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Knitting and Crochet Shopping

L.A. Yarn Crawl 2017

I don’t need more yarn. Seriously, I know this better than anyone. And yet, Yarn Crawl has been on my calendar for months, because, it’s an occasion! I can’t skip a once-a-year occasion! So today I hit up Wildfiber and Compatto. Almost $200 later, I have four new skeins of yarn, one new book, and an adorable ceramic cat dish.

Twisted Owl yarn and ceramic cat dish from Wildfiber

The full haul from Compatto: Stephen West’s new book, one skein of Baah’s Aspen, and two skeins of Illimani.

$200 is nothing to sneeze at, so I really should stop now, but I can’t quit until I hit my fave store, The Knitting Tree, which I hope to visit tomorrow. But then that’s it, I swear.

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Knitting and Crochet Shopping

Yarn Crawl 2015

The SoCal Yarn Crawl was a couple of weeks ago, and while I had a grand time in just one day (March 27), I spent a FORTUNE and am totally not allowed to buy yarn again for awhile. And seriously, I only visited four stores!

My first stop was Compatto, which is very near me and yet, I’d never been to it. It’s a compact store with plenty of light, and some wonderful yarns, but I must say, it’s a little expensive for my budget, and will have to remain a special occasion store for me. Most especially, I can’t allow myself to be in the vicinity of their amazing selection of Red Barn Yarn Llama Sparkle. Holy geez, I want to be buried with this yarn! Soft and sparkly and hand-dyed–simply gorgeous. And easily the most I’ve ever spent on a single skein of yarn (let’s just say it was north of $40). But seriously, could you have resisted this amazing marshmallow-y awesomeness?

Red Barn Yarn Llama Sparkle in Anemone
Red Barn Yarn Llama Sparkle in Anemone

My next stop was my favorite local store, The Knitting Tree. I love this place because it’s wonderfully busy and still cozy, and the staff are totally low-pressure. Of course, once I got there, I saw the Yarnover Truck in the parking lot, so I had to stop in there first, as it was another new-to-me experience.

The Yarnover Truck
The Yarnover Truck

Despite the heat of the day, they had enough fans going to keep the inside quite comfortable, and I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect yarn for my Sophie’s Universe–and I found it, in Baah!’s La Jolla line. But of course, I was in yarn crawl mode, so the price, while it would’ve freaked me out any other time, did not stop me from buying four skeins in gorgeously bright colors.

Four La Jolla skeins (the bright ones) and one Anzula Cricket (the left one)
Four La Jolla skeins (the bright ones) and one Anzula Cricket (the left one)

So bright and beautiful, how could I resist? I also had to get that Anzula Cricket, a super-soft cashmere/merino blend, that I know will make something nice for my sister–she loves those types of colors.

Then I headed into The Knitting Tree. I’d been in there just a week earlier, so I technically didn’t really *need* anything, but for Yarn Crawl weekend, I like to buy something from every store I visit, and what do you, they *also* carried Baah! yarns. So I picked up a lighter pink skein and a more solid green one to add to my Sophie colors.

La Jolla in pink and variegated green.
La Jolla in pink and green.

And that was all I had time for that weekend. But once I started my Sophie (that night), I realized it was going to need some lighter colors to offer some relief from the bright. I spent that Saturday working on my taxes, but Sunday, I stopped at an LYS on my way to a party. A Major Knitwork did not have any La Jolla in the colors I was looking for, but I found some nice substitutes that I thought would mix well (and at half the price!), so I picked up these lovely off-white and light-green skeins.

Frog Tree Pediboo
Frog Tree Pediboo

Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock in soft lime
Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock in soft lime

And so far, they’re working out quite nicely with the La Jolla colors. All told, I spent a bit more than $300, on just eight skeins of yarn. Yikes. No more yarn spending for awhile, for shizzle.

But to end on a high note, here’s the most recent pic of my Sophie:

Sophie's Universe, as of 4/13/15. I'm actually a little further along now, but I have tendonitis and have had to stop crocheting and knitting for awhile.
Sophie’s Universe, as of 4/13/15. I’m actually a little further along now, but I have tendonitis and have had to stop crocheting and knitting for awhile.

Sophie’s Universe is a mystery crochet-along, although I’m so far behind now, it’s no longer a mystery. See for yourself!

So that was my yarn crawl weekend. I would’ve loved to have hit up a few more stores, but to be honest, I’m not sure I could’ve afforded it. 🙂

Categories
Dollhouses and Miniatures Hobbies News Shopping

Dollhouses and miniatures

Once upon a time I was big into dollhouses and miniatures. I was fresh out of college, unemployed, bored, a little depressed, and on a whim I purchased a kit to build a dollhouse. Building it, painting and decorating it, furnishing it–it all became an obsession (as many of my hobbies do), and not a cheap one at that. I eventually moved on, gave the house away (keeping the awesomest furnishings and dolls, of course) and never went back.

Until now, that is. For some reason (I think it might’ve been something on Pinterest that sparked it), I’m all about the miniatures again. I’ve already ordered a new dollhouse kit from Amazon, and I’ve been plowing through dozens of blogs and tutorials, perusing the online hobby stores, and checking out houses on the streets looking for the right exterior finish for my (not-yet-arrived or built) new house (I’m thinking brick, or maybe stone). I dug out a box of the old furniture, and still need to find the box with the dolls (which, it turns out, are pretty rare and expensive now–who knew I had such good taste at 22?).

It’s all very familiar, yet new at the same time. The world wide web didn’t even exist the last time I was into miniatures! So many blogs and forums and pictures and experts and ideas and stores and damn, I love the internet. It really does make everything better.

I couldn’t find any digital pics specifically of my old dollhouse, but it’s here in the background behind Skitzo, our beloved and very much missed orange tabby:

Skitzo showing off my dollhouse
Skitzo showing off my dollhouse

Categories
Knitting and Crochet Shopping

Happy New Year! Let the new knitting projects commence!

Per usual, I spent the Christmas holidays in New England, and the combination of awesome baby nephew and getting Baby Beanies: Happy Hats to Knit for Little Heads for Christmas meant getting back on the knitting wagon. Of course, that also meant a trip to Michael’s for yarn, circs and double-pointed needles–always fun!

I finished this hat in two days:

Riley's hat
Choc....something hat from Baby Beanies

Which looks even more adorable *on* him:
Riley in hat
Riley in the first hat his Auntie Polgara made for him

I made another hat as well–a pointy one in blue and green–but for some reason completely forgot to take a picture of it. Plus I suspect it’s already too small for his head. Obviously this means I’ll need to make another in the next size up!

I also picked up some marbled yarn (don’t have it with me, will try to remember to add the name later) in cranberry colors to make a Big Bad Baby Blanket, which I wanted to get started on a couple of days ago, but I can’t find any of my size 11 or 13 circs. I know I have them, ’cause it’s my favorite size, so I can only assume I have a gazillion WIPs still on needles hiding in the many nooks and crannies of my apartment. Question is, do I go in search of them, or do I just buy more needles? Hmm. I think I see some new Addi Turbos in my future! 😀

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Links Miscellaneous Shopping

Loving the new apartment

Everything is unpacked, and has been since Memorial Day. Got rid of stuff thanks to Craigslist and my friends who didn’t mind taking in some of my old books and childhood Barbies. My new couch arrived, and the kitties and I have been breaking it in. Kristen helped me assemble the beautiful Ikea standing closets pictured above. I’ve been spending my evenings knitting and crocheting instead of wondering what else needs to be done. It’s pretty awesome.

Today my new bistro set arrived and is now packed in my car, ready to be taken home, assembled and placed lovingly on my balcony. My new gas grill has been ordered and will arrive on Tuesday. By this time next week, my balcony will be pimped out for summertime.

It’s all good.

*knock on wood*