Anyway, since we were in Adelaide and not very far away from the Yarn Barn and I was driving we just had to pop in. As I told Miff I just wanted a look, I dont need to buy anything as I have plenty of yarn and I am knitting from my stash remember (the 16 balls of Studio Mohair I bought on sale from Kmart the week before dont count because they werent from a real yarn shop).
We were greeted by the lovely Anna who was very helpful and friendly, what was meant to be just a quick look and no money changing hands turned out to be one and a half hours and about $100 later. Ah well that just meant I couldnt spend anything on wine in the Barossa Valley. I love good Barossa plonk but it doesnt last as long as a knitted garment and I dont get hangovers :)) Miff even let the moths out of the calf skin prison he keeps them in and bought some wool for me to knit a bolero for Oliwka. He chose Cleckheaton Merino Bambino a beautiful yarn to knit with so soft and yummy mmmmmm yarn.......the pattern is from Cleckheaton book no. 951. I have enough yarn to knit the hat but I will see how the bolero sews up, as it is finished now.
I recently finished knitting up a cardigan for Oliwka in panda magnum baby 4ply from Panda book no. 205. I purchased the yarn almost two years ago to knit for a friends baby and never got around to doing it mainly because at the time I was still suffering from tennis elbow and knitting just wasnt on my list of things to do. I have to say that while acrylic is certainly a good practical idea for babies it is not my choice of yarn. Knitting with real fibre is so much nicer. I never stop and rub the acrylic in my hands enjoying its softness or shove it at Miff with the comment of "feel this isnt it wonderful? "I just have to sew this up now and pick some buttons, well Miff has to pick the buttons as that is his job. I just wish he would sew them on as well. I have photographed it from the back sans sleeves. I am still thinking about the hat.
I also purchased some hand dyed chilean sock yarn which is so beautiful and soft that it actually makes me want to knit socks for me.....go figure. I cant remember the last time I knitted something for me, let alone socks. I always seem to be knitting for someone else hence the Knit 4 ewe blog title. I bought two skeins in a beautiful green and one in a beautiful purple, two of my favourite colours.
I also bought 8 skeins of possum and merino from Naturally Yarns on sale, in a beautiful burgundy colour. I dont know what I will make yet but I know it will be something FOR ME. I should make 2008 the year of knitting 4 me!!!
Miff and I didnt manage to fit in any wine tasting in the Barossa but we did manage some beer tasting. On the way there we went up through the Adelaide Hills and had lunch at the
Lobethal Bierhaus. I had flathead that was so fresh I swear we were at the coast, Miff had smoked pork with apples and prunes. The food was great the beer was great. It was then onto the National Motor Museum in Birdwood for a look. The guy on the counter was good to us and let us in cheap because apparently we were entertaining! Of course it was me that was the entertaining one because I was teasing Miff about using his Seniors Card (he is still a youngun and doesnt have Seniors card :0) ). Thank you Andrew you made two tired travellers laugh. A few days later after the wedding and spending tiem with family we left the Barossa via the Greenock Creek Brewery. Gay and Darryl make fabulous beer, we bought some home with us. If you happen to be in Greenock at all their beer is also on tap at the Greenock Creek Tavern. This the front of the Greenock Creek Brewery.
We came home from Adelaide with our wallets thinner and our wastelines thicker, but it was worth every bit. The only glitch was the Motel we stayed in on our last night, we now refer to it as the country discomfort, the bed was like a block of stone.