We took Kay up to the lake for the first time. It just happened to be the weekend of the Berry Creek Berry Festival. Nothing is better than a small local festival in my book. Well, maybe a small local museum.
Kay looking cute (as always!) at the Berry Festival.
Roger at the Berry Festival in his new hat. With the shades, he looks like your grandpa doing his best Blues Brothers impression.
The Pomatomus Sock made an appearance at the Berry Festival too. It was feeling very color appropriate.
After all the excitement of a band, cloggers, local crafts, and berry sauce over ice cream (yum!), Kay and I headed into town. Oroville that is.
Oroville is a big small town. It's history began with the California Gold Rush and was home to Ishi. Now the economy is based on agriculture (citrus and olives), gambling (two casinos in the area), and tourism (Lake Oroville). It has the usual main drag littered with fast food joints and chain stores. If you get off the main drag, you'll discover a quaint old downtown area. That is exactly where we found our point of interest.
The Yarn Shoppe is a cute store owned by a very friendly mother-daughter team. The store front is an old fashioned one with lots of display area. It doesn't really tell you what to expect when you walk through the door.
Inside it is cool and a bit dark. A welcome relief after the blazing sun and heat of Oroville. The selection is good. Much better than I expected. The store is tidy and easy to navigate. I would be happy to have this store be my LYS. Well worth a stop.
Of course we had to get some yarn! From the left: hand dyed sock yarn from FurrYarns, a mohair blend yarn (there is one more that Kay has already started knitting a scarf out of), and some Trekking pro Natura, a yarn that is 75% wool and 25% bamboo.
Next stop was getting cute(r?). I am not very girly. Kay is always trying to get me to girlify. So we went for pedicures. They had the massage chairs. Nice! THAT is the way to get me to girl-up! My toes are painted a coppery orange. Kay's are a deep rich mahogany.
After dinner we went fishin'.
I know next to nothing about fishing. Is it common to use stinky cheese or day glow yellow mini marshmallows?
We didn't catch a thing. Except for a bit of tree bass a.k.a. getting the line caught in a tree. That was my contribution.
Still we had fun.
More pics on my Flickr page.
That was all on Saturday. An eventful day to be sure. Sunday we rested up and I finished a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and the Pomatomus socks.
Pattern: Pomatomus by Cookie A.
Yarn: Trekking XXL #78 with lots left over.
Needles: US#3 metal dpns (I knit very tightly, it would be US#2 for a knitter that gets gauge with the specified needle).
Started: August 2nd or 3rd
Finished: August 12, 2007
Modifications: I used a slightly larger gauge to make the finished sock larger than the one size offered. I also shortened the ribbing to 3 rows and the leg to 2 repeats of chart A.
It was a fun knit and much easier than I had heard. I don't know that it deserves the piquant rating that Knitty gave it.
Your socks look great! As does your pedi - I had one last week for the first time in two years so I know what you mean about needing to girlify!
Posted by: elizabeth | August 13, 2007 at 12:57 PM
I'm not good at girlifying -- I've actually never had either a pedicure or a manicure. And I obviously would if I felt that I was missing out. Love those socks!
Posted by: AuntieAnn | August 13, 2007 at 01:54 PM
Sounds like a really fun weekend. You packed a lot into your two days!
The socks look great. Smart to make a smaller cuff too. Saves, yarn and easier to get on.
Posted by: LaurieM | August 13, 2007 at 03:44 PM
Piquant Not? Oh, I don't know...they look like they probably are, or would be for me, at least. Glad you had a good weekend! The socks are gorgeous:)
Ang
Posted by: angelarae | August 13, 2007 at 05:47 PM
The berry festival sounds like it was a lot of fun! Your Pomatomus socks look great!
Posted by: allie | August 13, 2007 at 08:35 PM
I'm new to Oroville, where is the place for a pedicure you found? Love your blog and pictures!
Posted by: shawna | August 13, 2007 at 11:13 PM
I'm new to Oroville, where is the place for a pedicure you found? Love your blog and pictures!
Posted by: shawna | August 13, 2007 at 11:14 PM
Pretty Pomatomi! Looks like your trip was nice, too. I like the sound of berry sauce on ice cream.
Posted by: Liz | August 14, 2007 at 08:49 AM
Sounds like a wonderful weekend!
Love the socks; the color is gorgeous.
Posted by: Julie | August 14, 2007 at 09:28 AM
Cool outing, looks like you had fun. I think your fishing failure just might have been bait related :)
Your Poms look great, got ya hooked on Trekking now huh?
And fyi, Trekking is skinny, most use a 1 or a 0 - you do knit tight!
Posted by: Debi | August 15, 2007 at 11:19 PM