You've seen variations of this on any of a dozen online knitting lists:
> Hi All!
> I am going to Carmel for the week with my family and I was wondering if there
> were any Yarn Shops and things fiber that I must see.
> TIA!!!
There are a couple of really good online resources for finding fiber shops. Interweave Knits has made available online their Knits Travelling Sourcebook, which is regularly updated. Not only do they list fiber shops, they also list events, camps and retreats of interest to knitters. TNNA (The National Needlework Association) has a retail directory on their website, where you can search by either product (knitting/crochet) or by location.
Of course, you can also do a search on www.google.com. A search there for "yarn shops"+knitting+California brought back 1,570 results. A further search on "Carmel" brought back 35 results. This does not mean that there are 35 shops in Carmel, but that those parameters show up in 35 places.
Since time is a precious commodity while travelling, it's always best to call ahead for shop hours and closings rather than suffer a disappointment.
Hope that helps someone!
Friday, September 10, 2004
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
... and scurrying we've done!
Knitting, we haven't.
The last few days before leaving to take our older daughter to college were a whirlwind. I did take two projects with me, but there was never any time to knit. David's Once Again sweater was just too bulky to carry on, so it went along in the checked baggage. And that's all it did - went along for the ride - I didn't knit one stitch on it. I did knit a few rows on the shell (Takhi Lily, pattern from Spring/Summer 2004 IK), but that was the only knitting I managed. I've since completed the shell and it's rather nice to wear - so light and airy, it's like wearing a cloud.
I'm on the lookout for yarn stores every place I visit and I wouldn't leave Bloomington until I'd visited Yarns Unlimited. I spent an enjoyable hour browsing (and drooling) in this delightful yarn shop. I bought a pattern for hand warmers and some recycled silk yarn (which is gorgeous, indeed, and at a great price - $3.50/oz.). Oh! I wanted to buy more, but our suitcases were crammed full as it was. While I was waiting for the skein to be wound, we chatted with Suzanne who is the owner. She is a beautiful, delightful, warm person and it turns out that her Father is a 'cellist and her son is an Ethno-Musicologist! She was so kind and warm and she invited Melissa to call her at any time for some "Mom" time! She even gave Melissa her home phone number and asked Melissa to keep in touch with her. I can't tell you how much that warmed my heart. Just the fact that she was so genuine and considerate and warm and generous - she is an angel. If you ever visit Bloomington, please stop in to see her.
And, so now I must finish David's sweater. For awhile I thought that I would start over with new yarn - hey! any excuse to make a trip to my LYS - but I'm resigned to finishing it, just so I can say that it's done.
No other projects on the horizon, although I have plenty of patterns and a plethora of yarn. I finally organized my stash and I filled 10 - yes, TEN - storage bins with yarn. And yet, I still have an urge to visit my LYS. Why is it more fun to shop at the yarn shop instead of your yarn stash?
The last few days before leaving to take our older daughter to college were a whirlwind. I did take two projects with me, but there was never any time to knit. David's Once Again sweater was just too bulky to carry on, so it went along in the checked baggage. And that's all it did - went along for the ride - I didn't knit one stitch on it. I did knit a few rows on the shell (Takhi Lily, pattern from Spring/Summer 2004 IK), but that was the only knitting I managed. I've since completed the shell and it's rather nice to wear - so light and airy, it's like wearing a cloud.
I'm on the lookout for yarn stores every place I visit and I wouldn't leave Bloomington until I'd visited Yarns Unlimited. I spent an enjoyable hour browsing (and drooling) in this delightful yarn shop. I bought a pattern for hand warmers and some recycled silk yarn (which is gorgeous, indeed, and at a great price - $3.50/oz.). Oh! I wanted to buy more, but our suitcases were crammed full as it was. While I was waiting for the skein to be wound, we chatted with Suzanne who is the owner. She is a beautiful, delightful, warm person and it turns out that her Father is a 'cellist and her son is an Ethno-Musicologist! She was so kind and warm and she invited Melissa to call her at any time for some "Mom" time! She even gave Melissa her home phone number and asked Melissa to keep in touch with her. I can't tell you how much that warmed my heart. Just the fact that she was so genuine and considerate and warm and generous - she is an angel. If you ever visit Bloomington, please stop in to see her.
And, so now I must finish David's sweater. For awhile I thought that I would start over with new yarn - hey! any excuse to make a trip to my LYS - but I'm resigned to finishing it, just so I can say that it's done.
No other projects on the horizon, although I have plenty of patterns and a plethora of yarn. I finally organized my stash and I filled 10 - yes, TEN - storage bins with yarn. And yet, I still have an urge to visit my LYS. Why is it more fun to shop at the yarn shop instead of your yarn stash?
Sunday, August 08, 2004
I love IK
Oh my! Why didn't anyone tell me that Interweave Knits has 2 PDF indexes of all their issues published from Fall 1996 through Spring 2004 available online FOR FREE?!
Have I mentioned how much I love this magazine? :)
Wish I had more knitting content to share, but what do you expect when it's 11:30pm and we've just now turned off the a/c? Back to the wet bandana...
Have I mentioned how much I love this magazine? :)
Wish I had more knitting content to share, but what do you expect when it's 11:30pm and we've just now turned off the a/c? Back to the wet bandana...
Monday, July 26, 2004
Fulling Day
After much delay, my French Market Bag has been fulled. (Yay!)
Let's recap, shall we?
Act I: Knitting Nest
I knit the bag somewhat along the lines of the pattern found on Knitty.com, though I used two strands of Brown Sheep Nature Spun rather than the yarn called for in the pattern. Progress reports here and here.
Intermission:
The bag was finished about a week after starting it, but sat for nearly a month waiting to be fulled. Since I have a front-loading washing machine (European standard-I do not live in the US), I opt to hand-full it.
Act II: The Internet
I spent some time looking for resources on hand-fulling on the Internet and came upon Beth Brown-Reinsel's instructions on her website. With instructions read, it's time to full. I don't have huge expectations for mega-fulling because of the already relatively tight gauge of the knit fabric.
Act III: The Utility Sink in my Laundry Room
Scene I: Since the bag was not overly large, my utility sink was quite sufficient to handle the job. The first bath was in hot water from the tap with a squirt of "Fairy" dishwashing liquid. Our solar water heater makes the water quite hot but there was little fiber intermeshing going on despite vigorous rubbing, mostly with my knuckles. Apparently "Fairy" is detergent and not soap.
Scene II: I drain the hot water out of the sink as well as squeezing the bag and immediately plunge it into cold water, again rubbing vigorously. At this point there is a bit of surface fiber coming away from the bag.
Scene III: Second hot water bath and more vigorous rubbing. More fiber coming away from the surface of the bag and this time a huge amount of black dye was released into the water. My arms are getting tired.
Scene IV: Second cold water bath and the fibers just start to bloom.
A Brief Intermission: At this point I figure I need real soap to change the pH in the water sufficiently to get those fibers to mesh. I run to our bathroom to find any bar of hotel soap I can find. I know these are the real McCoy because my skin feels drier than heck after using them. Unfortunately, hubby has used them all up at the shower at the swimming pool. Emergency! I pick up the slice of Lush handmade soap that my son brought back from London and which has been sitting in our "fancy" bowl of soaps ever since because it, too, dries my skin.
Scene V: Back at the Utility Sink filled with more hot water and armed with the bar of soap, I start soaping the water and add the bag. More vigorous rubbing and this time I can actually feel the fibers contracting. More rubbing and finally, voila! Fulling has occurred.
Scene VI: Final cold water rinse, more rubbing and the fiber continues to contract. Squeeze out the water and toss bag into folded towels. I jump on the towels to extract as much water as possible and lay it flat to dry on a sweater rack.
Epilogue: As I mentioned above, I didn't expect the bag to full much because it wasn't as loosely knit as the pattern directions gave. Nonetheless, the bottom of the bag where I used two strands of black has definitely fulled more than the area where I combined a natural color with the black.Final dimensions are 19" from the bottom of the bag to the top of the handles; 12" from the bottom of the bag to the point before the handles are added and roughly 16" from side to side. (As the bag is still damp, I don't want to try flattening it too much in order to measure.)
Pictures soon.
Let's recap, shall we?
Act I: Knitting Nest
I knit the bag somewhat along the lines of the pattern found on Knitty.com, though I used two strands of Brown Sheep Nature Spun rather than the yarn called for in the pattern. Progress reports here and here.
Intermission:
The bag was finished about a week after starting it, but sat for nearly a month waiting to be fulled. Since I have a front-loading washing machine (European standard-I do not live in the US), I opt to hand-full it.
Act II: The Internet
I spent some time looking for resources on hand-fulling on the Internet and came upon Beth Brown-Reinsel's instructions on her website. With instructions read, it's time to full. I don't have huge expectations for mega-fulling because of the already relatively tight gauge of the knit fabric.
Act III: The Utility Sink in my Laundry Room
Scene I: Since the bag was not overly large, my utility sink was quite sufficient to handle the job. The first bath was in hot water from the tap with a squirt of "Fairy" dishwashing liquid. Our solar water heater makes the water quite hot but there was little fiber intermeshing going on despite vigorous rubbing, mostly with my knuckles. Apparently "Fairy" is detergent and not soap.
Scene II: I drain the hot water out of the sink as well as squeezing the bag and immediately plunge it into cold water, again rubbing vigorously. At this point there is a bit of surface fiber coming away from the bag.
Scene III: Second hot water bath and more vigorous rubbing. More fiber coming away from the surface of the bag and this time a huge amount of black dye was released into the water. My arms are getting tired.
Scene IV: Second cold water bath and the fibers just start to bloom.
A Brief Intermission: At this point I figure I need real soap to change the pH in the water sufficiently to get those fibers to mesh. I run to our bathroom to find any bar of hotel soap I can find. I know these are the real McCoy because my skin feels drier than heck after using them. Unfortunately, hubby has used them all up at the shower at the swimming pool. Emergency! I pick up the slice of Lush handmade soap that my son brought back from London and which has been sitting in our "fancy" bowl of soaps ever since because it, too, dries my skin.
Scene V: Back at the Utility Sink filled with more hot water and armed with the bar of soap, I start soaping the water and add the bag. More vigorous rubbing and this time I can actually feel the fibers contracting. More rubbing and finally, voila! Fulling has occurred.
Scene VI: Final cold water rinse, more rubbing and the fiber continues to contract. Squeeze out the water and toss bag into folded towels. I jump on the towels to extract as much water as possible and lay it flat to dry on a sweater rack.
Epilogue: As I mentioned above, I didn't expect the bag to full much because it wasn't as loosely knit as the pattern directions gave. Nonetheless, the bottom of the bag where I used two strands of black has definitely fulled more than the area where I combined a natural color with the black.Final dimensions are 19" from the bottom of the bag to the top of the handles; 12" from the bottom of the bag to the point before the handles are added and roughly 16" from side to side. (As the bag is still damp, I don't want to try flattening it too much in order to measure.)
Pictures soon.
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