NJ Yarn Crawl Haul, 4/26/14

In keeping with my momentum of trying to keep out there, out and about, a friend and I had been looking forward to our outing for the NJ Yarn Crawl. The weather was agreeable enough (didn't start the short lived deluge until the very end of the day), and my pain was manageable enough, and off we went!

The cliffnotes: Here's the total sum of my yarn crawl haul. An itemized commentary of what was bought at each shop follows after. 

First shop we hit was All About Ewe, located in Clark, NJ, which is my go-to place, my home-away-from-home, given the paucity of yarn shops proximal to me (subtext: ZERO located in my home town or the city within which I work).  There are two shops to which I am a most-devoted customer: Knitty City in NYC and All About Ewe in Clark. They each have what I need, both are very supportive of crochet (in addition to knit or spinning), and overall these shops I feel most at home.

I've raved in the past about the shop and feel I don't need to do so again, but since I'm giving input on all the other shops (which I have never set foot in before), I might as well give my thoughts on All About Ewe, just to be consistent and in context with all the other shops.

I find it convenient to get to, roughly 5 minutes (given traffic) off the GSP. Plenty of parking in the lot. The store is well appointed, and is not top heavy with just knit items. There are all manner of things represented here equally. Knit. Crochet. Spinning. Needlefelting. Great selection of stock, both in yarn, fiber for spinning, hooks and needles, as well as current copies of magazines. Plenty of space in the back with a large table and chairs. A comfy sofa. And the staff is helpful and friendly. 
What more could you ask for?

All About Ewe was the first shop I wanted to hit, 
and the bulk of my spending for the day was there.

Inventory/purchase: I picked up the recent copy of Interweave Crochet, plus I picked up four tasty skeins of TY-DY Socks by Knit One Crochet Too. The yarn hasn't spoken to me, of what it wants to be when it grows up. However, it does beg the question: If I derive so much enjoyment crocheting sweaters, does this constitute a "rut" or a "trend?"

Next shop we hit was Do Ewe Knit? in Westfield, NJ. I was the first time I've been to this shop, and given there are two different yarn shops in Westfield, I'm glad I picked this one to go to. It had an open, airy vibe like a "beach house," though the building itself is a far cry from a bungalo.  The store was cozy and well stocked, and hate to point out the obvious, I did not think it was what I'd call "crochet friendly," given the paucity of crochet books or magazines or pattern pamphlets.

Inventory/purchase:  My solitary purchase there (not a grouse, mind you) was Pompom, a British publication, which touts crochet along the top (see above the title Pompom); however, I didn't see anything outright that screamed crochet in the publication itself. Still a worthy, and out of the ordinary, purchase as none of the other shops stocked this or any other British publication from what I could see--not that I was necessarily in the market for such thing, but merely commenting upon it.  
Nice shop, no negative vibe at all therein.

Third shop we hit was Wool and Grace in Summit, NJ. Much like All About Ewe, where I am a loyal customer and would go there first and foremost for anything I need, I could see myself coming into Summit again to meet a friend for lunch, go to this shop and crochet, then go and wander the street to go shopping at some of the other cute shops.

This shop was beautifully decorated, plenty of seating, plenty of interesting yarns, and was the only shop on our jaunt (that I could tell off hand) that carried Jupiter Moon Farm yarns (again, not that it's a requirement of mine that the shop carries this, but merely an acknowledgment of something unique at this shop I did not see at the others).

Inventory/purchase: The only thing purchased (again, I was not in the market for this, and I did not see all that much in the way of crochet--I'll always buy a magazine or a pattern book if one is available and is something on my wishlist, but sadly I didn't see any. No judgement, just an observation) was this little pattern booklet. I found the packaging very clever, and I plan on giving it as a giftie to a friend. The pattern was put out by Blue Sky Alpacas, "Frances Wrap." To my friend, if you're reading, act surprised when you get this! :)

We then drifted off to Bean Curd for lunch, and then headed off to The Stitching Bee. I love shops such as this one. They are older, more established, more utilitarian,  shops rather than a "boutique" with stock overflowing usually at the back and still in bags from the manufacturer. I used to adore a shop in Montclair, NJ called Elly's Knit 'N Rest (which was interesting because there was no place to sit, or "rest" unless the "rest" implied something else, perhaps needlepoint? I don't know).  
This shop also had some needlepoint items, floss and pre-printed materials, and plenty of books on an assortment of related topics.

Inventory/purchase:  I eye-spied this Filatura Di Crosa pattern booklet, and fell in love with the pattern on the back. There are eight designs therein, by Doris Chan and Kristin Omdahl. Love the pattern on the back, which deceptively looks like the yoke is top down, when it's not. Make no mistake when I do this garment, it'll be top down and I'll shoot for the overall aesthetic, and use the motifs as listed in the pattern.

And the last shop on the jaunt, as I planned it was The Blue Purl. I had been wanting to visit this shop ever since I knew it opened a few short years ago. Very glad I went. Nice shop. Well stocked. I picked up a few Knitter's Pride crochet hooks (as they seem to be one of the last hooks I have yet to try), and picked up the Vogue Knitting Crochet issue. And when they rung me up, took my "passport" and stamped it, they gave me the skein of Rowan yarn (to the right) as a gift. Something free, nice touch. I already have a recipient for the yarn--I have no need for single skeins, but perhaps my friend will. And the yarn came with pattern suggestions for it.

I planned my day so this would be the last shop, as it is most proximal to I-287, and made it efficient for me to get going back home.

Last but not least, we popped in to Sweet Lucy's for some coffee and something sweet before heading back home. I opted for their butterscotch pecan blondie, and ate the entire thing (which I regretted, I really should have stopped at half). CHOCK FULL OF YUM. All in all a very good day, spent time with a friend, visiting others at the shops, and having a nice time.

Life doesn't get any better than this. 
Friends. Yarn. Good weather. Good food. 
And arriving home safe and sound.

I'm already planning on which stores I will visit for next year's crawl 
(and again, I'll start next year's crawl at the very same place).

All In All, A Congenial Monday

Yesterday was a typical trip to the UES,
to visit my endocrinologist,
of whom I see every three months
without fail.

The weather was glorious, so before my
appointment, instead of sitting in his paneled
waiting room, listening to opera,
and looking upon his prints by Miro,
I sat on the steps of the nearby church,
soaked up some sun and read the paper.
A cell phone camera couldn't capture
how good I felt.

Then it was time to leave, and time to say
goodbye to Ricky (on the left). Without a doubt
the most congenial doorman on Park Avenue.

"I'll see less of you next time!"

Then it was time to head down to Astor Place
to hook up with a friend, as well as a friend of hers,
who is now a new friend of mine (I love how that works!).
*Note: Several months later, the friend's friend unfriended her,
and a few months after that, I unfriended her as well.
(Weird how that works!)

Another thing not captured en photo:
Me giving alms to a Buddhist monk on the #6.
We talked nearly constantly from 86th
down to Astor Place.
"Namaste, Denzen!"

So I got off at Astor Place, an area I know (or knew)
nothing really about, and popped into the
Starbucks (Gasp! I know. I don't normally go there!)
and waited for my friend.

We sat and schmoozed, and when her
friend arrived, we went on foot, en route
to Downtown Yarns, but not before a few
small stops.

First up: FOOD!
We walked along St. Mark's Place, and
The Dumpling Man caught my eye.
And well, let's just say, the only bad
dumpling is one left uneaten!

Their steamer was on the blink,
so all we could have were pan fried/seared
(whatever). I was hungry.
And I was surprised that I could get five
in me. But then again, I eat slow.
I talk too much, I breathe. I eat.
I'm almost always the last one done.
This was no exception.
And these were exceptional dumplings!

We continued on our way to Downtown Yarns.
Chatting.
Meandering.
And I'm taking it all in.

STASH ENHANCEMENT COMMENCED!

I could not resist the power of the Zauberball.
This color combo reminds me of my fave
flower: PEONY.
Lace weight, but I might use it for socks.
*MIGHT*
*Note: I ended up destashing these skeins, as now,
lace weight and fingering weight are too fine for me
to get a good handle and tension properly.

I had to part ways with my friends, as I was
meeting another friend for coffee, which,
as it turned out, went bust, so I was on my
own for another hour or so.

First up, I stopped off at Alphabets,
and bought one of these.
I could not resist.
Then, time for more coffee (which is really
code for: I needed to pee, and sit
down for a little bit, and orient
my bag, my stuff, check my
cell for texts, etc).

So I stopped at Cafe Mogador.
Lovely place (also on St. Mark's Place),
and wished I had more time
(and space in my pouch!!)
for a bite.

So back to Astor Place I walked.
Back uptown I went.
And when I got to 24th Street,
I needed to sit again.

And crochet.

GRATUITOUS SHOT OF
CLAPOCHET
ON THE STREETS OF
NYC!!!!

My view up Lexington, with the

Chrysler Building in the distance.

Two more blocks to go, until I met
my husband for dinner, and then
head home.

I took a tepid bath.
I soaked for 10 minutes.
And promptly fell asleep
watching T.V., still
wearing my towel
wrapped around me.

A DAY WELL SPENT.

Columbus Day Photo Dump

So on Monday, Columbus Day, my friend RogueKnits and I met up
with GrannyGinNZ for a day in NYC. We spent our time on the UES,
and stopped off at Loop of the Loom, first.

Here's my "stash enhancement" I procured at
Woolgathering (Cascade Cash Vero):

We then headed to lunch at Nancy Lee's Pig heaven.
Here we are right before strappin' on the
ol' feedbag.

No doggy bag for our leftovers...
a piggybag!
Then we were off to Tender Buttons to
check out their shop...

Here's Genny all in button-overload!

Some lovely lotus buttons with which I fell in love!

Then we were off to Alice's Teacup for some tea (duh!).
Aborted attempt to get a table (55 minutes to
wait for a table in a tea shop? Really?)

We headed off to 'bucks instead, where we found
their toilet on the fritz.
Good times!

Our last stop was at Dylan's Candy Bar.
No photos here. It was pure,
unadulterated chaos
(which smelled overpoweringly like
jelly beans).

Pre-Columbus Day Photo Dump

Saturday of Columbus Day weekend, I showed my friend Amy around...

After a knosh at Cafe and a quick stop at
The Yarn Co., we headed to Knitty City.

In honor of John Lennon's 70th birthday,
we popped over to the Dakota for a photo op.

Here's the Malabrigo Rasta I procured while at Knitty City.

Within a few days, I finished hooking up a
freeform cowl for myself, modeled here
by my friend RogueKnits.

The "Fruits" of Another Yarn Crawl

This past Saturday, I (along with three other friends) met a fourth friend (and her boyfriend, who are both from Australia) in NYC, where they are on holiday until the 17th.

I've been remiss/laxe about posting the goings on. Too much fun, laughter, etc, and though there are stories to tell and pictures to show, not everything can or must be shared online.

We were smart, and headed to Habu FIRST. This is where I purchased these two spools (looks like they're wound on drinking straws, to be honest) of Laotian Silk (which I might decide to use on an Oya (Turkish Lace/thread crochet) project.

I also picked up these two little skeins (about 200 yds each) of what I believe to be linen or a cotton blend. No text on the labels, so I don't know for sure. The only thing I "got" out of the sales clerk was yardage.

We had lunch at Heartland Brewery, and much merriment ensued. Too much, to be honest!

After lunch, we went to M&J Trims, where (even though I did not have a burning NEED for them) I picked up these two sets of acrylic handles.

As for the friend from Australia, she had a certifiable, "New York" experience, as she was engaged in and encouraged conversation, and even managed to hug, this guy named Larry.

Initially, us jaded New Yorkers were in hysterics, partly out of shock of the types of things Larry was saying to the friend, and partly out of the fact that the aforementioned friend did not shy
away from Larry, culminating in some great photos and even a hug.

The way my friend spoke with Larry, was nothing short of tender and kind despite the inappropriateness of the things he *ahem* wanted to do. She was full of humanity and kindness, thus making a shocking and inappropriately amusing situation into a rather poignant one.

I have no doubt that the kindness he experienced from my friend was perhaps the only kindness he experienced that day, if not the only kindness he experienced in a great while.

This is a crop of Larry.

Another Jaunt to Jersey: A Yarn Crawl

My day started early with an 8 a.m. visit to the dentist. All is well and good; only problem with an existing filling, part of the back wall of my tooth decided to "jump ship" and though it's not giving me problems unless I bite down directly, I need to get it drilled out and replaced, God willing the rest of the tooth doesn't get destroyed, in which case I'll have to seriously rethink getting a crown. I've been so overstimulated there on that nerve, it's next to impossible for me to get numb enough for them to grind the tooth down to start the process.

Now onto a virtual tour of the yarn crawl!

1. We headed to Original Pancake House in Caldwell for a late breakfast.I had the "Dutch Baby" with some linx, and she had Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam.

2. I then took her by Italianissimo, as she was interested in seeing it, as it was used for the exterior shots of Artie Bucco's resto in Sopranos.

3. Then down the street to Essex County Airport, to ogle the place where JFK Jr. departed from on his fateful day. This is also the place where the WASband took me VIA a rented Piper Cub, for our second date, as the 94th Bomb Group Restaurant is located there, and they have valets to "park" your plane.

I gassed up the car, enjoying paying $1 less per gallon, paying $30ish rather than the $40ish I am used to paying for a tank-ful, and then we headed to Montclair...

4. We then headed to The Chocolate Path to pick up a few things for Valentine's Day. I can't say I was surprised by the $$$, but it is a shop that specializes in high end, not less than 60% chocolate solids, sometimes single location, chocolate. I bought myself a cam of Dark Obsession Chocolate Rose tea from MarieBelle as well as a packet of hot coco (same company). I also got three small boxes of New Tree Chocolate; 1. Dark chocolate/Black Currant/Cassis "Renew"; 2. Dark chocolate Mint/Menthe "Refresh"; 3. Dark chocolate Ginger "Sexy". Each box is 0.95 oz, and contains 3 pieces per.

From this point out, we were all on foot, and well within a two block radius.

5. Next up... finally... YARN. We stopped at Ellie's Knit 'N Rest (no link available) to check out her "alleged" blow out sales... 35% off, not what I would call "blow out" but hey... Ellie's is one of those OLD TIME yarn shops where you have to dig through dusty plastic covered bundles of skeins to find your "treasures." She had "some" Noro on sale (7.50 a skein... still... not a fabulous sale, but I got two in the cotton silk blend). But my true treasure were two remaining skeins of Sahara (a french import) in walnut brown... Camel & Merino mix. Once I touched it, I HAD TO HAVE IT. And these two skeins were no bargain either. The four skeins combined cost close to $47. But the skeins of Sahara were 1000 yards each, so they're kind of weighty. I bought the Saraha for myself, perhaps a cuddly shrug I'll design. Let's wait and see.

6. Then we walked three store fronts down (sadly Ellie's will be closing mid-June; I hope to return before then), to Modern Yarn, where I sat on their comfy couch, while my friend browsed. Found out they, too, have a group on Ravelry, which delighted me:) Ravelry really has made the world a lot smaller! I inquired about their Weavette looms they had on sale, tho they only had rectangular ones, and I wanted a square one. I guess I'll have to buy it online.

7. Then we went to the London Food Company for some "provisions." I was secretly hoping that they'd carry a particular type of tea of which I'm fond (a pineapple rooibos, which also happens to have some black tea in it too). I called them today in retrospect, and they're going to see about sourcing some for me, otherwise I'll have to go through a british website for it. I picked up a set of six silver plated tea spoons (with little teapots on the ends of the handles) for a special "tea" I'm planning. And I also picked up some Wrigley's Airwaves gum in cherry menthol, menthol & eucalyptus, and black mint, as well as a roll of fruit gums and a roll of Trebor extra strong peppermints. They were completely out of Smarties, but I hope if she is able to get the tea, when I return, I'll be picking up tea and Smarties. My friend got some potato scones, which then made me start thinking ahead to St. Pat's day, and I might attempt some potato boxties, with curried veggies in the center.

8. We then headed to Stix-n-Stitches, which is my favorite yarn shop I've been going to for a few years, which also helps me "keep one foot firmly in the Garden State." We all socialize on Ravelry, so they were expecting me to pop in. And I am glad I did.

Although after going to Ellie's I was putting myself on a "yarn diet," I have to go see my specialist on the 18th (a few days before my next payday) and wanted to keep to a budget of sorts. I was glad to pop in and shmooze a bit with everyone I've grown fond and familiar with, and Sheila ended up showing off a hook she recently got from Turn of the Century (which thrilled me, as I'm fond of their hooks), and then let me know she's got some monster sized hooks in the back As my friend mentioned, a hook isn't yarn, so buying it would be keeping to my "yarn diet," however my wallet said another thing, and I was hell bent on getting bigger hooks anyway:) So Sheila presented me with two "U" shaped hooks made by Jenkins . It appears as if the shaft is the diameter of a broom handle, so that makes me giddy. Of course I had to buy one, as I'm a self-admitted "Size Queen" when it comes to crochet hooks (despite my love of my Jimbo hook and my Addi hook, which have been my "go-to-hooks" as of late. I need to snap a picture of it, as I've got "hook acquisition disease."

9. After, we ended our jaunt to Cha Ma Gu Dao for some tea. It's got a huge assortment of loose leaf tea, and unfortunately for us, they were totally SWAMPED due to a tea tasting and other stuff going on to celebrate the New Year. All the chaos did not lend itself well to us sitting down for a leisurely cup of tea as well as the ability to take our time, sniffing canisters and possibly walk away with some loose leaf to take home. But I guess there's always a next time for that.

I then took a quick spin back to SnS to drop off my squares for Thom's afghan which I left in my car, and then we were headed back home.

After I dropped my friend off at home, I called in an order to my favorite resto, then did a lightning fast pass through the supermarket for a few items (which also included a bottle of Act Restoring Mouthwash... I love my dental hygienist, I promised her I'd get this), then back to the diner to pick up food for dinner, and then finally home.

I'm already planning my next trip to Montclair:)