Bartimaeus

While waiting to get word of boating possibilities, I had another plan to go on a trip. This time it wasn't for music, but wool. The weather is more Spring like and having over dressed going to Aberdeen last time, I packed a little lighter this time, even though an even more northern destination was in mind. I didn't abandon the woolly accessories though, stuffed in coat pockets for easy access. They make such a difference! 

I was overnighting in Aberdeen, where Margaret's son had prepared gyros for dinner while we had prosecco and cashew nuts. This was the life! The next morning Margaret drove us to Elgin where the Moray Fibrefest was taking place. We were immediately entranced by some gorgeous wools and made a purchase each at the first stall - gone was the idea of a browse before buying. Cookston Crafts is a favourite of Margaret's and I have bought from them before too. I remembered something  I wanted to re-knit a scarf, as I had lost the one I did for myself before, with yarn bought at my first ever yarnfest. It has been a shade called moody blue , suiting the menopausal mayhem and misery I was going through at the time. I wanted to make it blue again and chose a wool/yak/silk mix, partly as I can't resist a yak yarn, but also because silk had been in the original moody blue scarf.  The new skein was called sapphire, a deep purplish blue with a bit of sheen. No photo do colours justice, even with sunshine on it.

The next stall was full of gorgeous lustrous colours too. I would have been tempted had I not just made my mind up at the previous stall. Margaret was very interested in them but again decided to look around before finalising her choice. She fancied a tote bag from there too.

This festival had plenty wool. But the hand-dyed wool stalls were not quite as dominant as at other places. Many stalls had pre-made goods for people to buy, many woollen garments but some other crafts such as up-cycled goods (bags wallets made from old  fire hoses and sails. 

One stall had both wool and finished goods on show. The Latvian knitting  is a wonder to behold and she sold bags with the correct amount and colour range and pattern to make the designs on show. It saves you buying a large ball or skein for only a small detail. The finished products are stunning, in a wide variety of traditional and modern designs. I am guessing Latvian gloves didn't traditionally feature pineapples or thistles and the latter is something the stall holder hopes will sell well in Scotland, but I may be wrong since The Pineapple was built in Scotland in 1761.

Another stall had mainly whole fleeces on display. I was drawn to the lamb display and was soon deciding to buy a chance to name a lamb beginning with L, and a lamb adoption, for Nye. I chose Olaf - all the adoptable lambs were named after Disney characters and Olaf is in Frozen, but also it is part of our family name so I plumped for it. Whether Nye will be able to visit the gorgeous white Olaf, I don't know but the farm is very near my sister Mary's so it seems possible. 

I really liked some fluffy wool for it's colour and softness. The person at that stall was wearing a jumper in it and it really helps a sale to have it on display knitted up, but this was a combination of two held together and the colour I wanted had two skeins that were different to each other, probably different dye lots. This was interesting but wouldn't work for me. The stall holder clearly understood and I remember the pattern name, so can come back to it. She will do dye lots to order, so can revisit that idea easily on line, now I know what it feels like.

Margaret had been adding to her purchases at other stalls and then we came to another of our favourites, Bow Fiddle Yarns (named after a local natural arch, depicted on the label. Two new colours on display were inspired by famous women scientists, Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr, the latter more famous for her beauty than her inventions. I loved the concept but wasn't sure of a project to match them. Margaret bought some though. I was drawn to the bargain basket and found several gorgeous skeins calling to make them into something beautiful. Some appealed by colour and others by softness. Who could resist a bargain baby camel?  

The Hennypenny stall had spun a little subtle sparkle in her undyed yarns. I hadn't exact plans but the cardigans on display looked so good, I wanted to try. She reminded me that as it was undyed there was no problem ordering more later if it suited me. I like how all the stall holders are enthusiastic and helpful, but none were pushy about making a sale. We also met other lovely people, like the mother and daughter wearing the same top they had knitted in different colours schemes. Margaret and I had each chosen to wear a striped cardigan but not the same pattern, one was Elton and the other was Funky Grandpa, though we have each made both of them, for ourselves.

When Margaret had completed her purchases, we headed off to lunch.  Despite Elgin being local to me growing up, I had never lunched at Johnston's of Elgin, much too upmarket for me as a child! I was more likely to have a milkshake or coke float at the Lido. Today the lentil soup and oatcakes made a perfect combination for a northern jaunt.

It was an excellent lunch spot. After lunch, Margaret was meeting a friend for coffee. I had thought I might catch up with my brother but he was busy - since it was his anniversary, I am not surprised, he was otherwise engaged. I went to explore somewhere very nearby, that he had once recommended, very near to the cafe and luckily the sun was shining. The approach was dramatic as it is situated near the Abbey so I walked around that before heading in.

The Biblical Gardens were bigger than expected and crammed full of beautiful flowers, birdsong and art, including an arch modelled on the Abbey.

There were regular biblical quotes and explanations on colourful plaques, referencing parables, like the prodigal son, and the rainbow sign which was placed beside and arch shaped flower bed. I could see it was going to be very colourful soon when the tulips opened.  

There was even another sheep reference. I had thought of it as an image of caring and tending to a flock, but this referenced the ultimate sacrifice, I am not sure the analogy stretches that far. 

One display was particularly apt for Easter but I am sure it too is there all year round.

I could see and hear a greenfinch and a robin, singing their hearts out. And hosts of flowers I really liked, such as grape hyacinths and fritillaries and in each case much more than usual and some varieties I hadn't seen before.

My phone died and I headed back to the cafe where I would find Maragret easily, as waiting in the garden wasn't going to work as a meeting spot if I couldn't contact her, since they were more extensive than anticipated, and the plan had been for her to ring me when she was ready. There was plenty time so I meandered back.

I could hear a piper playing and wondered if there was a wedding on at the abbey grounds, but in fact it was a young lad busking at the tourist hotspot near the abbey entrance, where a Scandinavian tour group were meeting up with their guide. I had enjoyed his tunes drifting over while I was in the gardens and so gave him a wee tip while I listened some more and had a chat with some other women who had stopped and asked the time.

When the sun went in, the snell breeze chased me in too. I had some time in the woollens shop and thought a tour would be interesting some other time. The staff were attentive but not pushy. I popped back out when the sun reappeared. Margaret and her friend soon emerged and she was able to furnish me with a photo of the sheep statues I had eyed up nearby. It had been an even woollier themed weekend than expected, though these were not so fluffy fleeced.

Margaret was also keen to see the biblical gardens and I was very happy to return. She loved the fritillaries too and took a much better picture of the less biblical yin and yang symbol, by choosing a jaunty angle.

Back in Aberdeen, Roland was on cooking duty doing pizzas. It is a rare event to come here and not have Margaret doing all the catering. She did cook the lunches and help with both evening meals. We had time to problem solve my wool shortage in the retro knitting project, start making corrections and admire our purchases.

The next day I was bussing back. The weather was beautiful for a walk into town and the bus stop was right beside the town hall looking particularly striking against the blue sky. It had been a beaut of a weekend altogether.