Art Marks the Spot
This weekend when I attended the Peoria Art Guild's Fine Art Fair, I actually bought something. In the past, I've wandered between the booths, overwhelmed by all the colors and choices--and the prices. This year, Randy and I are new homeowners with blank walls to fill. We went to the fair with a mission and a budget. There amid the wind-powered sculpture, the handpainted silk scarves, and pinhole camera photographs, we found a local artist who's watercolors we liked. Maybe it's the picture of the old farmhouse or the 1960's cars parked up the dirt drive, but his work seemed very midwestern. We loved the colors, we loved the composition, and best of all, no sticker shock. Attending the fair with a goal in mind may become an annual ritual here at PrairieTide.


Fall is in the air.


With a little art to inspire me, I've made it up to the yoke of the Lopi Sweater. I'm not using the Lopi yarn called for in the pattern, so on Friday I stopped by my local yarn store to pick up some substitute yarn for the two-stranded colorwork that will circle the yoke. I'm going to need to play a little to see how these alternate color choices work.


Contrasting colors for the sweater yoke.

Stopping by Mary's Yarn Store was a delight. We finally have a real yarn store in Central Illinois! Mary does not have a web site (yet), but I am very impressed with her yarn selection. When she opened about six months ago, she stocked mostly Reynold's yarn. Given the limited yarn selection in our area, this seemed a huge step forward. Now I discover she's got an impressive collection of Noro yarn, some beautiful Cherry Hill hand-dyed yarn, and an entire wall full of sock yarn. Heaven!

Mary's Yarn Store is located kitty corner from the courthouse in Eureka, Illinois, in a storefront shop. It looks like she's a part of the revival of the old Main Street in town. A coffee shop is opening up next door, and a giftstore seems to be doing brisk business across the street. The town is the home of Eureka College, the small liberal arts school that Ronald Reagan attended back in 1932, and without a doubt The Gipper is the town's Favorite Son. I may not make it to Eureka's Reagan Museum, the Reagan Peace Garden, or the Reagan Physical Fitness Center anytime soon, but I'm going to make every excuse I can to swing by Mary's Yarn Store.

- posted by Laurie @ 6:05 PM