I've just returned from a 10 day trip -- mostly business but some vacation, too. Of course, I managed to visit 3 fiber-related emporia in three different places! First I'll tell you about Knit One in Pittsburgh. You see, I live mainly in Manhattan but even when I'm in NJ for weekends, the lys are fairly small, sometimes even tiny and cramped. Knit One, by contrast, is in a large -- even vast by lys standards -- wonderfully warm and welcoming space. Stacy, the owner, has succeeded in creating a user-friendly space that is a knitter's heaven as well as haven. Yarn is arranged by weight and then by type. So, baby yarns, sock yarns and novelties, etc. are grouped together. In addition to the shelves lining the walls, there are also stand-alone units in a charming array of styles. What I also loved, and what The D.B. took advantage of, is the inviting seating in various arrangements throughout the store. Tho' chock full of different yarns, the store is tidy and organized which really makes a difference to the self-reliant shopper. I couldn't think of a yarn that wasn't included in their collection. We ended up spending hours at Knit One when we meant only to shop for about half an or so. It's also possible to drop in with your knitting and hang out -- we saw knitters do just that while we were there.
The best part of the whole experience was the individual attention available to yarn shoppers. Rochelle was on duty when we arrived. She is so very welcoming that we felt right at home immediately. Rochelle took me on a yarn tour of the store, showing me how the yarns are arranged. Because she's so yarn-savvy, she helped me find just what I was looking for -- easy care natural fibers for baby knitting. I had the privilege of speaking with Stacy, too, when she arrived and really enjoyed our conversation. Although I love my NYC lys, I confess to being smitten.
Knit One is in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, just "up street" (Pittsburghese for "up the block") from where The D.B.'s father lived and on the same block as a now-closed family-favorite special occasion restaurant, Poli's. Pittsburgh is a city of steep hills, which the natives take for granted. Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill's main drag is no exception. It all adds to the atmosphere.
Don't miss this store if you're even vaguely close to Pittsburgh. In fact, I told someone yesterday to urge her knitting daughter to find a college she likes in Pittsburgh just so that she can have a good lys! How's that for a college-finding criterion?
Two little sweaters for my dear friend's new baby grand daughter, four weeks old tolday.
The bottom sweater is my stockingette version of the Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono in kitchen cotton. I hope this will be handy during the summer months. I tied up the present with the other yard of the ribbon for use as hair ribbons.
Every year we have a "paper bag challenge" at the guild. This year we received about 2 oz of CVM, California Variegated Mutant also knows as California Red. I've spun it before, having bought a sampler package from The Bellwether in Washington State which included an ounce or so of CVM. She doesn't offer these samplers any more but I found it a very useful way to learn about different sheep breeds.
hooking.
I've experimenting with the Mason Dixon Knitting pattern for a "burp cloth" -- the Baby Genius Burp Cloth.
Finally, after a year, I have a spinning wheel again in the city. I bought this lovely Lendrum from Elisa, a fellow guild member. She was so sweet and threw in extra bobbins and a big bunch of fiber. We finally got the wheel into town last weekend. I took it out of the box last Sunday morning, all eager to assemble it but the big knob was stuck -- probably the finish on the bottom of the knob adhered to the finish on the wheel. Happily, on Monday morning the super was able to turn it for me. When I got back from work I put it together. It's so easy and logical. The double treadle is very comfortable. I like the way the orifice hook is built right in so you don't have to go fishing for it. I must say that it does spin fast and that I had to learn not to sit too far back.
There's a fast flyer (bottom left of basket) for cotton and silk. Towards the back of the basket is the jumbo plying head (plus 2 jumbo bobbins). The most exotic and intriguing is the quill head -- at the very back of the basket. The metal spoke is protected, thank goodness, by a plastic sheath. I watched Jenny spin paper with it at a guild demo and I can't wait to try something like that. 
Plying was a little more tricky -- as Alden Amos told us, plying is a whole different kettle of fish from spinning. I'd spun very tightly but after some fiddling, was able to get the right amount of twist. And, wonder of wonders, I produced a balanced skein. My usual trick is to underply but I may have finally overcome this tendency.
I've just returned from a 10 day trip -- mostly business but some vacation, too. Of course, I managed to visit 3 fiber-related emporia in three different places! First I'll tell you about Knit One in Pittsburgh. You see, I live mainly in Manhattan but even when I'm in NJ for weekends, the lys are fairly small, sometimes even tiny and cramped. Knit One, by contrast, is in a large -- even vast by lys standards -- wonderfully warm and welcoming space. Stacy, the owner, has succeeded in creating a user-friendly space that is a knitter's heaven as well as haven. Yarn is arranged by weight and then by type. So, baby yarns, sock yarns and novelties, etc. are grouped together. In addition to the shelves lining the walls, there are also stand-alone units in a charming array of styles. What I also loved, and what The D.B. took advantage of, is the inviting seating in various arrangements throughout the store. Tho' chock full of different yarns, the store is tidy and organized which really makes a difference to the self-reliant shopper. I couldn't think of a yarn that wasn't included in their collection. We ended up spending hours at Knit One when we meant only to shop for about half an or so. It's also possible to drop in with your knitting and hang out -- we saw knitters do just that while we were there.