From Halifax to Charlottetown

There was time after we'd checked out of our hotel, for a quick visit to the Halifax Farmers' Market, one of the oldest in North America. I love markets and took the opportunity to have a look at the variety of stalls and the local produce. I could tell that a visit to the market is a Saturday morning custom with Haligonians.

Before leaving Halifax we experienced another highlight of the trip with a stop in the Hydrostone Market. Initially we gathered at an interesting, well-stocked yarn shop, LK Yarns, where our group (again) discovered more yarn and patterns which they couldn't live without!

We were soon met by Kathryn Thomas, founder of the unique Fleece Artist Yarns. Kathryn divided us into two groups and in turn, we were privileged to have a tour through her studio and to see a detailed dyeing demonstration. We were all impressed by the quality of the materials and the dedication of Kathryn and her staff. (For instance, we learned that the silk in the yarns comes from Switzerland, where the quality is far superior to that from China.) Kathryn was very generous with her time and forthright in answering our questions. It gave our group a deeper appreciation of Fleece Artist Yarns and everywhere we travelled throughout the rest of the tour, many more purchases were made and orders placed.


After a light lunch at a busy bakery in the Hydrostone, we boarded our coach for the trip to P.E.I. and our hotel in Charlottetown. We anticipated a journey of no more than four hours, however, approaching the Confederation Bridge, our driver explained the significance of the flashing lights: the bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles (coaches and transport trucks) due to high winds.

Actually, in the end, our enforced change in plans was serendipitous -- it gave us time to visit London-Wul Fibre Arts, located in the countryside outside Moncton, N.B. Again, a memorable stop as it was the favourite shop of our friend Dorine Gould, who died in August. (Most of our group had travelled with Dorine a number of times, and were very fond of her and enjoyed her gentle nature.) We all miss her and it seemed appropriate that events should have meant we had an 'unscheduled' stop at London-Wul. (http://www.thewoolworks.com/) Heidi Wulfraat is the owner and a visit to her shop is not to be missed. Most of our group bought her beautiful handspun yarn.


I was concerned that the Bridge wouldn't open in time for us to reach Charlottetown, and was worrying about having to make alternate accommodation arrangements for nineteen people. There was also the concern that even if the bridge opened that evening, that our coach driver might be approaching the limit of the number of hours he could drive that day. It all turned out just fine and although it was dark and the group couldn't appreciate the bridge structure, we made it to Charlottetown and received a warm welcome from the staff at the Islander Inn.


Next installment: Our time on P.E.I.

Back from the Maritimes

It's been a readjustment to settle into regular life again, after our group's tour of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I for one, really enjoyed our stay there and wanted to share some trip highlights.

For most of the tour, we had wonderful weather--starting with our stay in Halifax and the chance to explore this historical, beautiful city. I spent a great day walking along the harbourfront, visiting Pier 21 and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and just enjoying the day--with a stop for a lobster roll lunch at one of the many great restaurants. For those whose legs weren't accustomed to the hills and many places to see, the city offers a free bus service called FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown). This frequent service is comprised of a number of city buses which circle the central city area, stopping at museums, historic sites and major hotels. There are guides on each of the buses who answer questions and provide an interesting commentary and a historical background of the buildings throughout the route.

Our hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton was conveniently located within walking distance of just about everything. The lobby was spacious, with comfortable chairs for sitting and knitting together. (As soon as I can figure out how to add photos, I'll show you the projects of our talented group.)

One evening we also visited a yarn shop called The Loop. (http://www.theloophalifax.ca)%20it/ It was fortuitous that we were in Halifax during their evening knitting get together, and our group enjoyed the chance to see what the shop carried. We received a warm welcome of tea, coffee and cookies. I think the shop was also happy to have us come by as our group left with arms full of purchases.

Another evening we had a special group dinner at the Halliburton Inn, a heritage property which offers charming rooms and outstanding meals. Two surprise guests, Shirley Scott and Carolyn Green, were there to greet the group and to add to our enjoyment. It was a memorable evening, both for the excellence of the food and the enthusiasm of our group!

Next: On leaving Halifax and going to Charlottetown.

A Scottish Photographic Competition

To anyone who has travelled to Scotland: you may wish to take part in a photo competition called "My Scottish Experience". It is sponsored by the luxury hotel group called The Town House Collection. Those who have come to Scotland on a Scottish Skeins & Skerries Tour will recall two of the properties, Channings and The Bonham.

You can read the details of the competition on the hotel website: http://www.townhousecompany.com/townhousecompany/scotland/index.aspx. The deadline is November 30th to upload an image and send it along, with a brief description of your 'experience'. There are a number of desirable prizes for the winners.

Have a look at the hotel site and get out your photos!

A yarn shop in Edinburgh

A number of travellers on our Scottish trip (naturally) found their way to a lovely little yarn shop in Edinburgh--in fact, while we were there, several other fellow travellers came in at the same time. We walked from our hotel--an easy downhill route which passed below the walls of Edinburgh Castle. The shop is K1Yarns and is located in the Grassmarket area, just off Victoria Street. The address is: 89 West Bow and their website is: http://www.k1yarns.com/. I bought a 100 gm. skein of lace weight yarn in a beautiful lilac colour. The yarn came from Wales.

The shop had a small, but interesting selection of yarns, books and buttons, and I came across several brands from mills which I hadn't known of before. One thing which especially impressed me was that the shop used attractive bags of recycled newsprint from India for purchases. Not only did they have the purpose of helping the poor, but they were also sturdy. You can learn more about the project at the site: http://www.theindiashop.co.uk/.

Something to plan for -

An event to put on your calendar for 2010 is the U.K. Knit Camp, which will be held at the University of Stirling in Scotland from the 09 to 13 August. The details are in the planning stage but it promises to be a special get together of and for knitters.

An international group of talented tutors have been booked and space reserved at the university, which is ideally suited for a gathering of this kind. There is ample onsite accommodation, meeting rooms and recreational facilities. A number of other activities have been planned: yoga, whisky tasting, a ceilidh, dinner with the tutors. As long as a minimum number of children are registered, there will even be a Kids' Camp, offering child care for those from 6 months to 12 years.

Saturday, 14 August will be U.K. Ravelry Day at the same site--a good reason to stay on.

Have a look at their website to get an idea of the plans: http://www.britishyarn.org.uk/

Only three places left!

For anyone who has been thinking about coming on the first Maritime Memories Tour, don't delay as there are only three places left.

It has been my personal experience (and that of the travel industry in general) that people are delaying finalizing their travel plans until close to the time of departure--however, don't leave it too late to make your decision. Due to the special places we visit and the talented local people we meet, the size of the group will not be expanded. This unique itinerary won't be repeated next year, as I have other destinations in mind.

You can read about the details and highlights of this trip on my website: http://www.joycejamestours.com/ then click on Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island at the top. Please contact me with any questions you have and if you wish to register. My telephone number is: 613-695-0889 and email: knitting@joycejamestours.com.

Don't miss out!

Back from Scotland

I apologize for the gap in posts--somehow once I've been away, it takes me awhile to get back to a routine. The trip to Scotland last month was memorable and I'll share more of our experiences in future posts.

Members of our Scottish Skeins group in July were privileged to have workshops and to meet with talented members of the Shetland Guild. As we looked at their beautiful lace in detail, it gave us all a deep appreciation for the talents of the Guild members . We even made the local newspaper, The Shetland Times, which featured a photo of our group with members of the Guild, and an acknowledgement of our contributions to the building fund of their new museum.

One day on Orkney we visited the tiny village of St. Margaret's Hope, locally known as 'The Hope'. It is the site of an excellent little craftshop, called the Workshop, which carries the creations of a number of local artisans. Many of our group went home with North Ronaldsay yarn, jewellery and other treasures.

We also met with Liz Lovick at her home, which is just across from the Workshop. Liz has produced two CD-Rom discs, "Knitting Ganseys" and "Knitting Shetland Lace." I've just had a quick look at them and intend to view them in detail--they have a lot of history, instruction and patterns. Liz's website is: www.northernlace.co.uk/

I was reading the latest KBTH today and in addition to the many positive comments about an Estonian book of lace, there was a link to a submission Liz prepared for the KBTH Lace Virtual Conference, dated March 2006. Have a look at:
www.knittingbeyondthehebrides.org/lace/SameButDifferent.pdf. It is subtitled 'Shetland Lace in a European Context'. A lot of work and research went into this paper.