A busy weekend

This weekend our town had it's annual Eco Market . This event features products and crafts from local producers and artisans . They have everything from local wines to makers of handmade soap , alpaca yarn and knitted items ,  stained glass and wood products .There's live music , different foods to sample , it's just wonderful way to while away a day . The weather this weekend was spectacular if a little on the warm side . Last year they had a torrential rainstorm , so this year the exhibitors were very happy despite the heat .

The setting , L'ile St. Bernard is so very pretty , right on Lac St. Louis and opposite the Island of Montreal . This property belonged to the Grey nuns who established a settlement there in the 1700s. A large part of the island is now a protected wildlife site . Our municipality bought it a couple of years ago in the hopes of keeping it so . Developers have been eager to buy it , but thanks to our mayor , a group of wildlife conservationists and a number of concerned local citizens we're able to keep it a protected zone . For me this is my little 'peaceful ' corner . I love to go and just sit on the shore and just enjoy the fresh air , the water and gaze out on  lake . Sometimes I bring my knitting or a book , but often times I just go to sit and just breathe . Best medicine and destessor ever !

 

You did notice that I mentioned yarn , right . One of the exhibitors there again this year was the owner of these two sweet girls . The came from Alpagas des Hauts Vents . I first visited this farm a couple of years ago when they had an open house in conjunction with the alpaca farmers association .  I'm currently knitting Colour Affection shawl with some yarn that I bought there . The owners are a fantastic young couple , very eager to talk about the alpacas and the yarn and the knitted or crocheted items that can be made from their fleece . Needless to say I bought more yarn , but in my defense , I had a project in mind , so it really wasn't an impulse buy . At least that's what I told Mike , who kind of looked at me in amazement , and reminded me of the ' yarn shop ' in the spare bedroom . I reminded him of his purchases , a couple of bottles of wine , some very nice smelling hand made soap , that sort of made us even in the area of not completely necessary purchases .

Here's my haul , which doesn't seem overly extravagant if you ask me. The real indulgences were the two shawl pins . The one on the left is carved from a piece of moose antler . That will be going back to Austria with my dad as a gift for my stepmother . The little bird is mine ! I just love the simplicity and the tinge of blue . He's worked from a piece of maple . You can't get more Canadian than moose antler and maple , eh ?!