Monday 26 November 2012

Yarn-a-holic

This is the lovely view from our local yarn store


It's actually more than a yarn store...it is attached to the oldest woolen mill in Canada.  Briggs and Little Woolen Mill has been producing 100% pure wool yarns for over 150 years.  Every part of the process from raw, unwashed fleece to beautiful yarn is completed here.  

They have had two fires with the most recent being in 1994 when this new building was constructed.


Inside there is every color you can imagine...



And some beautiful knitted items for sale completed by local knitters, like these "thrummed" mittens


You can also buy antique bobbins from old machinery that was used in the past at the woolen mill...people do all kinds of interesting things with them.


I really want to buy one of every color...


I would also love to take home this giant antique basket which they store the yarn "seconds" in...it was woven by members of a local first nations community.


I have plans to knit some rainbow mittens so I came home with a few new colors so I finally have  all 7...(red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, violet).  They sell all their yarn in hanks so now I have to wind it all into balls then start my rainbow mittens.


If you remember watching the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver you might have seen the sweaters on the Canadian athletes...the wool came from Briggs and Little Woolen Mills;


You can buy the pattern and yarn kit to make the Olympic sweater...which I just might do...after the rainbow mittens.


2 comments:

  1. What a simply lovely yarn store, I want to visit! I think I want to buy a hank in every color too. I have a LYS here [it's two years old], but it is located in the historic part of town and is very tiny. Oh well, at least there is a yarn store now so I am thankful.

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  2. my gosh, the view and then the history, i've never tried this wool but would love to. the wall of yarn is beautiful and all your rainbow colors too. can't wait to see your mitts!

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