Knit and Plenty

The Last Trip, We Swear

On Saturday, 4 of my Close Knit Friends and I went on a road trip - or what I'll call a "Yarn Trek." We trekked up to Katonah Yarns - a wonderful shop about 45 minutes from Stamford (60 from NYC) and spent about 2 1/2  hours in this really incredible place. We all know that feeling when you walk into a yarn shop, right? It's magic. It's exciting. But all too often, it's also visually cramped and physically claustrophobic. Well, imagine having all the good feelings and then, combine it with the realization that the place is the perfect size (not too big and not too small) and that you are surrounded by a great selection of beautiful bags and samples and accessories AND that you can see everything from 20 feet away. Its sheer bliss. Even with lots of tables and displays and stuff all about, Katonah has a nice flow to the space and lots of room to walk around. All five of us could head off in a different direction. Like a good old-fashioned book store, there are lots of different places to sit: a lounge in the back, a big table in the middle and a few comfy chairs.  Until the place got packed - and it did, there was lots of room to explore a great selection of yarn. The owner, JaneLee, is both bright and beautiful, has a great eye for colorways and doesn't miss anything when it comes to stocking the latest and coolest products, from square needles to Knit and Plenty kits! I picked up a few skeins of Noro Silk Garden that I hadn't seen anywhere else and the rest of my pals seemed to find some special things. If you're within driving distance, its worth the trek. And if you go, don't miss the Blue Dolphin "diner" in the heart of Katonah. It's real homemade Italian food that was almost as good as the yarn.

Of course, we vowed to each other that this would be the last trek for awhile. Or I seriously think we are going to have to be locked away.

The Denial of Bargaining - Grief

Have you ever suffered the loss of one of your local yarn shops?  Knit Together in Stamford, CT is closing its doors and all of us in Fairfield, CT will be very, very sad to see it go. It was a fine shop with a good selection and very good knitters.  It's very emotional to watch them go through this  "process" and yesterday many of their very best customers, including me, showed up to "lend our support".

Some people call it a liquidation sale, but I prefer to call it the grieving process. It has six stages.

Parking. Hunting (also known as Rifling). Bargaining (I won't buy anymore for awhile, really). Pushing. Confusion, and finally, Check Out.

Yes, it's a process and a difficult one at best. But we managed to get through it. Together, of course.

We stood shoulder-to-shoulder, basket-to-basket, in our long 45 minute processional, commisserating over the 40% discounts we had found. Sad, oh how sad.

All kidding aside, and truthfully, I am sad. I am sad to see the closing of a knitting shop. I am sad that knitters won't have lots of choices where to buy yarn. And even though I did pick up some luscious yarn, this isn't the way I like to buy it. Of course, who doesn't like a bargain! But yarn shopping for me is not about bin-diving. It's more like picking flowers. It's something that I share with friends, not something that I step over them to get to.

P.S. A few years back a store called Hook and Needle closed. At the time, I didn't know that yarn had "a fashion" and the stuff I bought in 1997 (think: fling-flash-bling-zing-zap) is now sitting in a bag somewhere. Yesterday, I kept to the basics - Bliss, Cashmere, Tahki Baby Alpaca. 

-  We'll miss you, Knit Together Folk!

The Last Picture Show

It's hard to believe that, at this time last week, I was on a train to Baltimore about to start my Stitches weekend. So, I guess it's time to end my week-long recap. I'm sorry I was unable to show you all the wonderful displays inside the Exhibit Hall. I'm not sure why, but they don't allow anyone to take pictures inside the Convention Center. I did, however, risk arrest to capture this on film:

I do believe that this woman had not only knitted a hat and a very large shawl but also a very small child! I am not exactly sure what  lifeform is under the shawl but it probably spawns acrylic.

I'm going to be damned for all eternity to knit with laceweight on #1 needles for that comment, aren't I???

Have a great weekend!!

Baltimore and more

I know you're all just dying to see all the yarn I bought this weekend at the Stitches East Show in Baltimore - because, yes, I did, indeed, buy lots of yarn. But having been gone all weekend, and back to real life and work and home today, the best I can do is post a quickie on the most amazing breakfast Regina and I had on Sunday at this little place out in East Baltimore called The Morning Edition. Get a load of this plate.

I almost want to make some socks to match!

How about I use some of this fresh parsley Socks That Rock??

Here's Regina after our hearty, happy breakfast.

She and I had the best, best time and I can't wait to show you all the great stuff I brought home. I hope you'll check back as the week goes on.

The Last Detail

In the movie the Last Detail, Jack Nicolson & Randy Quaid have one last wild weekend on the way to the lock-up. Well, Regina and I are off to Baltimore - for the big Stitches East show, and this has got to be the last of the yarn buying  until well into 2007. It's that or I really will need to be locked up!

Since this is the case, I am really looking to buy some special stuff. I definitely have cashmere at the top of the list, and some special sock yarn. Something to make a big ol' comfy sweater - and I'm thinking about a poncho, perhaps. And there's always incredible scarf yarns.

So, here's the question, if you had to buy your very last skeins for your very last project, what would you buy and what pattern would you make?? Don't worry about the details, I'll haunt you later.

GKT Kits to any one who comes up with something that I actually land on!!

Back on Monday with all the loot!!

Rhinebeck Wrap

Today I'll wrap up my tales of Rhinebeck (cuz it's probably really boring my faithful blog-reading family members) with the final display of this beautiful bulky from Brooks Farms. Their stuff is just amazing. With names like Harmony and Four Play, you can get lost in their fiber for daze. Four play is 50/50 wool and silk at 270 yards for $16.00 and the colors are to dye for, as we all say.

Rhinebeck mission accomplished. I managed to spend less than $250. (Mostly because I am going to Stitches in two weeks and the train and the hotel are twice that!)

On the way home, we had a spectacular sunset, and an amazing vista along the Hudson River. A picture perfect end to a memorable day.

We rocked.

We arrived at the gates of Rhinebeck before they opened - and we were probably one of the first 100 to get in. Betsy had a plan: to make a bee line for the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth to swoop up some Socks That Rock yarn. Being new to the world of sockdom, I had no idea what I was in for! Not five minutes after opening, I think all the other 100 people had the same plan - because the booth was already packed by the time we got there - and the line to pay was about 20 people long. I quickly battled for two skeins: one called watermelon tourmeline and the other "Highway 30" and took my place in line. Rumor has it that by noon the line was almost an hour long and all the Socks That Rock was sold out.

I guess its a pretty cool yarn, especially if you can Fair Isle with it. Could that be somewhere in my future??

Scary.

Satiated Yarn Appetite

What a beautiful day it was in Rhinebeck, New York, where thousands of us fiber fanatics descended on Saturday to partake in all manner of sheep and wool. I'll share with you as we go through the week my goodies, and some of my favorite vendors. I am quite proud of myself that I was rather discerning, and kept to most of my pre-festival vows. In all, I bought three skein of sock yarn, two skeins for one scarf and one skein that I don't know what I'll do with. And I was able to satisfy my yarn hunger. (Let's not forget I am going to Stitches in two weeks.)

Here I am with my Close Knit Friends after our brief artichoke break.

I have to say that I was a little surprised by one thing that I must have missed seeing last year.

On one side of the fairgrounds are all these wonderful animals: sheep, llamas, alpacas, angora rabbits and lamb.

And on the other side, is a line, five deep, of people waiting :

What are they waiting for?

LAMB CHOPS!

Sorry, but it struck me a little odd. I always thought that part of the beauty of this whole animal/yarn continuum is that the sheep/lamb/rabbits don't have to die for the cause.

And while I am not a vegetarian, I don't eat lamb because I really do love sheep.

That said, it was a marvelous day! All around the fair were fellow bloggers playing Stitchy McYarnPants' blogger bingo. I didn't seem to be a square on anybody's card - but I'm happily donating a GKT Kit to the winner!

Hope you'll stick around this week to hear about the rest of the trip.

Rhinebeck or bust.

My Close Knit Friends and I are all riding up together to Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival on Saturday. The vehicle is all gassed up and ready to go.

Now, I have made myself a few vows.

I will not bring home a dog, or any other farm animals.

I will not by a loom or any other spinning accessories.

I will not buy anything that's itchy, no matter how beautiful the colors are.

I will not convince a friend to buy yarn just so she spends more than me.

I will not decide to make a king size afghan.

I will not buy batting no matter how good a deal it is.

I will not eat more than one order of artichokes. Ok, two.

I will not buy a knitting bag, except if I really, really see something special.

I will not buy one skein of anything - or pay more than $20 per skein for anything.

and lastly,

I will not promise to keep any of these vows.

Oh, I - am - in - big - trouble.

Yarned and Dangerous

Have you seen this woman?

Last scene around 8 p.m. in West Hartford, CT. in the company of five other suspected crazed fiber fanatics leaving the Sit N' Knit after a rampage which left the owner, her husband, a store manager and several innocent by-knitters unharmed but in a state of shock. The incident occurred at 6:30 p.m. when the six entered the store and began wildly pillaging through yarn bins, stuffing bags with everything they could get their hands on. According to one witness, the culprits seemed to be "on something", noting, "They were even fighting among themselves over certain sport weights." At one point, several of the women demanded the owner go to the basement to find errant skeins. The raid lasted for an hour and a half before the suspects left the scene with massive amounts of worsted wools, silks and several valuable notions.

Working with a sketch artist, witnesses described the ringleader as having curly blonde hair and being rather "drawn". Using the alias Purl Needlemeyer, she was last seen wearing a retro black and pink shirt and a carrying two sharp weapons. She is to be considered yarned and dangerous.

The group, now recognized to be The Close Knit Gang, is made up of other known offenders: "The Cashmere Kid," currently wanted in connection with the Shawl Pin caper; "The Boot", "The Double Pointed Accountant", "Two Sticks McGinnity", and "Jenny Bag 'o Wool" also known as "The Bag Seller."

Anyone with information leading to their capture and conviction should contact officials immediately.