Virginia is for lovers

Yarn lovers that is!

I spent last week in Virginia attending a training course. I was surprisingly very busy with studying and work for the class - but I did find some time to sneak away to Alexandria one night.

I paid a visit to two yarn shops - Knit Happens and Springwater Fiber.

First stop was Knit Happens...

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The shop is lovely and so are the employees. I remembered meeting Holly at Stitch and Pitch. I was also hoping to run into Rossana - but alas she wasn't working that day.

Maybe I was a bit biased - but I think my favorite employee was Ms Lola:



It could also be that I was missing my pups! I ended up buying a skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co in a lovely shade of green (surprise, surprise).

After getting my fill of puppy love - I headed out and over to Springwater Fiber Workshop.



What an awesome place! They have everything a fiber lover could want - yarn of course and spinning, weaving, and felting supplies to please anyone. I admired the lovely looms and cones of yarn - telling myself I really do not need another obsession! I managed to tear myself away and focus on the yarn. I got some lace weight hand dyed in the shop and some sock yarn by Happy Feet.

Can't wait to knit something with all this new yarn!

Spinning!

I went to my first spinning night on Friday! It was at Cloverhill yarn shop in Catonsville. I have always loved this shop for it's yarn and pleasant helpful staff and now I have one more reason to love it. Their spinning night was so much fun! I'm a newbie drop spindler and wanted to get more experience. I was commenting on this fact to Laura and Amie when they suggested I join them on their monthly spinning group. Spinning group?! I was so there. Sarah came too and I'm glad - 'cause we learned together and I also I knew I wouldn't be the only drop spindler there!

As it turns out there were two other drop spindlers there as well. Jen and another gal... (who's name I already forget). There of course were many other spinners there with actual wheels. And I got to try one! Yeah! Amie was kind enough to let Sarah and I have a go with her Lendrum. It was harder than I expected to get the wheel going at all and I also had trouble getting it to "eat the yarn" fast enough (sorry for the nontechnical terms in advance!). I also overspun and broke the yarn several times. But I did get a bit of a knack for it... kind of...eventually... maybe?

Sarah did MUCH better than I did and I don't think she broke the yarn once! Go Sarah!

Here are some of the gals at work:

I soon went back to my dropping - I mean drop spindling and spun enough single ply - that I wanted to give plying a try. In the end - I ended up with a good amount of yarn. I am quite happy with the result. I used some of the roving I dyed at Mama-E's dye class.

Sarah made the most awesome gift too - A spindle bag holder! I love it! Thanks Sarah!!




After spinning - Sarah and I had a delicious meal at Mango Grove... did you know they serve meat now too?

Anyway - after that I came home and gave my new yarn a bath -

and then hung it up to dry.



I don't know what I'll make with it yet - but I do love it

Yarn, jewelry and more!

I am sending out the prize package today for Knitty Mama. I hope she likes it :)

Here are all the goodies she will be receiveing for winning my Got Labels? contest:


My hand dyed "Dreamsicle" yarn, hand made stitch markers to match, a little purse to keep the stitch markers in (made by me), two funny farm animal erasers....



and some earrings to match - to wear with whatever you end up using the yarn for. Yes I made these too.

I had a crafty day yesterday - full of jewelry-making and sewing! Fun! I love making earrings - I tend to give most of them away to friends as gifts and usually make up a huge batch in one sitting. I think I made about 15 pairs of earrings and 5 sets of stitch markers yesterday. Jolene - I made some for your fund raiser too!

In knitting news - I have started the shoulder decreases in my Central Park Hoodie yesterday! I love this yarn soooo much! Did I already mention that like 50 times already! But really - I do. I got to knit on it a little bit today over my lunch break - a rare occurrence indeed!


Some other knitty gals and I went out for a fiber lunch. My co-worker - Giants Knitter and I met up with several knitters who work near us - Sheila, Kathy, Kathleen and their friend Theresa (?) - (I'm bad with names - sorry if this is wrong!!!) She is a crocheter - but we let her hang out with us anyway. They are all bloggless too - the shame!

Anyway - this makes my third visit to the new yarn shop in Hyattsville - the Tangeled Skein. I didn't buy a thing this time - but instead sat on one of their comfy couches and knit on my CPH. I have the store memorized at this point and gave directions from my perch. You want cotton yarn? - it's over there. Bamboo? - around the corner. Everyone was suitably impressed :)
I actually remembered my camera this time too - will wonders never cease!

This was my view from the couch:





We had a great time at Franklins too - Gotta love those onion rings!

Fruit Loop Socks

I finished my first hand painted socks!!

I have been trying to figure out what this sock yarn reminded me of when suddenly as I walking down the cereal isle - it hit me. They look just like Fruit Loops!!


What do you think?


Yarn: Mama E's C*eye*ber fiber undyed yarn - hand dyed by ME! in the Fruit Loops colorway :)
Needles: US2 DPNs
Pattern: Basic sock pattern











I also went to a new yarn shop last Friday. The Tangeled Skein in Hyattsville MD. Giantsknitter and I work about 5 miles from here and we thought what better way to spend a Friday afternoon than ditching out of work early and going yarn shopping!! So we headed over. It was so awesome! Here is a very bad picture from my camera phone:




If you live in Maryland - I definitely suggest that you stop by. The owner was so sweet and took us on a tour of the shop and pointed out some new brands of yarn and even showed us some of her favorite patterns to go with the yarns we commented on. The space is amazing - lovely hardwood floors and rows of storage for the TONS-O-YARN. I mean this place is packed to the gills with yarn. I was in awe.

I managed to control myself - (sort of) and only bought a few things. I got one skein of Donegal Tweed that I have been lusting after:



and two skeins of the most gorgeous hand painted yarn from Araucania - Atacama Nature Alpaca.




Loved it! I can't wait to go again. This could definitely be dangerous - a yarn shop close enough to do a "fiber" lunch!