Saturday, September 22, 2007

Maine Fiber Adventures

Small useful toolsNo trip to Maine is complete without a fiber adventure or three. So much rain on this trip meant more time at my favorite Maine LYSs, Halcyon Yarn in Bath and Unique One in Camden (open 'til 10 in the summer!). I picked up some back issues of Spin-Out, more Finn top, and some small, useful tools. (DH: "Hey, those things look like fish!")

There also was a new find, Tess' Yarns in Portland, opened just this year. Here's the view from the curb.

Tess' Yarns exterior

The inside view will look familiar to those who attend MDS&W – the store pretty much replicates the booth, minus the festival frenzy. There are some garment patterns and a few other covetable things, but the emphasis is very much on yarn – it's a paradise of drop-dead gorgeous color and texture. The only ways to get Tess' Designer Yarns are at a limited number of fiber festivals (sadly, not Rhinebeck), online, or at the shop.

Tess' Yarns interior

DH, a veteran of many, many, many yarn expeditions, quickly assessed the situation and fled. Happily, the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood made for an entertaining impromptu walking tour for him while I chattered with the voluble (but camera-shy) owner. I picked up Super Socks and Baby (80% wool, 20% nylon) in a classic Tess colorway, Lime Splash, and a new semi-solid, Lemongrass, and Superwash Lace (100% Merino singles) in an emerald green so rich, in some lights it looks black.

Tess' Designer Yarns

Incidentally, there really is a Tess of Tess' Yarns... her picture is on the label.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maine seems the place to go for an excellent yarn crawl. I didn't know Tess' Yarn now has a shop, and not far from my brother's house, hmmmmm...You bought some great yarns.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous yarns - I love the brown. What are the things that look like fish?

Bezzie said...

Ha ha, I love the part about your husband fleeing. What a great looking store!

Zarzuela said...

I'm so jealous! I tried to catch Tess when I was in Portland last and they were closed. :( On of these days I really want to get to Halcyon too...

Beautiful finds!

Jessica

Anonymous said...

It's not a vacation without some souvenir yarn. I think I might have bought some of Tess' sock yarn at MDSW.