The Yarn Shop Across Town

I was really excited when I moved into my house on Monroe St that I was just down the block from a Yarn Shop, The Knitting Tree. I have been there a few times since moving in, though have bought a significant amount of yarn online in the past year. I was out running errands and shopping this afternoon and I thought that I would stop by a yarn shop on the other side of town, Lakeside Fibers. They have a fairly large store, with a coffee shop in the back and space for workshops. I was impressed by their yarn selection, but I also did not see some yarns, like the Debbie Bliss yarns or lots of LambsPride (though they did have a whole wall of Cascade 220!). However, if I venture out of the house to buy yarn, I think that I will go back to Lakeside Fibers.

And, of course, I cannot leave a yarn shop without something to enhance my stash. Today, it was a baby Alpaca/silk blend. The colors attracted me, but the softness made me buy it. I'm thinking about a hat in the two colors, but I haven't decided yet.


But before I can start that, I need to finish at least one of the two projects I am currently knitting. The faster of the two projects is the pair of socks that I am making toe-up. I'm knitting them both at the same time, starting at the toe, and saving the heal for last. Here is a picture from when I started them last week,


And after a night of knitting and watching movies with friends, I am now here,




The yarn is actually self-striping, so I don't have to worry about working with multiple balls of yarn. I am about ready to do the heal, which will actually be skipped and done at the end. The process should be easier than 'turning the heal', which is the standard way of making the heal. I'll let you know when I get there. Other than that, I really like using this technique to knit socks. It's fun to start from the bottom and knitting two socks at once is doubly nice. Next time I do socks, they will be toe-up.