Be Inspired – Edinburgh delights

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Be Inspired Fibres, Blog, Edinburgh, Facebook, Holst Garn, knitting, Ravelry, Scotland, shop

I recently spent a lovely week at my parents’ in Edinburgh prior to The Big Move. It was great to be there but time passed very quickly. Last time I went, Mum and I visited the Great Tapestry of Scotland, on exhibition at the Scottish Parliament. This time we were all set for a trip to Stirling to see the Stirling Castle Quilters 20th Anniversary Exhibition at the Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery (scroll!) My mother is a quilter and we have these beautiful quilts that she made for us!

         

Unfortunately, there were howling gales with major road bridges being closed to high-sided vehicles and threats of trees down everywhere. We stayed home and Dad and I went to the Scottish National Gallery instead. It was so calm in town you’d have never thought there were 60 mile-an hour-winds blowing just over a mile away. This is the Scott Monument taken from the gallery’s café.

There was a fair bit of woolliness during the week. I made great progress on the second Man Sock (more soon) and I paid a visit to Mei at Be Inspired Fibres. It’s probably just as well I don’t live in Edinburgh as Mei’s shop is just a ten-minute walk from my parents’, filled with lovely things and offers super service. I went in, not really needing anything but with an open mind (and an idea of how much yarn I ‘would need’, should I see something interesting), as well as an open purse. I fondled various lovelies while Mei served another customer and then we chatted. I was very interested to know more about the Holst Garn range as I’d seen it last time I was there and my very good friend and Stitch ‘n’ Bitch co-leader, M, has just been knitting a Ravello in fantastic colours from one of their yarns.

Once again, Mei shared her expertise and told me a bit about the different yarns. Then she ran downstairs to her classroom for her knitting. Either I’m super-lucky that Mei is knitting with what I fancy when I go there, or she has one-of-everything started (I didn’t like to ask)! Funnily enough, once again, there was a big box on the floor full of huge cones and it wasn’t all winter colours either! I went home for a cup of tea and came back to a generous amount of wound yarn (Mei had added a not-so-little ball to my order so I don’t even have to rip out my tension squares). This is Coast, a blend of cotton and wool, perfect for spring and summer in Sydney. The colour is Nimbus. The  range of colours in the Holst palette is so delectable – like jars of sweeties in an old-fashioned shop – that I also picked up a ball of Supersoft 100% uld (wool) in Sugarsnap.

           

 If you’re in Edinburgh, and it’s a city well-worth a visit, call in to Be Inspired Fibres. You can find shop details on Ravelry, on Facebook and Mei’s online shop is here. You can also follow Mei’s Be Inspired Fibres blog here on WordPress.

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