I guess I just can’t get enough of Berroco.  I am thrilled with their designs over the last few years and their yarn selection and colorways are just right.  The Jingu cardi above really caught my eye because it is so wearable – casual, but could be dressed up easily.  I am planning to add some wooden beads to the drawstring neck (although I love the whimsical color felt balls too!)  I chose the heathery light blue of the Vintage DK yarn that the pattern uses.

Nespelem is from Norah Gaughan’s collection Vol. 8 and also has some great details that make the cardigan so attractive.  It is a classic style with signature “Norah” natural elements – the wave of the collar looks like an ocean wave or ripple.  It is just too perfect.  I picked up the Berroco Pure Pima in this salmon colorway.  This yarn has a beautiful sheen, and I can’t wait to cast on.

Do you have some summer knitting plans?

Jonvieve + Liz and me @ WEBS

Last Friday and Saturday were banner days – days completely devoid of scheduling and meetings, conference calls and general work – it was all about meeting up with good friends, enjoying some yummy food, and yarn.

Kris and I got to Connecticut on Thursday.  Liz and I had planned to meet for some time (we met very briefly at Rhinebeck’s Ravelry party last fall…) as we talk on Twitter almost daily.  We also contacted Beverly and planned the afternoon.

We started at the Connecticut Historical Society in West Hartford.  Their needlework exhibit was in the final days.  We marveled at the embroidery, cross-stitch and sewing skills of the 18th and 19th-century pieces; the majority of them done by children and teenagers.  Remarkable skills and beautiful work.

Following the exhibit, we went to a coffee shop for some knitting time, and then followed the evening up with dinner at an Indian restaurant in Windsor.  Finally, we went to Creative Fibers in Windsor for their knit night.  It was a lovely way to end the day – and such a joy to meet Bev, who has been a knitting contact for years through this blog, Ravelry, and Twitter.

Liz, Jonvieve and I made plans for a trip to Northampton, Massachusetts the next morning for the “pilgrimage” to WEBS.  We also called my old friend and Rhinebeck roomie Kelly, who drove over from Cambridge to meet us.

The three of us drove up from CT and met Kelly.  We decided to eat first at the Paul & Elizabeth’s Restaurant (great food with several vegan options), and then make our way to the yarn shop.

Kelly and Liz were on a mission to find some good cotton yarns for crochet projects, and I was just soaking it all in, and as you can see, draping myself with crochet afghans.  I tried to be practical and bought yarns for specific projects, and with big plans for spring/summer knitting.  Those plans and yarns require another post in the near future

I wasn’t fully prepared for the amazingness that was WEBS, and the coziness of Northampton town.  An afternoon was a nice little taste, but I could easily spend a few days there… hopefully that will happen some day!

We ended our day with knitting at Woodstar Cafe in Northampton.  Liz was making mittens, Jonvieve cast on for a lace shawl, Kelly was crocheting a potholder, and I was working on the Albers cowl.  A perfect day of fun and friendship in a beautiful place~  thanks for the memories, ladies!

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2011/03/29/new-england-yarns/feed 16 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2010/05/04/hot-and-sheepy http://lollygirl.com/blog/2010/05/04/hot-and-sheepy#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 09:50:12 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=2792 This was my fifth year at Maryland Sheep and Wool, so I feel a bit “seasoned” – even though there were some nice and welcome changes at the festival this year – more space for large vendors, recycle bins, extra lavatories.  It was nice to see the organizers improving on a good thing – making it even better for the future.  I initially planned to attend one day  only, but then I had the opportunity to go both days – and that was pretty great! There is always so much to see, but I felt that I covered a lot of ground and actually saw nearly every barn and vendor section this year – and I think this is the first year I can say that!

I got to meet up with some wonderful people – many of them for the first time, and re-unite with friends I have met in previous years. This year’s weather was extremely hot and shade was a very sought-out commodity. So, the meetings all happened under the shade trees, in the shaded pavillions, or standing in the cold drink lines!  One such meetup, near the lemonade stand, was the re-unite with Tania “Mikomiao”, a long-time Flickr contact.  We met briefly last year, but had the chance to snap a pic this time.  Tania was down from NYC for the day with several friends.   I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet Kim and Heather as well as Heather’s daughters.  Heather’s daughter Pia also happens to be a huge Penguins hockey fan – so it was wonderful to meet her!

She’s even wearing her “Got Evgeni?” shirt! 

I also got to see several Ravelry friends, and many more Flickr friends too.  Funny how it takes a big festival like this to actually see the local people!  I got to talk to Mai and Emily (who both live in the area, but we never meet up, unfortunately) and Tina who was down from NYC.  And many thanks to several people who said hello and introduced themselves while standing in lines, walking down the aisles ~ it’s so much fun to meet everyone!

On Saturday, my mom and aunt and I melted in the heat, but still had a lovely day.  My aunt is visiting from Alabama after years of hearing me talk about the festival – she finally got to experience it herself.  She knits a lot, and like my mom is also interested in felting.  They both bought a bag-full of roving, and my aunt bought this adorable felted animal book.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Auntie with her felt book – first purchase at MDSW! 

 
Mom with her bag-full of roving on the scale 

I picked up Jenna from the airport – in from Seattle – and I think this is her fifth MDSW as well (four of them we have been together).  We enjoyed a fun night with Kris, Kelp Kelly and Allison at my favorite Indian restaurant… and although tiredness from all that heat (and sunburn) was hitting me square in the face, we also went to a pub for a few drinks.  I was such a lightweight and I nearly fell asleep at the table!  Nevertheless, it was great fun – and I only wish we had some photos to share!  (that happened last year too with no camera!)

Stashbusting has been forefront in my mind for several weeks, and while I did make some purchases at MDSW this year, I didn’t buy nearly as much as in previous years!  I tried to stick with unique fibers/designs that I haven’t seen in other places – as well as some very utilitarian non-yarn purchases…

Non-yarn purchases:  Kookaburra Wool Wash, Size 10 55″ needles, buttons from Jennie the Potter, a *wooden ball winder*, and two knit patterns from Noni (felted jacket) and ShiBui (mohair pulli)

The wooden ballwinder has been on my list for three years – I always look at it at Stonemountain Fibers – but this year, I took action!  Now, it is mine!  I haven’t tried it yet… but as you can see below, I have some new yarn to try it with! 

1. Farmhourse Yanrs Silk Spun Cotton, 2. Brooks Farm Acero, 3. Davidson Domy Heather – Sportweight, 4. ZWool Natural Dyed Wool, 5. Creatively Dyed Yarns Worsted, 6. Davidson Natural Bulky Wool, 7. Creatively Dyed Yarns Fingering, 8. Spun Monkey Handspun 

I didn’t realize until I got home that several of the yarns are in three distinct color families – neutrals, blues/greens, and golden browns.  I guess I am particularly drawn to these colors now!  I don’t have specific patterns in mind for many of them – but single skein projects are usually hats and scarves/cowls, so that is what these might become!  The Davidson Domy Heather in the periwinkle seems very well-suited for the Plain and Simple Pullover (Ravelry link) and may become that for a fall/winter layering piece.  The Creatively Dyed Yarns and the handspun were my splurges – I just fell in love with the color explosions!  The green CDY is  a fingering weight and seems very well-suited for some funky socks.  The worsted weight will probably be a hat.  The handspun will be a hat and cowl or mitt combo. 

For the second year in a row, we got to see all of Jennie’s lovely pottery pieces!  Last year, Jenna bought a mug, and I picked up a necklace and several buttons.  This year, I was thinking about a mug, but I held off.  She does have a particularly cute cookie jar that I had my eye on!  We met up with my friend Amy  and Little J at Jennie’s booth, and Amy got a mug and a little bowl – Jennie’s stuff is just too cute to pass up!  Here we are after the purchasing - hot, but happy!

Jenna and I enjoyed some downtime on Sunday afternoon over some potato ribbon chips.  MDSW is such a fun festival, but they are *severely* lacking any healthy eating options.  With the exception of drinks, this is the only food that I know of that a vegan can have at the festival – and that’s only after checking that is indeed fried in vegetable oil – and asking them to hold the cheese and sour cream.  Any vendor who offered some healthier fare would do so well there!  I do bring my own snacks – nuts, a fruit, etc. - but it’s another thing to carry in, and I would be happy to patronize a vendor that offered something other than meat-on-a-stick.   I don’t like to complain, because I know that MDSW is a big effort by lots of volunteers – and they remain admission-free to keep people coming in – but a local vendor/community group would do so well offering up something simple like sandwiches, wraps, or falafel.  I am wondering how a letter-writing campaign would go over… 

Nevertheless, MDSW remains a highlight of the year – both in seeing friendly faces and sweet animals, but also in taking the pulse of the fiber community.  Even with the down economy, it seemed like there were so many people out, enjoying the day, and buying lots of things.  It is always a pleasure to buy quality products from small businesses – with the proceeds going directly to them.  Even more of a pleasure to actually meet and converse with these vendors – and sometimes see the sheep/alpaca/bunnies/goats that the fiber came from! 

I started this cowl – the Tuesday Night Cowl (free pattern on Ravelry!) by Susan Lawrence - the morning of the Olympic Knitters meetup that Felicia and I coordinated on February 20th.  I brought along the Cascade Venezia from my stash and decided to  cast on this pattern because I wanted something bulky and simple – the antithesis of my recent knits.

“Van-COWL-ver” is what I am calling it – corny, but a nod to where it was made   The yarn was nice to work with – bulky, silky, and a lovely shade of blue.  I used big fat US 13 needles.  The cowl incorporates some tucking with large cables.  It’s really a cool pattern and I plan on making it again with some of the other chunky and bulky yarns in my stash.  Susan has put together the pattern for three different weights of yarn, so it can easily be used for stashbusting!

As far as the stash enhancement goes, you saw Felicia’s lovely studio in the previous post – and I picked up some lovely things from her:  A merino/silk laceweight in a gorgeous olive color and two balls of merino/kid mohair blend colored with natural dyes.  Christa, our wonderful hostess (her Rav profile!), works at one of the yarn shops in downtown Vancouver… so when she was scheduled to work one of the days last week, I decided to pay her a visit at Three Bags Full… what a treat!

In the top photo, Christa and I are modeling some Koigu goodies that are store samples.  The shawl I am wearing is one of  Christa’s own design, Colourflow Wrap (free on Ravelry!) that uses gradient Koigu colorways.  It feels amazing, and it got me thinking about how nice one of these would be around my neck… still contemplating.  Christa is wearing the ubiquitous (and beautiful) Charlotte’s Web shawl.  I asked Christa to help me find some yarns unique to British Columbia for my souvenir pieces – and I came away with these new hanks:

Gala Wool Naturals in Glacier Blue, Mustard Field, and Fern – all the colorwork possibilities!   The lovely lavender colored yarn is Unwind Yarns Beaujoulais Fingering weight Merino Silk – both dyed by BC area dyers.  So, when I knit them, I can think of British Columbia

…and last Saturday, Christa and I had the chance to sit down and have a little crochet lesson… over brunch with our guys, Christa taught me some of the basics, and by the time we had finished our food, I had managed to finish a row that included singles, doubles, and trebles. I need some more practice, but I love the way it feels to be doing something new with yarn. We’ll see where it goes from here!

Our afternoon/evening in Granville Island was one of my highlights of the trip.  Granville is home to several artist studios, including some very talented fiber artists.  I spent a lot of time in the felt shop Funk Shui, loving the artist’s aesthetic.  She does some amazing things with felt.  I bought a great leafy headband that will be perfect for yoga… and anywhere else I want to wear it.  No picture of it now, but soon!  Another artist was showcasing some artwork in one of the small gallery window displays in the Circle Craft shop.  At first glance, it was all about the felt dresses – so delicately adorned with silk ribbon embroidery and beads… but WAIT!  vintage hockey gear too?  Almost too good to be true!

Check it out!  vintage gloves on the left mannequin, and blocker pads on the right one.

Along with the historical photos of women playing pond hockey in dresses behind the mannequins, you can see the artist was going for the juxtaposition of the elegant dresses with the hockey gear.

Pretty ingenius, eh?

I had the pleasure to talk to Kath before teacher training started in late 2008.  As a fellow knitter, she found me online before we started studying together and we exchanged a few emails before meeting at the studio.  Over the year, we grew closer and I have the joy to call her my dear friend.  We can talk about yoga, we can talk about knitting and yarn ~ it just flows and it is beautiful. 

One of Kath’s many offerings is that she is also fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), and she just started teaching her first yoga class in ASL at a local studio.  When she asked me to help her with a little photography project for her class, I jumped at the chance for this special project.  She wanted to put together a visual set of poses with the proper alignment for her students.  Since she is teaching the class in ASL, she cannot always demonstrate the pose because her hands will be used in the pose.  That is where the photos come in!

We met up at the studio on a quiet Sunday afternoon;  the air was cold and there were flurries of snow, but inside, the sunlight cascaded in the windows, and set a perfect scene for the yoga photos.  Above (clockwise from the top left), Kath does sukhasana “easy pose” with her hands in Anjali mudra “offering gesture”.  This is the way that we begin and end each class.  In the next photo, she demonstrates a full body pose called eka pada svanasana, or “one legged dog pose”.  This pose is a preparatory pose for hip opening and also works on upper body strength and balance.  The next is the recognizable adho mukha svanasana “downward facing dog pose”.  The final pose is utthita parsvakonasana “extended side angle pose” which also opens the hips, as well as the shoulders and chest.

Just a note on the use of Sanskrit terms: the style of yoga that I practice (Anusara) honors the tradition by using these names while also realizing that not everything can translate word for word.  Additionally, Sanskrit can be the universal language of yoga (similar to how Latin is used for biology in Linnean taxonomy) no matter where you are in the world.  It’s a nice fit.  Plus, the language is phonetic, and if you sound it out, it is pronounced exactly as it looks.  I love learning more Sanskrit as I study yoga.

While this photo project was a true joy to do, Kath must have felt that she wanted to give something back~ and while there was absolutely no need to do so, it was a pleasant surprise when she presented this lovely yarn to me this past weekend:

 She says that this bulky yarn is the perfect tonic for my small needle/fingering weight projects of late.  I look forward to casting on for a bulky cowl or hat on size 15 needles once I finally finish my Olympic sweater

I got to meet generous people who offered their time to come up and say hello.  It meant so much to me, so I thank you.  It is truly a pleasure to see so many friendly and welcoming faces.  This festival is such a highlight of my year for many reasons, but it is definitely the connections with people that mean to most.  Spending the weekend with my best friend Jenna definitely sweetens the pot… I visited her in Seattle in March, and just a few weeks later, she is here to see me (and to go to the festival, of course!)

…and of course, the yarn.  Practicing mindfulness at a commercial event can be a challenge.  Obviously, the point of the festival is to celebrate the animals, their fiber, and the arts surrounding the uses of said fiber – and you celebrate all of those things by pulling out your wallet and taking things home with you.  So, I thought that the best way to take this mindfulness aspect into a commercial event was to truly think about my purchases, and to support the companies/shops/farms that I bought from.  I went in with the intention of buying from small local farms and dyers- my definition of local expanded a bit, but nevertheless kept to the “small” qualifier, because nearly every vendor at MDSW is a small business, often family-owned and operated.  I wanted to support the local economies of my state, Maryland, as well as the few surrounding states.  My parameters expanded down to North Carolina, and up to Maine, and hopped over more than a few to Minnesota, but I am happy with what I got and the vendors that I supported.

1. Shetland Tweed fingering, 2. Hoodie + Pendant, 3. Handspun Wool,

4. Folktale Handspun, 5. Three Waters Farm Handpaint, 6. Pucker Brush Farm Handspun,

7. RoseSpring Farm handdyed, 8. Angora/Wool handspun, 9. Tess Raw Silk,

10. Noro Cash Island, 11. March Hare fingering, 12. Tess Merino Worsted

I still did enhace the stash by quite a bit, but believe it or not, much less than previous years.  The Noro was the only commercially available yarn I bought, and that is because the deal was almost too good to believe.  Noro has that power over me…The vendor highlights for me were definitely 1) Jennie the Potter’s booth.  Jennie creates amazing pottery, buttons, and pendants.  I bought one of her pendants and two sets of buttons that I have not photographed yet.  She is so talented, and I am now officially a huge fan   and 2) ever-present love for Melinda and her beautiful yarns as Tess Designer Yarns.  I was tempted by so so many, but came home with a beautiful blue merino (more story on this later!) and a lovely golden raw silk.  The thing that was so special about both of these booths is that I got to talk to both Jennie and Melinda for awhile and get to know them better.  It is wonderful to make those connections.  They both do such amazing work!

I didn’t take as many photos this year as I usually do – maybe because it was rainy and overcast – but you can view what I did take over here.  I had the opportunity to meet some really amazing people that I got to talking and did not even get a photo… I regret that, but I don’t regret the chance to talk more with them.

—

So, for all of this talk about me procuring new yarn, I thought it was about time I did another contest around here – a chance for YOU to procure some of your own!  Plus, I would love to hear from some of you that rarely comment but tell me that you read my blog (you know who you are!)

The new cowboy kerchief from Morehouse Merino (who sadly does not come to MDSW anymore…) The winner will be able to choose between the two colorways in the middle of the photograph:  the gray/yellow or the maroon/blue combo.   I will choose the winner randomly by Wednesday afternoon (May 6th) at 4pm EST.  If you like, you can leave me a comment telling me more about a time when you were completely “in the moment” – whether it be while knitting, spinning, doing yoga, or just about anything else.  I would love to hear about it

~Thank you~

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/05/04/mindful-mdsw-and-surprise/feed 158 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/03/19/the-yarn-odessey-around-puget-sound http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/03/19/the-yarn-odessey-around-puget-sound#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:09:24 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1642 You know me well enough by now – and  you know that I never turn down a little yarny tourism in a new city.  Luckily I had my girl Jenna to help me plan for a fun evening of shop hopping.  And it was so much fun to meet up with a few Seattle friends, Rebecca and Laura!

FIRST STOP: Fiber Gallery in Seattle – a lovely shop with so many beautiful yarns.  What a treat to meet Jessica, the manager of the shop, and a fellow long-time blogger!

Rebecca is a shopper with a mission!  she picked up some lovely things in record time – while I was still waltzing around on yarny high, she already had yarn in hand and was at the register!  Jenna was instantly drawn to a cute little ball of single play variegated yarn (Zauberball!), and I poked around being indecisive for a good amount of time.  Of course, once I decided, I was very happy with my choice … see?

Malabrigo Lace in gorgeous colors: Tuareg, Verde Esperanza, and Bobby Blue

…next to Bad Woman Yarn to meet Laura!

A lone ball of Schulana Sojabama came home with me – a nice color match for the leftover ball I have from my Pintuck.

…and we wrapped up the evening with a quick trip to Weaving Works.  Unfortunately, our time was short – the shop was closing, and I had to make a decision fast.  Of course, once I saw the yarn, I knew it was for me right away… I wanted something unique and special to this location.  I found it!  …and finding this kind of made up for the fact that I didn’t get to look at any of the huge book selection or the weaving things.  Next time

Spincycle Handspun

We had a great dinner with Laura and Rebecca at a yummy Indian restaurant.  As always, I am always so pleased with how easy it is to find conversation and common bonds with online acquaintances.  Laura is in grad school and her classes sound like things that I would absolutely love – she shared a few of her required text titles with me   and Rebecca and I had plenty to talk about since we both love yoga!  So nice to meet you ladies, and I hope we have the chance to talk more soon!

At the Nordic Knitting Conference, there were several vendors selling beautiful yarns, and I picked up some lovely laceweight (hey, it packs pretty easily in an already-full suitcase!) in these muted tones.  I was thinking about a lightweight sweater – maybe with stripes.

Last weekend, Jenna, Kris, and I headed over to the Bainbridge Island and the Olympic Peninsula – we crossed the Puget Sound on a ferry!

That was a fun process in itself, and once we got to the other side (we passed under a rainbow to get there – what a great way to start the day!)  we headed a beautiful yarn shop on Bainbridge Island: Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.  And it seems like they knew I was coming… the whole display in the front of the shop was yoked colorwork sweaters!

Churchmouse had a nice little clearance bin going and I also picked up this old Rowan book and a shop scarf pattern.

My yarn odessey around Puget Sound was complete!

…but I do have some more Washington adventures to share…

Using the Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker application with Flickr, I have created some “color story boards” that really inspire me to explore these shades of colors more.  I know that I am particularly drawn to whites, ivories, silvers, grays, and soft neutrals right now because of the season.  I love the winter, and I am still hoping that we see a big snowstorm before spring comes.

The muted color palettes… the soft texture of these colors… so much to go on.  And  I didn’t realize until I got  home from the yarn shop the other day (after an amazing Super Bowl sale – 25-55% off of everything…), that my  purchases directly corresponded with my color inspirations.  I was subconsciously drawn to the stock shelves with the light gray mohair- and to the basket with the neutral silk.  I am planning garments (aren’t I always?)  a simple mohair pullover with the Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Kid Mohair, and a summer tunic with the RYC Natural Silk Aran.

On the other end of the color wheel, I am equally drawn to deep reds and orangey-pink tones.  Maybe it is the desire for warmth and comfort amidst the cold temperatures?

My most recent cowl was a nod to my recent red fascination.  Just like the grays before it, I was drawn to the red and orange tones at the recent yarn shop sale – I still can’t believe my luck in getting so many beautiful yarns for such wonderful prices…

I have so little orange in my stash, as I thought it was a color that never really complemented my skin tone, but I am starting to rethink that – or at least disregard it, because if I like it, I am going to wear it! For these beauties, I am planning a tank or a tee with the Berroco Pure Pima, and for the heathery red Jo Sharp DK Wool, a vest or a top-down raglan.

All of this color inspiration has me thinking about the next round of Project Spectrum.  At first, I wasn’t sure where to start.  After three years of PS, I wondered if there was still a place for it in the online community.  I felt a little “tapped out” because I felt that the PS Elements idea was probably the pinnacle, and nothing else could really match it.  Of course, it is not about outdoing the previous year… but I did want to make something special.  With the help and ideas of some of the Ravelry PS group participants, I got really turned on to the idea of exploring the colors through the lens of the cardinal directions…  so many cultures associate the directions (North-South-East-West) with colors, and I thought it would be an interesting cultural exploration on top of the general colors.  I found a website that outlines many of the cultural traditions that associate colors and cardinal directions.

If we were to choose this idea, I would want to try one of the models that has four distinct colors for each of the cardinal directions, e.g. the Tibetan model:  North = blue, East = Yellow, South = Red, West = Green.  So, to broaden this idea, we could use the color next to it on the color wheel to have a color set, e.g. North = blue/black – East = yellow/orange, etc.  If you look at this webpage (scroll towards the bottom), it also states that these directions AND the colors correspond to elements and materials like wood and metal.  It might be fun to play with these materials too during the tenure of Project Spectrum.

Other ideas that were mentioned:  Seasons/hemispheres – exploring the northern and southern hemispheres and seasonal changes through the colors.

~ OR ~

The tried-and-true color wheel approach of the original Project Spectrum back in 2006 = ROYGBIV.

I want to make a decision soon (end of the week?) and possibly start the next round of PS in March 2009.  If you have an opinion or any feedback on these ideas or Project Spectrum in general, please feel free to share here in the comments or on the PS Ravelry forum.

Like so many things in life, it is what you make it.   You want Project Spectrum to be special this year?  help me make it so by telling me what you think!

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/02/03/colorful-inspirations/feed 44 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/12/29/to-the-burgh http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/12/29/to-the-burgh#comments Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:33:28 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1298 For the past few years, right before Christmas, I have made a habit of asking Kris this question:  “So, would you like to go up to Pittsburgh to see a hockey game for your birthday?” My question is usually answered with a sigh – not because he doesn’t want to go to see our FAVORITE HOCKEY TEAM ever, but because we usually have some other obligation on the plate.  However, this year, in an unprecedented move, he actually answered YES!  And I was so happy about it – since his birthday is the day after Christmas, we rarely do anything special to celebrate it.  Plans usually involve eating leftovers and laziness… this year, we did a little bit of shopping with the family, then we came home and packed the overnight bag in order to head up to Pittsburgh the next morning!

I offered to drive the four hours up to western Pennsylvania, but Kris laughed it off and said “You need to work on my sweater, remember?” Of course, that made me happy because I would much rather knit than drive… so, we took the scenic route, stopping for some lunch and enjoying the beautiful views of the Allegheny mountains.  We got to our hotel and were absolutely thrilled to see that we had a *perfect* view of the arena!  We donned our Penguins gear and were off to see our team play at the famed “Igloo”!

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens game – 12.27.08

I wish I had photos of the inside of the arena, but evidently cameras with big lenses are verboten.  They told me that they would have to confiscate it because it is longer than 3 inches. I tried to get Kris to take it and re-enter with a different security guard… no such luck…  So, I ran back to the hotel room to drop it off – luckily the hotel was right across the street and we were back in time for the pre-game warmup.  I SO wish that I had brought the smaller lens so that I could have something to show of the game!  Wouldn’t you know that this was the night that we had the most incredible seats?  we could see the players’ faces! (and what fine faces they are!)  The Penguins played a great game, but ended up losing to Montreal 3-2.  I was hoping that our presence would be the good luck charm that they needed… despite the loss, we enjoyed the game immensely.

We woke up on Sunday morning with a plan:  see a few designated spots in Pittsburgh before we had to head home.  My priorities quickly fell to 1) FOOD and 2) YARN.  So, we found some great vegan-friendly eateries to check out…

Quiet Storm is a vegetarian coffeehouse with loads of vegan options.  The staff was friendly and the menu was eclectic – Sunday brunch is a good time to check it out.  Included on their menu was a list of all of the local producers of their food and their wares – even down to the tables and chairs inside the cafe.  It was great to see that level of sustainable commitment.  They had so many different kinds of coffee and tea brews – I had a delicious orange spice tea and the vegan breakfast burrito.  Kris tried the frittata (with eggs) and fresh OJ. 

Next stop was Coco’s Cupcake Cafe for a little treat for the road trip back home… I cheated a bit on my diet with the sugars and gluten in the cupcake, but I didn’t have to worry about the vegan choice – Coco’s offers several “regular” cupcakes as well as many vegan options of cupcakes and brownies.  I got the vegan Vanilla Mint, one of their holiday specials, and Kris got the Chocolate Bliss cupcake. They offered vegan Red Velvet as well as several vegetarian options (buttercream frosting with sprinkles at left). There were just so many options at the shop, it was hard to decide! It was a great cafe.

…and it just so happened that on our way out of town, located right next the interstate highway, was Pittsburgh’s premiere yarn shop, Knit One. I swear, I couldn’t have planned it better.  We got there right as the doors were opening and were welcomed by Julie, who hadn’t even turned the lights on yet (but the door was open!).  A few minutes later, I recognized Lizzytish from Ravelry come into the shop… nice to see you! The shop was huge and filled with so many lovely yarns, books, and knit samples.  Kris even spotted some of my favorite yarns and said “Oh, come over and see this!” And while I oohed and ahhed and felt my way through the shop, Kris shot some photos…

As he was snapping away, he even caught me in a jawdropping moment when I realized that one of the lovely yarns that I was feeling was actually 30% off… so, the lovely Simply Shetland Silk and Wool yarn – 246 yards per skein for $7.00 each – came home with me.  There were several skeins of the lovely Craignish colorway – a green/brown/rust blend – in the cubby hole, so I put them right into my basket.  It was just too perfect.  Oh yes, I have some options for this yarn too.  I am thinking they would be perfect for one of Connie’s Interweave Knits patterns…the one that first came to mind was the Henley Perfected from Winter 2007 issue.  Just a thought for now…

Oh Pittsburgh! you are a great city.  I look forward to visiting you again very soon!

[See the whole Pittsburgh photoset here!]

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/12/29/to-the-burgh/feed 47 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/11/23/new-yarn-album http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/11/23/new-yarn-album#comments Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:14:59 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1217 Funny story:  I decided to skip out on Stitches East marketplace this year because I wanted to focus on stash busting and practice my whole “non-attachment to my stash” thing.  I spent the weekend with Stacey – she came down to Maryland with her husband, we did brunch and an afternoon at the dog park and had a lot of fun.  No new yarn.  I felt good about it.  (I did miss seeing local friends, but hopefully I will catch you all again soon?)

…Then came a sale at the LYS… which happens to be located right next to my yoga studio, so I just stopped in for a look.  Hmmm.  Should have known.  Hook – line – sinker.

…Then came my birthday… beautiful yarny gifts from family and friends. Ahh, so kind!!

So, yeah, I have some new yarn now.  And it is beautiful.  And I love it.

Guess what was on sale at the LYS?  The full line of Jo Sharp…. all that tweed!  all that amazing texture and beautiful color palette.  Yeah, I walked out with some really nice yarn.  I bought enough for all sorts of nice accessories, and enough for two garments… vests probably

Lovely gift from my lovely sister, Mimi~ variegated linen!  I need to find a perfect pattern for this.  Any ideas?

And my dear friend Jenna sent along a great package – new yarn and a new scarf!  (Actually the scarf is part of a swap, and Lolly had better get busy and finish her end of the bargain.  I suck at swaps.)  I love the colorway name of this yarn – “Jenna Pink Monkey” to remind me of my dear friend on the other side of the continent.  It is a handpainted fingering weight from Actual Size Creations!

I am a little burnt out on socks right now (say it ain’t so!) but this would make a lovely scarf or some mittens, yes? I will find a pretty pattern for it, no doubt! (and who knows, the sock love may return…)

Jenna just learned to crochet a few months ago, and she is already churning out this amazing scarf! This is the Boteh scarf from Interweave Crochet. She used Claudia Handpaint yarn and a small hook (details, J?) It is so beautiful! and I love it!  (More Boteh photos here)

…okay, now I can go back to stashbusting…   I have cast on for a few new projects with old yarn in the past few days.  That totally counts for something, right?