My darling Papa

It was my birthday last Saturday (which I spent sick in bed with fever and everything). My father was at that weekend gone to Norway with a couple of his colleagues to do a little fishing. Men stuff. And on Tuesday he returned, with bags of fish (yuck, I hate fish) and another bag, which he brought for me as a belated birthday gift. Which he didn't need, since my mother had already given me their gift, but it was still pretty nice.

And I looked into the bag and what did I find? A skein of dark purple mohair sock yarn! Isn't that amazing? My father, who usually needs a very detailed shopping list, with explanations where everything is and still often brings the wrong things, goes ahead and chooses not just sock yarn, but mohair and in a really gorgeous colour to boot! Isn't he the best Papa ever?

The yarn itself is from the old Sjolingstad Uldvarefabrik in Mandal, Norway. An old wool factory, that still manufactures items to sale, though only for the tourists nowadays.

On display, my father told me, they had a wonderful shawl, made out of this yarn. The pattern is called ringsaker sjal. Which is a very simple, triangular lace shawl. Easy for beginners, and very beautiful. Maybe I make that with the yarn. Or maybe I choose something from 'Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders'. Who knows? But I won't rush the decision. One of the most fun things when knitting is the browsing of patterns and pictures to find the next project.

So Happy Birthday to me and Happy Browsing!