Marin Yarn Crawl

What could be better than a yarn crawl?

A yarn crawl with a blogger friend.

I met up with Ann on Saturday for a tour of yarn stores in Marin County.  Ann and I have emailed and exchanged blog comments, but this was the first time we met in person.

Our first stop was Dharma Trading in San Rafael.  Dharma is an institution (and the catalog is insanely useful).  They carry yarn as well as dye supplies and blank clothing and fabric for dyeing.  If you want to do tie-dye, this is your spot (they do mail-order all the dyeing supplies).  I often forget that they carry yarn (though it is hard to do since it is in the front room).  The yarn area isn't gussied up and oh so cute, but the selection is good and they have a few things I don't see elsewhere.

I picked up a couple of skeins of Brown Sheep Wildfoote in a lovely sage green (they call it Mistletoe and it is MUCH prettier than their website would have you believe) and a hank of Cashwool lace weight yarn in cream.  Based on the name, you might think that it is a cashmere-wool blend.  Nope, 100% extra fine merinos (we aren't sure how many merinos).  It is quite soft; I thought it had cashmere until I read the label.  My thought is to dye it for a shawl.

Our next stop was Marin Fiber Arts, also in San Rafael.  The owner, Warren, blogs here.  Yes folks, this is a yarn store owned by a man.  I have to say that his store models were refreshingly different.  It is a nice store with lots of nooks and crannies filled with luscious yarn.  It leans a bit toward the pricey yarns.  I found this lovely skein of Mama E's C*EYE*ber Fiber.  Yes, more sock yarn.  What of it?

After lunch we headed to Atelier Marin San Anselmo.   It is a lovely store with lots of pretty yarns, also leaning towards the pricey end of the spectrum.  They had great store models of baby knits  (not that I am in the market).  I found a great Elsbeth Lavold book called Viking Patterns for Knitting.

I think this book will deserve a review.  Maybe it will inspire cabled socks from the Wildfoote yarn. 

Our last stop was Devrie Christina's Knitterie in Novato.  The store is very comfortable with lots of overstuffed furniture to keep you happy as you knit.  The owner is a bit chatty, but quite friendly.  We arrived a few minutes after closing and she was in no hurry to kick us out. 

I decided to buy some Cascade 220 for a felting project to be determined.

Ann said we had to get a picture of us together.  I could whine about having a bad hair day or how much I hate photos of myself.  But I won't do that to you.  Click for a bigger image if you must.

 

Comments

[Liz]

I heard you got some veggie ribbon too, how does it look? Seems like you guys had a great time!

[Marina]

Unfair! You have so many choices in yarn stores. In a way, I'm glad I don't because it might hurt my wallet ;-)

[AuntieAnn]

C'mon, that's not a bad photo of us at all! I haven't taken photos of my haul yet -- bad blogger that I am. But I used the 2.75 mm circ the very next day. My Embossed Leaves sock now boasts ribbed cuff knit on 3.0 mm, first repeat knit on 2.75 mm, balance on 2.5 mm. Schizo, huh?

[LaurieM]

I have Viking Patterns for Knitting. It's an excellent book and I know you will enjoy it.

I saw some of that laceweight around here, and it is scrumptious.

[Karen]

Looks like you had a great day shopping! Nothing better than meeting a new friend and buying yarn all at the same time! Love the Cascade colors, any idea what they will become? Have a great 4th of July!

[Charlene]

Oh Maia....You've got me looking at Elsebeth Lavold now!!! The cable designs she uses are beautiful and addictive. Now I'll have to search my LYS for her books. Oh poor me.lol. Thanks for the heads up on another great designer!

[Mama-E]

Glad you liked the yarn. Warren is a fantastic guy!

[Lauren]

Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed our neck of the woods. And I didn't even know about Knitterie, so I'll have to check it out soon.

[Mary]

Gotta love a yarn crawl! And such a cute picture of you two. :-)