la Compagnie des Laines

Traveling to the Ardennes, we went all across our little country.  From where I live (in the middle of our North Sea coast) to the furthest point is 350 km.  That is the province of Luxemburg, not the same as the neighboring Grand Duchesse de Luxembourg, which is an entirely different country.
The Ardennes are also well know for the Ardennes offensive by General Patton, when in WWII the American soldiers tried (successfully) to liberate us from occupying Germans. It is known as 'the battle of the Bulge'.

the hills of the Ardennes

From Oostende to Arlon is about 350 km

In my part of Belgium (called Flanders) we speak Flemish, a language very similar to Dutch. The other half of my country is called Wallonië, and people there speak French.  Our capital city Brussels is right in the middle.

Flanders is a flat country, Jacques Brel made such a beautiful song about it : Mon plat pays.

My flat country...

Wallonië has forests, hills, little villages, and a more relaxed way of living. Ideal for a holiday.
In Virton, a quiet sleepy village far away in the forests, there is a yarn shop.  Not just an ordinary yarn shop, but a hidden cave of gems.  

It is called 'la Compgnie des Laines'.  They have a website and webshop HERE.
My husband sat quietly waiting for me - I had to choose among so many awesome yarns.  And they had a great collection of needles (hyahya !) bags, pins to put on a scarf...

There were still a bit of sales too....   like 4 euros for a 100 gr skein of Kauni....  

Books Books Books..... 

that one was still missing from my collection....

Some very very nice knit scarfs too.  I bought 2 patterns and the yarn to knit both scarves : the loop-stich Frida by Hiroko Fukatsu and the beautiful Tamdou by Melanie Berg - one of my favorite scarf designers.

Tamdou by Melanie Berg

For the Tamdou I could choose among the many colours available of their own label. 

My husband came to help an I went home with Amarante red, Etain grey and Sahara yellow of the 'Assemblage 1' line.  It's a 50 gr cake of 250 meters of 80% merinos and 20% linen.  So I will have the softness of the merino and the flow of the linnen combined for this project.

sooo much to choose from

drool drool

For the Frida I might use the Kauni.  And I still have some silk from Bart&Francis at home that may turn into one of these scarves....

I bought a kit to knit wrist warmers with a pattern of rocailles knit into them. 

and last but not least a kit with everything in it to make myself some Sanquehar gloves....   with needles 0.7 mm.....   How adventurous is that ?

Back at the hotel, I enjoyed just looking at it.

and now for some time to make all these beauties.....