Just like the title says, I convinced Chatty-Cathy and Crafty Auntie (who is to blame, since she taught me to knit in the first place!) to meet up at my place and go to a couple of local yarn shops with me. I may do a lot of shopping online but I need to support my local merchants too!
First up was Knit Schtick, a very cute shop that just happens to be located a few doors down from where I bought my wedding gown (so, immediate happiness when going there beyond the whole I get to buy yarn thing). Not only is a great little store but they also have a great online presence and send regular emails informing their customers of upcoming workshops, knitting gatherings and new product arrivals. Unfortunately I didn't double check their hours before we left, whoops! We drove into the parking lot and I said 'Oh no, why are there white blinds drawn over the windows?!' Yup, they were closed, bad on me.
Next up was The Sheared Sheep, a bit difficult to find but worth the search. They don't have quite the grasp of new technology as the other shop but nice to go feel and buy the yarn regardless. Since shop #1 turned out to be closed we drove over to make sure this one would be open and it would be, in about 40 minutes. So we went off to a bookstore to kill some time before coming back to the yarn store. When we did return they were happily open with a group of ladies gathering around the table for a knitting class. It was a rather small selection of yarn, but it is always great to go pet the lovelies instead of just buying online and hoping it'll work. They had some Rowan Kidsilk Haze knitted up and I must say, that stuff is gorgeous! However, I just don't know what I would do with it, so none of it came home with me. I ended up getting a nice palmwood crochet hook by Brysun and a skein of Cascade Venezia in turquoise (it will become a Brambles beret, so pretty!).
Then my dear friends took me out to lunch at Todai all you can eat sushi and seafood, yummy! We had a nice leisurely lunch, although Chatty Cathy was saddened to discover the crab legs are only available on the weekend and not during the week. The sashimi style sushi was the best, some of the rolls had some really weird stuff in them. Maybe it is just me but raw fish does not go well will cream cheese! The desserts were delectable and served in bite sizes so one could easily try several guilt free.
After lunch we went back to my place to sit, talk and craft for the afternoon. Since Chatty Cathy hadn't gotten anything for me at the yarn store we pulled up Knit Picks and she bought me some Comfy worsted in seafoam that is destined to become a Lilas cardigan to wear this summer. Doesn't that look wonderful! They even helped me decide on some colors of Elsebeth Lavold silky wool (I got the persimmon to make a Dark & Stormy cardigan) and Classic Elite classic silk (the princess pink for a Nantucket Red cardigan, I certainly hope it's not too 'princessy'!) that I was having trouble deciding on. Then I horrified Chatty Cathy by ordering some madelinetosh sock yarn, she really couldn't quite believe I was spending $26 on yarn to make socks, I just told her it was my birthday and the yarn was pretty and I wanted it, so there! With all the online ordering my birthday will continue for the next week or so as the boxes begin to arrive, hooray!
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