I recently paid a visit to Black Sheep Yarns in Port Moody, BC, specifically on a mission to purchase, and only purchase, a set of circular needles. Black Sheep is a beautiful shop and I love looking at just about everything each time I visit. As often happens, I was suckered into taking a new skein home with me. I tried to resist its charms, but like the Borg, resistance was futile.

As I tried to be virtuous, there was this skein… she was a vision amid all the lace and fingering weight yarn in the display. I tried to lap the shop a couple of time to shake her, but I kept coming back. Finally, I picked up the skein and I knew it was the deal was sealed.

And what tempted me so badly? It was a skein of fingering weight by Canadian company Handmaiden Fine Yarn. Specifically, it was a hand-dyed Mini Maiden variegated skein in the Sugarplum colourway. The colours were glorious, a deep magenta, gold, and palest blue-green. The yarn also had a wonderful sheen, and as suspected, the yarn is half silk, half wool. Perfect! I am a total sucker for silk in yarn, believe me.

I came home and I needed to play with this yarn (and yes, in case you’re wondering, I also purchased the needles I set out for). It was necessary. So I promptly made a nice ball of yarn.

I admired the yarn some more. It was delightfully soft. So soft!

Of course, by then I couldn’t just leave the yarn alone. A new design project came to mind… and it’s now incubating. I can’t wait to share the results with you soon.

I do wholeheartedly recommend picking up your own Mini Maiden to play with.

x Rena