Halifax | PDXKnitterati

We had two stops in Canada: St John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

St. John had two yarn shops in walking distance from the port. First stop? Cricket Cove, in Brunswick Square.

So much beautiful yarn, a lot of it Canadian-dyed. This Hand Maiden Yarns display was gorgeous! It had several interesting kits set up, some for thrumming and some for color pooling, both of which I’d be teaching in Maine the next week. But I already had yarns for those classes, so I didn’t indulge. (I like my yarn acquisitions to have a plan.)

Our second stop was Good Fibrations, which had a good selection of hand-dyed yarns, and spinning and weaving supplies.

And goodie bags for us, including this sweet notebook set and hand balm.

I bought this skein of hand-dyed super bulky; I need a new demo yarn for my Brioche Entrée scarf. I’ve been using the same bit of yarn for years, and it’s time for a refresh. This will be perfect against my white demo needles.

I also bought a new circular for my Petite Brioche class; I wanted a metal needle that would contrast better than my dark wooden needle against my dark demo yarn. No 16” circulars in sight! LYS owner Elizabeth Miller told me that she likes 20” (who am I kidding, 50 cm because we’re in Canada) circulars for hats, so that’s what she carries. I didn’t even know that Hiya Hiya stainless circulars came in 20” lengths. I bought one, and it’s perfect.

On to Halifax!

Another port, another charming lighthouse…or several

I met up with fellow blogger Brenda Solman. We walked the boardwalk and visited The Loop yarn shop, where I finally bought yarn that didn’t have a plan. Oops.

Can you blame me? This is Flyss from Hand Maiden Yarns. It’s 65% silk, 35% linen. I don’t know what it wants to be, but it’s stunning.

We walked the Halifax Public Gardens, established 1867.

Some of the cruisers went on an optional wine and fiber tour. I wish I could have been in two places at once!

Halifax was the last stop on our cruise. The next day was a full day at sea. We had the second of our classes in the morning, and a get together in the afternoon. A few more cruise pictures below.