Birthday Crawl

So I'm still in recovery mode [haven't gotten off the couch today and I've been awake since 7am!!!], but I will say the d.h. and I had a GREAT day yesterday on our little day trip to Solvang! We also managed a 5 store yarn crawl [initially supposed to be a 7 store crawl]. Not too shabby!

ETA: I got off the couch... moved around, and now I'm back on the couch ;)

I feel weird (to put it mildly) about taking photos off all the places I visit... Unless of course, I'm actually being a tourist. But I did come back bearing lots of goodies :D

Here is the yarn crawl for 8/21:
[Crawl including 3 other shops, but we were dead tired after a long day of walking, shopping and sitting in major traffic coming home!] I know the image below might be a little too tiny to see much detail, but if you look at the map, and see the rough distance traveled... well, you'll get the idea.



So...
Below are the results of my top 3 favorite stops on this trip.

Anacapa Fine Yarns [Ventura]


This color is called "Roanoke Gold"


VAA 51, no color name


Village Spinning & Weaving [Solvang]

So...
I told myself I wouldn't do this. That is, start another hobby. But, with as much free time as I have, this was simply irresistible. Once I was in the shop, the owners husband and wife John and Marsha were SOOOOO nice and helpful. I even got a lesson on fiber and spinning :D Glad I made the trip!


4 oz Jacob Top


4oz of Blue Face Leicester [Black]


4 oz of Finn Top


And of course, a spindle!

If I can stick to this, and learn it well, then I'll work my way up to a wheel. Rapunzel? But for now, this is a very economical way to start my new hobby.

Loop & Leaf [Santa Barbara]


Madeline Tosh Worsted in Sequoia...I don't get the name :\


Madeline Tosh Worsted in Chamomile...a.k.a. A little taste of Sunshine!


Fleece Artist - BFL Socks in 'Peacock'...Of course, with a name like that...


Schoppel Wolle - Zauberball in '(?)' :D isn't it obvious?!


Rio de la Plata - Sock in 'Sparkling Grape'

Loop & Leaf is awesome by the way. Lots of great stuff here. Some stuff I recognized, but I'd say about 95% of the store was brand new to me. I hadn't heard of many of the brands there, so that's always fun finding new things to touch and [eventually] knit up!

Of course,
After a long day of not being home, I can always look forward to coming home to very unhappy, bitter terriers! Some "genius" decided it would be a good idea to toss the phone book into the yard, and the dogs [of course] took that as an invitation for a game of 'let's see how quick we can shred it all over the lawn'. Riley then proceeded to attack a lost roll of t.p. when she came in the house. Guess someone was really mad LOL

Process...

Wow.
My new craft of the week is definitely something for someone who is a bit neurotic, a bit obsessive/compulsive, and clearly it's a good match for a multi-tasker who needs something to do while watching tv.

No wonder I eventually gravitated towards crocheting granny squares. It was gonna happen sooner or later. I just decided to give in after I came home from class on Saturday and Michael's [the craft store silly!] was calling my name, coaxing me to park my car, hop out in the rain and make this ridiculous (and might I add, completely unecessary) purchase. Like I don't have enough projects going on?!

So... this is what I did while watching Season 2, Disc 2 of Carnivale on Saturday and during parts of the Grammy's on Sunday. Um... did I just confess to watching the Crappy's on Sunday? *doh* I knocked most of it out on Saturday. But yes... what a process this will be.

Anywho, now I have 49 +/- tiny little squares that will eventually get sewn together to make one fabulously WARM blanket.
The swatch [below, left] is ultimately what each granny square will look like (just differnt color variations). And as the magazine says... this project is 'Real Simple'. *sigh* and I am really corny. And I will NOT apologize.

The squares [below, right] are round one.
Pattern is here and FREE!!! [You might need an account to access it].

Will [of course] post my progress...

 

And by the way... this is TOTALLY the perfect way to spend a rainy weekend - chillin' on the couch, sippin' on tea, dogs resting on my legs keeping me warm and crocheting or knitting, while vegging out in front of the tv. Pure bliss, you don't even understand. That's a little piece of my heaven.

Oh...
And new toys! Yay.
Who doesn't love bright, shiny new toys. ESPECIALLY when they end up saving you a lot of time and money in the long run. So these are interchangeable knitting needles. Basically... you just change the tips out depending on the gauge you need for a project, but it saves you the headache of not only coughing up $$$ every time a project asks for a needle you typically would NEVER use BUT it also kills any excuse of why you can't start a new project ('Oh, well I don't have the right needles...').

Oh, and for the non-knitter, Circs are good for pieces that need to be done in the round (body of a garment, sleeves, hats, cowls, socks...) or large pieces that end up weighing a lot and become uncomfortable/awkward to hold on straight needles (think blankets).

Observe...


So these are the nickle-plated interchangeable circs from Knit Picks. I know, I know...it's a bit sacrilegious for someone who is a self-proclaimed, avid wooden needle user [say that 5x fast], but I found that these needles are quicker/easier to use rather than the wooden varieties I've come across.
[left < >right: Needle Tips, Additional Tips + Interchangeable Cords, What it looks like all Attached.]