...

Sheldridge Farm Soft Touch DK in "Navy". Its rich and handsome. It will become a vest for My Beloved. He is happy with it so I am too.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Green Sweater Pattern. I printed a copy of the (linked) story of this now famous cardigan.  Stored together in my pattern files it feels like owning a wee piece of knitting history sprinkled with  EZ magic! (Note: additional instructions have been developed to make a slimmer sleeve here)

Glenna's new pattern Royale. 'Too much to say about this today but I'm thrilled to have it. Glenna posted  it on Thursday and its already in over 220 Ravelry queues. Congratulations Glenna! I think this one might become a classic!

Glenna's fantastic glove pattern "Nouveau" from a few months ago. I bought the DK yarn from Tanis for which the pattern was designed in the "Grape" colourway - more purple in person than the bluish look above!

Also from Tanis, sock yarn for a pair of "Leyburn's. Tanis' version featured on the right side of her home page has been inspiring me for weeks. Mine will be more muted than hers but still fun and "multi-colourful".

In complete contrast to that, I grabbed a blushing pink sock yarn from "Viola" as soon as I saw it at the Naked Sheep Booth. I've been wanting a pair of soft pink socks for a couple of years now!

Up to that point in the day I'd been with some kind DKC knitters who let me follow along with them. It made me look at and consider so many more things than what I was specifically shopping for! Around noon they left but I was far from done so on I went. Having seen to the contents of my list I was free to wander, literally and mentally, discovering new to me yarns like Waterloo Wools all natural dyed sock yarns and her wonderful hand spun. Yesterday at a break in the workshops several other knitters commented on her yarns too. Its so great to see young independent dyers being so well received!

Then in the Lettuce knit booth the books, trunk show and full selection of Veronique Avery's new line of yarn St. Denis Nordique was on display. The "hand" of this yarn knitted up is exactly like the vintage knit pieces I discovered in my Grandmother' cedar chest when I was a child. Those knits spoke to me then, prompting me to learn to knit. Veronique's yarns and knits spoke to me Saturday in just as compelling a manner. I bought a copy of her most recent book with a plan to have her sign it on Sunday when I was to take her class on revising patterns. I'll be heading down to Lettuce Knit to look at the yarns with more concrete ideas in mind because I can see a lot of her patterns and yarn in my future!

Having arrived at the show at 8:40 to stand in line before the doors opened I didn't leave until 3:30. The next morning,Sunday, I was back by 9:45 for my first class - what a shock to see the lobby that was such a bustle the previous afternoon utterly empty!

I'll post a few more details about Saturday and about the Sunday workshops tomorrow. Thanks for dropping by today!