A week goes by and I've lost touch with my daily reads and email. It's hard sometimes to keep up with all of the great blogs out there! So, where have I been? Details below...
Trip to Maine
DH and I drove last Tuesday up north. On our way up we stopped in NYC and had dinner. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to stick around and do some shopping. Nor did we have time on our return home. :( Have no fear though the DH says I can make that a separate trip just for me. Yiipppeee!!
The drive up was wonderful! Not only was the weather just perfect but I got to knit and knit and knit. I finished two Xmas gifts and got to knit more of my poncho ---- the never ending poncho. In Maine, we visited Saco, Portland, Kittery, Bath and Augusta. We stayed in Saco and drove around. The area there is really beautiful and the houses are to die for. Just beautiful!
Of course, you can't have a trip without stopping by some LYS. My first trip was to Halcyon Yarn. A definite stop for anyone into Fair Isle knitting. They have a limited selection of yarn brands BUT every color within the brands they carry. They also have their own line of yarns, which I didn't care for, and some novelty stuff. This place is also a nice resource for spinning, weaving, rug hooking, felting and books. I bought 3 things of yarn. Can you believe it? I know it's hard to but their selection was disappointing. I was hoping for more locally made yarns - you know the kind that feels like butter in your hands.
Next I went to Grace Robinson & Company in Freeport. The place was nice with a large selection of all kinds of yarn. However, again very limited selection on locally made yarns. Prices were expensive but the selection was good. Definitely a place for Rowan lovers. My next trip up I will skip both of these and search for the smaller scale producers and handspun makers.
I also got a chance to check out some well-known beading shops in the area. Here's my review:
Caravan Beads & Fibers - Portland
Basic selection of crystal, wood, bone, glass and pendants. Nothing too exciting and prices were average to expensive. They do sell strands but mostly of semi precious. The cool thing about this place is their selection of yarns and fibers. It's always nice to combine the two.
The Beadin' Path - Freeport
Awesome place! Pricey but worth the visit. An enormous selection of vintage Swarovski and lucite. A good selection of pendants, findings, beads, sequins, buttons, etc. I was also impressed with their various items for jewelry making such as ribbons, leather, wire, rings, necklaces, and such. Like I mentioned it's pricey but a good place to visit for ideas.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST - Vote!!!!!
Go Kerry!
