Thursday, May 22, 2008

A Visit with the Philosopher

Last weekend, I took the family to visit the Philosopher. We didn't get to see him but we were warmly welcomed by the Philosopher's Wife. Eugene and Ann Bourgeois own and run Philosopher's Wool out of their farmhouse in Inverhuron, and Eugene really did study philosophy at university. When we last visited in 2004, they gave us the grand tour of the farm and let the kids see the baby lambs.

I'd recently finished Todd's sweater and felt I was ready for another of their wonderful kits. This time, I chose the Trio pattern in the Night Sky colourway. I'd love to do one of their signature patterns like Trillium one day, but I'm not sure I can wear anything that bright and busy. It would be a joy to knit though.

Here's a close-up of all that wonderful yarn. I have a lot of fun with the novelty blends, but there's nothing like high-quality beautifully dyed 100% wool. My first Philosophers Wool sweater is ten years old and has been worn lovingly many times but it still looks exactly like it did the day I put the last stitch in. These sweaters are built to last.

Ann generously gave Kate a couple of balls of yarn when she expressed an interest in learning to knit. There was a catch, though. Kate must use up those balls before she can return for more. We'll have to get working on that!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually Eugene had a Bachelors of Independent Studies degree and not a Masters degree in Philosophy.

Paulina said...

Thanks for your comment. Eugene writes in "Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified" that he'd pursued an MA in Philosophy at the University of Waterloo, but I guess it's possible he did not finish it. I've corrected the statement in my blog post. Either way, he and Ann produce great yarn!