This is the story of my trip to get to my business trip, which turned out to be a really exciting mini-vacation for 24 hours. I started in Connecticut for a really momentous event, the 21st birthday of my oldest child. (He loved the Honegart Hat I knit for him). This post has a lot of photos, but let 'em load — you will want to see this all the way to the bottom!
Before I get too much further, if you are looking to score some Elliebelly Yarn, click here.
I had to get from Connecticut to Vermont, and it turned out that it was cheaper to drive than fly, so I took a day off and drove, stopping along the way at, um, yarn stores.
First I went to Creative Fibers, near Hartford. It turned out that the incredibly friendly woman behind the counter was none other than Julie Cashin, author of several adorable baby sweater patterns, who I was really delighted to meet in person. She looks great standing in front of all that yarn!
Next I drove into Masachusetts at stopped at WEBS.
It felt like a pilgrimage. The store was beautiful and full of amazing yarn, and I was so happy I stopped there. I saw this amazing sweater sample — a Madeline Tosh hoodie that I grabbed pattern and yarn for.
I was overjoyed to stumble across an entire display of Juniper Moon Yarn from Shepard Susie. It was so much fun to see it in person, and it made me even more impatient for the sheep on the farm to grown my CSA share — grow sheep, grow!
But I really didn't get what WEBS was all about until I wandered to the back of the store and discovered a warehouse, full of racks and racks of yarn in bags. Good yarn. Amazing yarn. I surrendered myself to the experience and engaged in stash nirvana.
This should have been enough, and it almost was — I found out that a planned detour in Vermont was out of the question because of roads still damaged by Irene. I drove straight up 91 and by total luck (and need for gas) came across the Green Mountain Spinnery.
It was a teensy little yarn store, because (O.M.G.) most of the building is occupied by a spinning operation, using equipment from the 1910's and 1950's. It was, in a word, amazing.
The folks in the shop were incredibly nice, and stopped what they were doing to give me a tour of their operations, from the unwashed fleeces, to carding, to pulling the yarn into batts, and then ultimately into long thin ropes of roving that are spun into singles, steamed, and then plied into beautiful yarn. It was totally fascinating and I only dragged myself away to buy some of their incredible yarn, including these skeins, which are plant dyed.
And this wool/alpaca blend.
And this sock yarn, which begged to come home with me.
Then I went on to business and meetings and accomplished a lot of good things (and some knitting late at night).
Strangely, on the way home, the woman on the plane next to me was knitting some beautiful, intricate lace. It turned out to be Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl and the knitter turned out to be Grace, a/k/a LilMsDramaPants, whose knitting I have stalked on Ravelry for quite some time now. What are the odds?
Isn't her knitting stunningly beautiful? I think you can see this one in person at SAFF and it is well worth it!
A 24-hour yarn hop is definitely a rejuvenating event. I highly recommend one, wherever you find yourself.
