a few great things

Posted on Posted in book reviews/events

our visit with erica, candy, and buddy extended to sunday, which was a bit more leisurely, since we didn’t have to go anywhere first thing in the day. beckie came over in the morning to share our breakfast and knit for a little while while we all chatted. buddy helped by cleaning up our bowls.

i worked on a secret project, but candy swatched for a vest with one of her new briar rose yarns and beckie worked on the jackie jacket she’s been knitting in fourth of july.

after beckie left, we soaked candy’s sky ladder wrap so i could show her how to block it using blocking wires.

once we had it all pinned out, they started packing up to leave; i will hand off the finished shawl to erica at TNNA in a few weeks.

when buddy saw bags piling up near the door, he took up residence nearby to be certain he would not be left behind, as on the previous day (not that he seemed to mind being left with david all that much).

since it was such a nice day, i decided it was a good time to photograph the things i bought home from the wool show. i picked up several felted critters from the kirkwood farm booth—these are now living in the guest room on the third floor. last year’s batch, which was supposed to go there too, has somehow never left my study; i just enjoy looking across the room at them now and then when i knit. i will admit that i cannot part with the elephant either . . .

in the knitting notions booth i found a gorgeous turned bowl of mixed woods with the simplest of carved designs on the outside

you can used it for yarn if you like but i’ve placed it on the credenza in my study; it might end up filled with shells or stones or pine cones—or yarn; i’m not sure.

it’s a lovely size and shape and so light; a pleasure to handle.

from the briar rose booth, i came home with two skeins of yarn—one that i promised chris i wouldn’t show on the blog because the yarn base is not available and it cannot be replicated. and the other is this

a skein of the new stella merino/silk lace blend in a wonderful blend of colors that looks like black watch plaid fabric. stella and bella are the newest additions to the briar rose yarn family—bella is 100 percent merino. they are identical in diameter and yards per ounce—about 275—but due to their springiness and tighter twist, they feel and behave like a heftier yarn (a plus if you love the look of very fine lace fabric, but don’t have the patience for very fine yarn). i hadn’t seen these in person before and had imagined something much thinner and more slippery, but not so; i think i’m going to like working with this yarn a lot. the silk in the stella gives it a bit more intensity and crunch, while the all-merino version is slightly softer in look and feel. i’m thinking that a pretty half-hex or crescent shawlette would be just the thing to show off this yarn.

i was very glad to see fred maier at the show once again; fred makes lovely little  wood boxes, furniture, skirting tables, and frames from reclaimed woods. i’ve been collecting his small boxes one at a time and this year was smitten by this chestnut one, with grain waving across its lid.

then i saw this

and immediately texted david the photo. it has a kind of modernist rustic look that we like and the journey of the walnut from which it is built is equally appealing. it’s perfect for our stair hall, providing a place to sit and take our boots off (or it will be perfect someday, when we finally renovate that hallway and make a place to tuck the bikes out of sight). for now, we will enjoy it wherever we can fit it.

that was my big purchase of the day and the last photo i have for this post.

i spent the rest of sunday taking a nap and working in the garden—it was time i finally got out there to do the bulk of the planting. i have a great big garden post about all that coming up in a day or two—see you then.

16 thoughts on “a few great things

  1. Love the bench you bought. Does Fred Maier have a website? I searched for him but came up empty. Thanks.

  2. Love the stool, I have a very rustic one that my great grandfather made for my grandmother when she was a little girl in the early 1900’s. The last photo makes me smile – it looks like a giant cactus in its pot!

  3. You picked up some lovely finds at the show–I’m fond of that pig. The bowl looks great with the other pieces on your shelf. That’s not David in the photo is it? It doesn’t look so much like him, but a different style of hair and no glasses can make a big difference I suppose.

  4. ‘sighs’

    I love that bench too.

    and look at that dark green colour! How well it goes with red!

  5. Great purchases, Anne. You have the eye for beauty. That’s for sure.

  6. beautiful choices!
    i’m tempted for the 2nd year in a row by those woolly sheepies…

    but i too am most curious about the photo – is that david?? he’s very handsome, whoever he is!

  7. LOVE that bench – how gorgeous and totally modern. and that buddy is too stinkin’ cute! (i suspect he knows this.)

  8. I spent quite awhile staring at that exact same bench. It was beautiful!! I’m glad it went to a good home. It was really nice to meet you in the Briar Rose booth on Saturday. May there be many more Malias in your future!

  9. The wood was just gorgeous. I’m blessed we have a few Fred Maiers here in Maine. I so appreciate a nice piece of wood.

  10. Oh man! You KNOW Chica’s going to be so jealous that Buddy got to stay at your house and she hasn’t received an invite yet!! And I LOVE that Stella – so gorgeous! I would love to see another Knitspot crescent shaped shawl. . . . And the wooden box is gorgeous; love it!

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