It's funny how a trip to the market gives you a Virus... shawl.

After my little jaunt up north to the Handmade Market in Canberra, I had a hankering for more marketness.


The Google told me there was a local handmade market happening the following weekend locally in the cosy suburb of Seddon.

I found the aforemention market on the Instabrag and instantly started drooling over THINGS.

You know, the problem is, whenever I've got a case of the Spends, I spend. It doesn't really happen to me that often because I loathe and avoid shopping malls. But if there's a craft market, farmers market or similar, I go a bit nuts and spend dollars. Lots of them. I did it in Canberra. And I'm sad to say (for my bank balance) that I headed eagerly to this little market ready to do the same. Ssssh! Don't tell my bank account. It will start to cry again. Srsly.

This little Seddon market is a quarterly one called the Maribyrnong Makers Market. It is held in a cute little church yard on the corner of this street and another. Yes. That's a bit vague isn't it? I am still a Melbourne newbie after 5 years and I rely heavily on the Google Maps to tell me to go to that place in 300 metres, then I've reached my destination.

This has caused me some issues in the past when it has told me to turn the wrong way into one way streets and pissed off certain truck drivers who were driving the right way so we had a little bit of a Mexican standoff. Except a kind of vehicular standoff between a large delivery van and a blue Nissan X-Trail with a very apologetic, embarrassed Amazona muttering extremely bad words in her mind (for more confessions of my potty mouth, read here). Which she was accidentally saying out loud. To her captive 7 year old audience. Who would then remind her while she was trying to be the Stig, precision driving reverse down a narrow one way street in front of an irate truckie that Mum shouldn't say THAT word. The F word, the B word and the A word is rude and maybe Mum shouldn't have driven THIS way and WHY did she drive the wrong way? And the man in the truck is not an AW word because he's not the one letting the Google send him the wrong way up a one way street.

But I digress. Markets. It's on Gamon Street BTW where I discovered to my Saturday morning market delight, a coffee cart/ car/ truck thingo parked right out front. Because #coffee #morning #caffeineaddict #onlyhadtwobeforeicame .


And all of the wonderous market delights. Candles, terrarium thingos, an impressive, mustachioed hipster selling Tweed Tamoshanters, mulled cider (with many more mustachioed hipsters crowding around that stall)...


and then I found yarn.

Danielle from Raxor Yarns makes funky Octopi!
Yes. Yarn. Of course I did. I have a nose for these things without even realizing it.  A yarn stall with yarny delights filled with yarny things I never even dreamed existed in this life or the next!

Like yarn made from Charcoal AND Bamboo. Together! In long glorious hanks.


And YAK mixed with SILK!?!?!?!? If I knew how to spin and had a spinning wheel, I'd have a serious yarngasm right then and there. Like Meg Ryan in the café. I sort of did internally. I tried to keep it in but may have squeaked a little awkwardly.


And camel, Shetland & seacell (which is apparently seaweed or something). I'm telling you, if this lady had a hank of kangaroo & koala down, I'd be all like "Shut Up and TAKE MY MONEY!"

There was also this really interesting yarn called North, um, northumberdumbledorean, hang on. Here's the photo...


That's the one. North Ronaldweasley. I felt it. And said loudly like a total newb, "Ermagerd! It's so coarse!"

And a delightful lass sitting right there spinning merino at a spinning wheel told me it was because they only eat seaweed. Little dwarfy sheep eating seaweed in North Ronaldweasley with Scottish accents make this yarn!
And they look like this:

In Scottish accents: "Baaaaa. Taste like sushi without the rice. And fish. And Soy sauce. Baaaaaaa."
photo courtesy of http://www.countrylife.co.uk/country-pursuits/saving-seaside-scottish-sheep-84793
And the lovely lass spinning merino like a pro was Danielle, the stall holder of Raxor Yarns....


We chatted, became Instabrag buddies and I was a total yarn perve as I felt and fondled all her hanks and skeins.

I spent quite a bit of time drooling over and fondling the silks.....

Now, several weeks later, I still also want the soft pink, the mango and the green. And the lavender. And the peach.

And after all of the fondling and perving I said, "Shut up and take mah money!"

Actually no. I said, "Oh, this blue is just lovely. I think I'll buy this one. Thank you ever so much."

And then realized I had just spent dollars on silk, which is not cheap. Which meant I really, really should make SOMETHING with it.

Have you ever touched silk like this? It is sooooo soft! Like puppies and kittens soft.

So I went home and Pinterested with a cup of coffee or three and decided to make a Virus Shawl.

Ok so this photo kills a couple of birds with one stone, for you can also see some cute pom poms on a string AND some yummy Maple nougat which I also bought at the market!
And the beginnings of my Shawl!


 After a few days of Virusing, I used the whole 100gmish skein.


And I realized it wasn't big enough. So I Instabragged a message to Danielle and after a delightfully easy exchange of Paypal and Post I had another one within a couple of days!
So I kept going.


And today I finished!
With literally 10cm of silk left. How's that for awesome?


Sooooo my new Samsung phone has a wonderful thing in the camera which smooths out my wrinkles. But it seems I must have so many because while every thing else in the photo is in focus, my face looks slightly out of focus?

 
 
And while trying to take a selfie in the dining room, Sonofagun No.2 decided to try and photobomb...
This type of photo is more like us!
 

He has my eyes. So proud!

The silk scarfy shawl thing is so soft and warm. I love it. I do wish I could have found a pattern which could have done more justice to the yarn, but I can hardly wait to wear this out somewhere.

In a couple of weeks I've decided to take a trip up to Bendigo to check out the Australian Sheep & Wool Show. Apparently it's Christmas for crocheters and knitters and anyone who likes doing stuff with yarn or sheep. I better start apologizing to my bank account....
xox
Louise
The Red Haired Amazona

Comments

  1. Love it Louise! Your yarn perve analogy is so spot on!!!

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  2. Well.. my my.. now I'm going to feel like I need to wear a disguise to go to the yarn store! LOL! What a fun time you had and so much restraint on buying one skein! Your shawl turned out magnificent. I sure do love my shawls. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Thank you Teresa! I am going to have to make a visit to the yarn shop in the next couple of days as I have been asked to make a blanket for my fellas son, but sadly at THAT shop they know me very very well!

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  3. Shawl turned out beautifully. My wool stash is down to one plastic tub. Noticed a new wool shop has opened in Milton which I must check out.

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    1. Oh really? I always wanted Milton to have a little yarn shop. I'll have to check it out next time I visit!

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  4. Shawl turned out beautifully. My wool stash is down to one plastic tub. Noticed a new wool shop has opened in Milton which I must check out.

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  5. Ooooo.... :-D #YarnEnvy #TheWallet,NotSoMuch

    NOTE: ANYTHING mixed with SILK turns out great!
    Anyhoo, LOVELY job on the shawl! Nice pattern. Although, next time you make something with the silk [or midget-sheep-eating thistle], you might want to go over to the "DARK SIDE" and *KNIT* it! As that usually takes way less yarnage. - yeah, I know. Knitting takes 4-letter-acronyms-[yes, "it" is actually an acronym and not a real word!]-that-start-with-"F" forever!! But, it does show off the fiber texture better and offer more "drape" as opposed to CROCHET... #justsaying
    whatever. It's a pretty Blue and looks super on you! - Just keep it away from THE BIRD...

    So. Talking Car Navigation... They might have a WOMAN's voice, but read out "Directions" like a GUY trying to decode an IKEA "delivery"! -- Our car doesn't have one, Thank-The-Big-Dipper! However, my Bro-in-Law was using one last week while he was taking us across town to meet the New Baby... [Sounded like a Comedy Show on SIRIUS-RADIO!] - It seemed to fixated on "800 meters" and never distinquished between double-turning lanes -- as in a left-left-lane or a right-left-lane, before you have to "..go RIGHT, NOW!". -- Always best to just CHECK a proper MAP *before* leaving! And/or, keep a Drone in the car... oh. AND, maybe just READ the ROAD-SIGNS!?! -- Not to mention, you could always let Munchkin-Junior navigate. He's 7 now? At 7, *I* was the one navigating from a PAPER map even while carsick on the seatbelt-LESS backseat of "oceanliner" car whenever we went on roadtrips! Plus, He can fly the Drone...
    ;-D

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    1. Thanks for the tip Auntie Shan! I was thinking while I was crocheting the shawl that it would look nice as a knit but am not as confident in my knitting to risk the silk. I think I'll give it a go next time :)

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  6. What an adventure, I am like you malls and high streets just do not do it for me but craft fairs and antique centres I cannot avoid, they call to me with my purse.

    Love the silk wool and the scarf you have made is beautiful.

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    1. Craft Fairs and Antique shops are definitely my weakness!

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  7. Love markets- i can spend lots too.... love the colour of the wool and what a pretty make xx

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  8. A great day out was had by the sounds of it :) I adore the colours, you done well in choosing just one, although yarn + paypal + postal service can be a dangerous combination :)

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    1. Ha! It definitely is a dangerous combination. Especially as I am contemplating taking advantage of the lower UK pound to Aussie dollar and ordering a batch of Stylecraft Special DK from Wool Warehouse at the moment. It works out the same as buying direct from my local shop, which doesn't stock Stylecraft. I'm very tempted by all the gorgeous Stylecraft colours!

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    2. Do you know about www.blacksheepwools.co.uk? They're in Cheshire. Every once in awhile, they have FREE *INTERNATIONAL* SHIPPING!! - They seem to be a good size operation that has a good rep. You might want to check them out.

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  9. The yarn is beautiful - as is the shaw:) money well spent!

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  10. I do love your blog, you always make me a giggle. I love all the gorgeous things you make and find.

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  11. Hilarious!
    I love craft fairs but sadly rarely get to any as I work weekends, but I guess my bank account isn't groaning.
    Not being able to drive can be frustrating at times, but I miss out on all the travel stress, can't get lost going a to b on a train (well actually I probably could! )
    Love how the shawl turned out, looks beautiful...

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  12. I am drooling over all that yarn. The charcoal and the silk, (dribbles some more). My bank account has shut down in fear.

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