Back to normal - almost!

I got back from my week in Ireland on Wednesday, so things are just starting to get back to normal. Mom is here till Sunday, and then things really will have to be back to normal, since I have loads of things to catch up on after 2 weeks of playing tourist! :)

But for now, I'll focus on the knitting!
While in Ireland, I took advantage of my visit to Galway to check out the little yarn shop housed in the Old Mill... Except now its not so little, and has expanded into its own shop, rather than just one corner of a different shop!
This is just the main corner of Yarn.ie - in the front they have lots of fun little giftie things like cosmetic/accessory bags, kids clothes, and other stuff that I didn't pay too much attention to (we had only 30min left on the parking meter and I was on a mission!)

Last time I was at this shop, they had loads of Kilcarra* Tweed yarn - exactly the same stuff as Debbie Bliss' Donegal Tweed, from the same mill and everything, but sold under a different name, and for less money. Especially this time, since they actually had cones of it for sale!
Like this one! :) 530g of Aran weight for just under 25 Euros! I can't wait to cast on with it!

Unfortunately, this was the only yarn I bought, since the other colours didn't really suit the projects I had in mind. But never fear, the yarny goodness didn't end there - When I got home on Wednesday night, my first SP11 package was sitting here waiting for me!
Very nice Alpapca yarn in two shades of light brown ("beige" is such an awful sounding colour, so not right for this yarn!), yummy white chocolate which I am trying hard to ignore (too many sweets were consumed in Ireland!), and some nice smelling oatmealy soap! Thanks Secret Pal! :)

And now, before I go get some much needed sleep, Frobisher insisted on having his photo in this post... he made a new friend at the Foxford Woolen Mill (which teased me by placing some cones of yarn in the display, but not actually selling it!), and he wanted to show her his new snorkling get-up... if only he would only learn to pay for his own trips to the Seaside, he might actually get to try it out!
*Rumour has it that you can buy this yarn direct from the mill, which is located in Kilcara, Co. Donegal. I didn't think about it till we were already too far South to make the journey, but if anyone has a desire to go exploring, I am now well skilled in the art of driving down Irish country roads at top speeds, in a car with a manual transmission and a very crappy gear box, and all on the wrong side of the road (well, the wrong side for me at least)! :)