The Wollmeise Shop

Wollmeise Shop, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

Originally, I planned to get there quite early because I was afraid of all the feeding frenzies most people associate with the Wollmeise online shop updates. However, my plan didn't work out since I was hitching a ride with other people and they wanted to get there a bit later on in the morning instead of at the crack of dawn like I wanted. Surprisingly, at the arrival, the shop was full...but not to the point of people lining up and spilling out into the street. No, there were no fights breaking out because someone grabbed a skein that someone else wanted. The atmosphere was absolutely lovely. There were all the familiar faces there from people that I have met over the years at the Wollmeise stands at various markets, as well as some new people I recognised from Ravelry.

Wollmeise Shop: Nobody is perfect, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

As for the yarns...well, I don't know what I was expecting. I knew that there would be yarns....but WHOA, I wasn't expecting the shelves to be packed full of it. Give or take, not all the colourways were available...but I would say that good 90% of the colourways were there. The best thing about the yarns was the fact that there were enough and there were no frenzies, so you have all the time in the world to browse through the shelves in peace.

There was this one shelf and a basket full of Mollies beside it that contained the "Nobody is Perfect" line. They're skeins that, well, for want of better words, not perfect. The skeins either have knot(s), doesn't meet the required weight for a skein...or the colourway didn't turn out like it should have (too bright, too dark, etc. so, not to be confused with the Versuchskaninchen, which are test skeins for new colourways). The "Nobody is perfect" is marked 10% off. The shelf is just like a treasure chest. You can find some really rare jewels in there. I found this absolutely gorgeous skein of Rhabarber with the most intensive colours I have ever come across. Unfortunately though, Rhabarber is not a colour I can wear and so I just left the skein there for someone else. :-)

I actually told myself that I wasn't going to get any yarns...but well, it's Wollmeise after all and I just couldn't resist....

Wollmeise Molly: Merlot (Nobody is perfect), originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

I ended up getting a whole load of the Mollies (the new worsted-weight at Wollmeise). The first batch is in the colourway "Merlot" from the "Nobody is perfect" lot.

Appellation d'origine contrôlée, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

Start: 21st June 2009
Finish: WIP
Needles: 4.5 mm Addi Turbos
Yarn: Wollmeise "Molly" (Nobody is perfect); 100% superwash Merino; colourway "Merlot"
Pattern: Fisherman's Rib in 18 sts (with 2 edge sts, i.e. total of 20 sts)

I have started knitting a Fisherman's Rib scarf out of it...however, I'm considering frogging it and making a scarf with cables on them...just because Fisherman's rib is plain boring. :-p I'll see what I should do.

Wollmeise Molly: Neptun, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

Then I got enough Mollies in "Neptun" to make myself another Joukahainen like the one I made last year.

Neptune - Le Mystique, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

Start: 21st June 2009
Finish: WIP
Needles: 4 mm / 80 cm Addi Turbos
Yarn: Wollmeise "Molly"; 100% superwash Merino; colourway "Neptun"
Pattern: Joukahainen by Kristel Nyberg. Published in Finnish in the magazine Ulla 03/07. Pattern is available as an English translation as Ravelry download.

As I knitted the ribbing, I noticed the subtle colour differences in the yarn. I was already four rounds into the stockinette part and I had to ask myself whether I should start alternating the different skeins every couple of rows or so to disperse the pooling of the darker parts of the yarn....

Well, actually, alternating the skeins is supposed to actually help when each skein is slightly different so that you won't end up with a block of darker skein and a block of lighter skein in your knitted fabric (all my skeins are of the same exact hue and saturation, so I doubt I would have any blocks if I won't alternate the skeins). However, when the colour differences is within the skein itself, then that's another story and I'm not sure whether alternating skeins would help disperse it or make it look worse.

Anyway, in the end, I decided to rib back the stockinette part and knit while alternating the skein every row...

Alternating the skeins saves the day!, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

...and it worked!

I just can't wait until this Joukahainen is finish and the weather turns cold enough again for me to wear it. :-)

Well, that's all I have to tell for now. I'm sure that I will soon be returning to the shop...even if only to just sit there and knit and chat with the others. If you have the chance, definitely go and visit the shop!

Have a great weekend everyone!