Last weekend was the 2009
Yarn Shop Hop for Summer Knitting on the Go! With the Husband visiting his Grandma who was in the hospital in Oklahoma, (what a good guy), and me to tend to the dogs and represent at a grad party and wedding shower, driving 100+ miles around the metro area to check out fun yarn shops sounded like a great way to pass the time! Each shop was asking for donations to local food shelves, so after a quick pass of the pantry, I was ready.
Armed with my maps of each location, book on CD, and my tidy seven bags of goodies for each store's foodshelf, I was off. I had full intentions of photo documenting my trip, but I got too excited each time I found the places that I forgot. Here's my take on them in the order I visited:
Zandy's - Nice store, though sadly the store next to it had some undesirable clientele wasting time near their entrance. Definitely more of a needle work type of store than a knitting and crocheting store, but still a nice variety of yarns. They gave out a fun pattern for a Beach Bag to knit with yarn made out of corn! Very cool!
Coldwater Collaborative - I love the town of
Excelsior. It really seems like a Main Street, USA type of town. The lake, surrounded by a beautiful park is bordered with a very unique downtown area and nestled into a storefront near it all was Coldwater Collaborative. Every nook and cranny was packed with samples, patterns, yarns, needles, do-dads and happy customers. It was the kind of store you really get excited about what you can make with two needles and a ball of yarn. The pattern at this store was for a Winged Triangle Scarf, which is really cool. A bit of a cross between a shawl and a scarf. Very cool! It's really too bad I'm not closer to this town. Oh well, that just means Road Trip!
Amazing Threads - Great store, crappy location. After passing through Maple Grove, past the gravel pits, down a street to a dead end cul de sac to where I could enter on the back side of the office building where this store was, I was in yarn heaven. I loved that this store had so much natural light, and so much yarn! Two levels of yarn even! They even had treats for the Hoppers, nice touch! Another fun Summer On-the-Go Bag pattern and some yarn for the stash, and I was off again. If I can remember how to get to this place again without a map and compass, I will definitely return.
3 Kittens Needle Arts - Nice store in a really nice location, (
wine bar across the street, this could make road tripping much more fun!). Depending on who is working, I love this store, or I feel really uncomfortable in this store, (uncomfortable only because some who work there make me feel that since I don't know all the lingo I must be watched. Really, some times all I want to do is look and not be told what the correct name and use of everything is.) On my Hop, it was a great day. The lady working got me all excited about venturing off and trying different patterns and yarns and she seemed very surprised that I was so new to knitting and Hopping already. Once I told her I was my own woman for the weekend, she understood that this was a great way to spend a beautiful spring/summer day! The pattern here is a fun Skinny Summer Scarf which I found unique because it has you cast on 251 stitches and knit until you get the desired width. I guess that's what makes it skinny, but I found that quite interesting.
Needlework Unlimited - Huge store just north of ritzy Edina. Nice mix of notions, knitting, and needlework, definitely a store to check out again. The store was quite full and I was getting anxious to get to the remaining stores before they closed, so after a quick pass through and fun Mini Shopping Bag pattern, (the bag folds into a pocket you knit on the bottom! How clever!) I was off again.
Sheepy Yarn Shoppe - With this being my first official venture into
White Bear Lake, I found this store to be a nice treat. Lots of fun yarns to check out, and they had many kits ready to go which I thought was a really nice touch. The ladies working were delightful to talk to, and after adding a fun Summer Purse pattern, complete with flowers that are knitted, not crocheted, I was on the home stretch.
The Yarnery -
Grand Avenue in Saint Paul is another one of those places I just love to go to. The Yarnery is in a house that when you walk into, you wish it was your home because every shelf and corner is packed with fun yarns and projects. Local designer,
Marie Mayhew, was even there checking things out. She has so many cute patterns! I can't wait until I get enough courage to try to make the
Wooly Bunnies! I really felt a bit star struck when I got to meet her. This is also another one of those stores where you just get excited about what you're capable of making, and everyone who works here is so down to earth and just plain cool, that you can't help but love this store. With this being my final stop on the Hop, I added a Summer Tote pattern to my collection and received the coveted keychain to put all my yarn shop charms on. (picture to come when all charms are in, some stores ran out, but since I put in the miles, I'll still get my cute little charms!)
My happy weekend was followed up by a message Tuesday night from 3 Kittens, I had won one of their door prizes! After a happy end to my work day, I ventured over there tonight and picked up my prize, a
port-a-pocket, complete with a ball of Regia Silk Color sock yarn, some Fibre Rinse, emry boards, packets of Gloves in a Bottle, a mirror, a do dad to go in a Croc that says "Made by Me", and a cute little sheep wind chime.
I'm hoping that since I won a door prize, I didn't jinx my chances to win one of the big prizes for hitting all seven shops, time will tell. I believe the results of those prizes are listed on June 7. I'll just have to stay tuned!
I feel pretty darn cool if I do say so myself!
