From City to Country: Galway and Roscommon, Ireland

We returned to the Irish mainland via ferry from Inish Mor and made a quick two-night stopover in Galway so Cathy could find a few new clothes. It is about time—she has been wearing the same two pair of pants and three shirts for over four months now. She has got to be the most unstylish traveler in the world! (Well, except for the fact that she does wear that luscious lace alpaca shawl as a scarf every day.) But even after perusing five or six “charity shops” (that is what they call thrift shops here), she only bought some new tights and underwear. I swear, she is so picky!

Nicholas looks on with interest as Camille knits in some rows.
Maybe he is a future knitter. 

But we did meet up with a sweet couple, Camille and Nicholas, in the hostel in Galway. They are from Quebec and very delightful. Camille added a few rows of 2x2 rib stitch to me while they chatted. I am certainly becoming the international favorite of the ladies. Now if we could just find a few men who knit. I know they are out there!

On January 12, we boarded a train to Roscommon. Cathy had met Caitlin and Gerry Browne on the Camino de Santiago (Remember that?? when she left me to wither in her bag that was stored for TWO MONTHS in Santiago?? Well I don’t forget, believe me!) Anyway, all was much better now that we had our own little cottage behind the Browne’s house to spend almost two weeks. Cathy had lots of space to spread out all her knitting and fiber and explore using it to make hats and bookmarks. She had time to finish some projects and start new ones. And you know what? There are LOTS of knitters in THIS part of Ireland.

Gerry and Caitlin’s daughter, Katie, knows how to knit and while her children visited Grandma, Katy added some of that fancy sparkly yarn that Catherine Henry donated way back when we were in the Shetland Islands. 

Katie's sparkle addition--I think a little "bling looks good on me!"

Caitlin took us to visit the amazing weaver and fiber artist Frances Crowe at her studio. She is working on a commissioned tapestry commemorating the Irish Potato Famine. Her studio is so colorful—with fiber everywhere! She also knits and added some rows while visiting with Caitlin and Cathy over tea. We will be seeing her again in May. (More about that later.) 

Frances's Studio....look at all that luscious yarn!

Later in the week, we got to meet the many knitters and crocheters who are a part of the neighboring Knockcroghery Knitters. We got a warm welcome and many wanted to get their hands on me. Ahhhh….

Eliona really liked me!

Brigid added some red moss stitch; Breda added some garter stitch; and Eliona (a stain-glass artist) knitted in some turquoise yarn. And then Mary, who crochets, worked on the other end, with V-stitch crochet in blue.

A crochet addition. I don't have too many crochet stitches, so it is a
treat to sport a different look. 

It was a large group and everyone was so hospitable! We hoped to get back the next week, but just did not make it. We ended up being very busy in Roscommon, as you will see in the next post.

Here are my latest set of contributors: