Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Leap Day Fun!
I am very behind. Read further down a few posts for WHY? So we have an abundance of posts for today.
Leap Day--was a fantastic day!
Anne and I met up with a knitter we met through Ravelry. She's from Sydney, Australia and was in San Antonio for a conference. Being the friendly sorts we are (when she asked about local knitting stores and restaurant recommendations) we offered to take her out to local eateries and our beloved Yarn Barn. It's becoming quite the tradition to take out of towners to Blue Star Microbrewery. They have an awesome menu and a terrific homemade root beer. (Jamey was off and watched the kids and Anne's grandson-so it was a wonderful child free afternoon). I stuffed myself with a fantastic tortilla soup and a salad. Then on to the Yarn Barn.
For three hours or so. Aww it was great--we left at 5.30, only because they closed. Because Yarn Barn is going out of business (read why here, everything was 20% off or more. We had a grand time. We all made off like bandits. The other's more than myself...grin.
Wrapped in Comfort by Alison Jeppson Hyde and Skacel Merino Laceweight in what I like to call wildflower. I have been salivating over this book since it came out. I really like Alison and love her blog. While I don't normally buy pattern books--I wanted to support her and I am really intrigued with her shawl construction. I was also pulled in by the fact that each pattern has a story. Anne, Cecilia and I each bought a skein of the merino and we are all going to knit the shawl called Michelle, as a remembrance of this wonderful day and the start of a great friendship.
I bought the Jitterbug for my friend Leah, because it's BURNT ORANGE. It's been calling me for months and it was the last hank in the cubby and it was time that that poor hank went to a good home. The two hanks is Drops Alpaca, it's a light fingering. I feel in love with this color--it's rusty, but with bits of blue, borwn, red, and green in it--like autumn.
I bought the embroidery thread and beads for some more caralets (beaded, lace bracelets). It's silk, I normally knit them in cotton, but I want to try something more elegant.
Yes, those are size 0000 dpns...that's 1.75 mm. I can't wait to try them out using some cotton thread. Oooo!
I actually put some yarn back...I was eyeing some more jitterbug for myself in Saraha--beautiful shades of purple, cream, brown, black, orange....it sounds weird but it was beautiful. I had to go sit at the tables and start knitting because I could feel myself going crazy with all that yarn, needles, and books...not to mention the racks and racks of patterns. I think all three of us sat at the tables sorting through our piles, stuff to definitely buy, maybe buy, and I don't reeeeaaly need this. Anne bought three of Barbara Walkers stitch dictionaries. Now--if I need a stitch pattern--I can go to my library of Anne instead of the San Antonio Library (who has nasty late fees).
I am looking forward to our friendship KAL--I just need to wind that massive hank of lace weight--1375 yards!! I know I have other things ahead of it in queue, but--it's for friendship!! We'll see how far that flies with Jamey.
I was also spotted by a fellow Ravelry member--she recognised me by my avatar and Anne shouting "Birdy" all over the store...grin. We had a good talk. We also met with two newbie knitters soon to be full on knitters soon under our careful "guidance" smirk.
All in all a grand day--the night not so much, but the day was a great way to spend leap day.
