Recently I discovered that Patons carries a bulky yarn and had the colours I wanted. The gauge is not the same but close. So I have been doing the math, making the adjustments and swatching.
So here we are on the first project. I consider that the yarn is from the stash. After all the yarn was purchased at least 2 weeks before the last Harrow Fair.
I swear each yarn has its own story. I spent the spring and summer waiting for the 2015 Listowel tent sale so I could make the trip to the Spinrite factory outlet in Listowel, Ontario. That way I could have the full line of the Patons Classic Wool Bulky available. But life intervened. I was busy at work, I had other commitments and just could not see having a full day available to go. Listowel is a good 4 hours drive one way from Essex.
At the same time my husband was moaning that he wanted to take a motorcycle day trip and wasn't it just too bad that the sale in Listowel was over. I stared at him and said the sale starts on Monday. I chose the colours I wanted for the sweater, estimated quantities and made my list. On the Friday, he loaded up the bike with the T-bag, cords, and extra bags that clipped to the main T-bag. He emptied the side bags, packed the map and my list and headed off.
Here is what you can fit on a motorcycle.
I manged to fit all this into the existing stash tubs so no need to spend Canadian Tire money on new bins. The Vespa sweater yarn is on the right.
Here is the progress to yesterday evening.
Two sleeves and the start of the right front. I don't like the motifs on the front of the sweater so I have simplified the design. What I really want is this motif on the back.
Yes that is me. This is a 1973 Vespa Sprint with 150cc's of power. It will do 60 mph downhill with a passenger on the back. The extra weight keeps the back end from bouncing around. When you are 16 a younger sister works just fine. I am using the Imperial measurements since the scooter predate's Canada's adoption of the metric system.
Here is my stash enhancement device.
As I have been writing this I started to think about the history of the fair. The Colchester South and Harrow Agricultural Society was founded in 1854. This is the organization responsible for the Harrow Fair. Since 2015 was the 161st Harrow Fair, this means that the first fair was held in 1855.
The first highway in Ontario - Kings Highway 18 (now Country road 20) joined the towns and villages along the Erie north shore and ran through Harrow. I don't know if it was macadamized by 1855. The highway had been established a number of years before. Today it is the main street in Harrow. Essex County was already established (1792). In 1855 the underground railway was functioning. The California gold rush was still on. Harrow was small, more of a crossroads really and was not established as a police village until 1878. The village of Essex did not yet exist. Amherstburg and Sandwich were thriving communities. Queen Victoria was on the throne. Bytown was renamed Ottawa. Canada as a country would not exist for another 12 years. Windsor had been established as a village the year before. 1854 was the same year that the Great Western Railway established its Canadian terminal in Windsor setting the die for Windsor's future growth. In 1855 most of the region's population lived along the shore or close to the lakes and the Detroit River. Most of the interior of Essex County was forest and swampy.
The fair's goal was to provide education and some healthy competition to improve agricultural production. It was more of an auction sale really than the fun and fantastic fair we know today in its 162nd year.
Back to working on the sweater.
Great read! Love the Vespa sweater. it brought a tear to your sisters eyes.
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