We're not in Kansas anymore

Awww, missed a day. Oh well, I'm not perfect.

Anyway, back in April, I went to Kansas for a family wedding. Of course I had to check out the Yarn Barn. I was absolutely blown away by the size of the store and the variety of materials offered. The knitting yarn selection is staggering, but they also have huge sections devoted to weaving and spinning, which you just don't find in your average fiber store.

Their prices were fantastic, their staff was super-friendly, and overall it was tons of fun. I recommend it without reservation. (And they do online and catalogue orders . . . just sayin'.)

And did I get yarn? Of course I got yarn. How could I not?

First I got some more Blue Ridge Yarns silk laceweight, because this stuff is like crack to me. The pictures don't do it justice in any meaningful way; you just have to see it in person.


Order a couple so you can roll around in them.

And then there's this:


Three half-pound skeins of DK alpaca--enough for a sweater! (*squee*) The colors are gorgeous, and the prices are unbelievably good.

All in all, it was a fantastic visit, and I'd love to go back. I keep telling the Irishman that he needs to get a post-doc in Kansas. I don't think he believes me . . .

New York, New York

A few weeks ago, I went to New York City for the first time ever. This probably wouldn't be so odd if I hadn't LIVED in New York for three years. (I lived upstate. It's far away from NYC.)

But anyway, of course I had to go check out Manhattan's best yarn store, Knitty City. And oh boy, did I get some pretties.

I have to say, when I first walked into the store, I wasn't super-impressed. The yarn is organized by weight (more or less), but multiple brands are shoved together on the same shelf, and the place is full to bursting. I really had to do some digging--although I was richly rewarded. And though several staff members were present in the shop (albeit I think they were taking a break from a class, maybe?), no one greeted or even acknowledged me until I spoke directly to them.
After that, though, I did have a nice conversation with one employee, who was very helpful, and I think the store's owner herself rang me up. And SHE was super--she complimented me on my taste in yarn, pointed out a few accessories that were fun, and showed every indication of being willing to talk to me all day; I didn't feel at all hurried. So although the beginning of my visit wasn't great, overall I was left with a good impression and would definitely go back.

And what did I buy, you ask? I bought yarn!

First is a skein of Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock (80/20 superwash merino/nylon) in colorway "Nightshade." Just LOOK at that color saturation. When the Irishman saw this, he started muttering about socks. Maybe I can convince him he'd like to learn to knit . . .

And then . . . Sea Silk! I saw Sea Silk described on Rav once as "the Cadillac of lace yarns," and ain't it the truth. I've never knit with it before--I am SO excited! The picture doesn't do it justice, of course. I think the colorway is Nova Scotia, but it's hard to tell. (Incidentally, I kind of like it that Handmaiden doesn't label her skeins--it makes it more fun that way.)


So yes indeed--I had fun in New York . . . and I have the yarn to prove it.

Let's Talk Lace

Now, it may not show too much on the blog, but I am obsessed with lace. I consume Anne and Alison's blogs like they are sweet, sweet, lacy crack. I cruise patterns on Ravelry and elsewhere, favorite other people's shawls, and buy more laceweight than I can possibly knit. I've even published a lace pattern and have written several more that are in various stages of development.

So it probably comes as no surprise to anyone that I have quite a few books devoted to lace on my shelves. I thought today I'd discuss my most recent acquisitions, which promise to become favorites.

First is Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia.

I have occasionally had--shall we say, issues--with Nancy Bush's patterns. (No way you got that gauge, lady!) But she's a wonderful writer, a wonderful knitter, and the flaws are really mine, not hers.

Knitted Lace of Estonia is a treasure for the serious lace knitter. It begins with a fascinating history of Estonian lace and knitting, then delves right into some Serious Knitting. The technique section alone is worth the price of the book; I've found myself consulting it for advice on other people's patterns!

I haven't knit anything from the book itself yet, but one of the things I love about Ms. Bush's books is that she assumes (nay, encourages!) that knitters will be consulting her work for ideas and influences for their own designs. To that end, she includes an Estonian stitch dictionary--with charts! (Seriously, written instructions just aren't the way to do lace.) In conclusion, A+, would buy again.

The second book I'd like to talk about is also lace, but completely different lace: Alison Jeppson Hyde's Wrapped in Comfort.

Rather than a history of knitting, Wrapped in Comfort is a personal history--a series of vignettes explaining the origin of each lace shawl (or scarf) and giving the reader a glimpse into Alison's life, complete with friends, family, and birds.

There's a handy intro to lace knitting, and the patterns are beautiful, but I confess, I probably won't be knitting them. (Well, maybe. I love the Ann Arbor shawl, and the Redwood Burl shawl is really pretty, and, um, I'm rethinking this.) The point of this book, really, is that reading it--and, unlike many knitting volumes, this book is meant to be read--is like sitting down with a old friend over coffee.

Alison's style is breezy, cheery, and funny as hell. Wrapped in Comfort is like reading a whole lot of her blog entries at once--and I mean that as a compliment. Incidentally, kudos to her editor for leaving her voice intact; it's so rare to find a pattern book that reads as if a real person wrote it.

As I said above, I don't know if I'll ever knit anything from this book, but I'm sure glad to have it and read it whenever I need a little cheer. (And you know, Michelle's shawl would look super in Malabrigo . . .)