Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving


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 Thank you! 

I want to thank all of you for spending time with me either knitting or reading my blog or both.  I hope you enjoyed yourselves; I know I most certainly did and am looking forward to more time spend with you..
I wish you a Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter and knitting.
I wish you happiness always especially during the upcoming Holiday Season.
Remember to pick up your needles and knit something simple when things get too stressful.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Road Trip to the Carolinas

Checking out knitting shops in North and South Carolina

My husband and I just got back from a lovely road trip which took us to The Outer Banks (NC) and to Pawleys Island (SC near Myrtle Beach).

Outer Banks
I had been to "Knitting Addiction" (click on the link to get to the store's website) on North Croatan Hwy in Kitty Hawk a few years back and was happy to see Jeanne again and to marvel at the new bigger location.  Jeanne has a wonderful selection of yarns and her store is spacious and light.  She is very helpful with suggestions and knitting tips and techniques, but also lets you browse at your hearts content.
I ended up buying more of the Knitcol trends sock yarn by art,kn.  I had used it for my very first pair of socks (using a pattern which was written by Jeanne ) and am looking forward to use it again now that I know a little more about knitting socks :)
Jeanne also carries knitpicks needle tips in various sizes and I was able to get US #15's to work on the Kilter Hat by Alexandra Tinsley.













Myrtle Beach
Our next stop was Pawleys Island near Myrtle Beach.  A friend of mine had suggested which yarn shop to seek out. The first day we tried, the shop had just closed but luckily we were persistent and I was rewarded with an excellent experience. "Island Knits" (click on the link to get to the store's website) is a lovely shop in a quaint corner of a shopping area called "The Island Shops" on Ocean Highway in Pawleys Island.  Just walking up to the shop past a pond with ducks makes you feel relaxed.  The owner, Susan, has a good selection of yarns and offers instructions which then entitle you to a discount on the yarn you need to work on your project. Susan is knowledgeable when it comes to yarn and patterns and she is easy to talk with; we certainly covered a wide range of topics :)  She makes you feel right at home.
I was attracted to a specific turquoise/ aqua color and ended up buying the Berroco Weekend yarn to knit yet another shawl, Summer Flies by Donna Griffin.



















While on the road I worked on the "Pendulum" by Amy Miller .  I call it "Time fades in Tidal waves".
 (click on the link for more information on the project ).