In a normal year, I'd drive to Picton, ON via the Glenora ferry every few weeks, winter excepted. I'd stroll down the main street, buy a takeout lunch, check out the boutiques, and end with a trip to the Hagerman farm stand, possibly the best in the world. On a full day trip, I might take Bill and visit trendy Wellington or have lunch with him at one of Prince Edward County's many wineries. And of course I'd stop at Rosehaven Yarns. Lesley Snyder, the owner, says the shop is hanging in through this weird time. She carries an eclectic mix of gorgeous stuff, from Quince & Co yarns to Briggs and Little to rovings for felters and spinners. The shop's website has had a fantastic upgrade so online shopping is (too) easy, and Lesley tells me that knitters are sending in orders for multiple projects at once.
So, to support Lesley, here are some project ideas to entice you to check out Rosehaven's offerings.
Hedgewood works well with any wool that knits up at 5 stitches/inch, including Quince's Lark and Owl. Not everything in the shop is on the website. Ask Lesley if she still has Briggs and Little's Regal in stock because it can work too. There's no sewing up with this design, and most of the cabling is done with the right side facing. This model is knitted in Lark in "Frost". Remember, you need a light colour to show off the texture.
Not in the mood for a big sweater project? Perhaps this is the time to prep for winter with a new pair of mittens. These Bellevue Mittens also use the same Lark, Owl, or Regal and are surprisingly quick to make. I recently wrote a blog post about how to make those essential mitten liners.
If you want a quick, soothing sweater knit in chunky wool you can't go wrong with Cascade's Eco+. Lesley has this in some yummy colours, including my favourite Summer Sky Heather, shown here in my Willingdon cardigan.
Do you have a man in your life looking for the perfect stay-at-home sweater? Eco+ to the rescue again in the Modern Gansey. In fact, this pullover is unisex, with instructions to modify the shape to work on a feminine figure too.
And a third option for a sweater with almost no finishing is Glenora, aptly named for the ferry crossing I take to get to Rosehaven.
You may have noticed in the above photo that Isabel is wearing my Bibliogloves. This has been a super popular pattern on Ravelry and for the small and medium sizes all you need is one skein of Quince's Chickadee. Someone on your holiday gift list will appreciate these quick fingerless gloves.
Maybe you're a sock knitter or a lover of sock yarn. You'll need a solid or tonal yarn for these Snakes and Ladders Socks. They are shockingly quick to make and perfect for cable newbies. I'd recommend Biscotte Sock Yarn.
For some soothing knitting with luxury fingering yarn, go for a Pembroke Scarf (there are knitters on Ravelry who've made multiples of this during the pandemic). Only 2 rows to memorize, and you'll end up with something beautiful and practical.
Check out the Ravelry page (link above) for inspiration. Malabrigo Sock was made for this. Now go treat yourself to some new yarn!
