My last post I whined about the arrival of March and now here we are screaming up on April!
I had to stay away from the blog because I needed to engage every bit of knitting energy towards finishing Ranger. (I was starting to think about casting on for something else just for blog fodder (and maybe a little bit because of intense boredom with that project!) and I knew doing that would likely mean Ranger wouldn't see completion until next fall)
Turns out that approach worked. I finished last weekend and it was worn multiple times even before it was blocked - hence the lack of an FO post. Now its blocked and once I can nab a few modelled pics I'll put it up next week.
After Ranger was done I enjoyed a bit of yarn shopping with my Aunt as she was in need of yarn for a new project. On that outing I picked up my standard baby gift Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and once home, cast on for "Gaspard" - a most entertaining construction and shockingly small size after what I'd been working on prior to that! Again, more on Gaspard next week. I'm done the body and working on the first sleeve, hoping to send that off to the FO pile and its intended recipient ASAP.
The shopping trip with my Aunt took us first to Romni on West Queen West. We were in search of a range of colours in Bulky Weight and as usual, the staggering selection, didn't disappoint. She ended up with a basketful of Romni Store Brand Bulky Weight Merino Silk at $15.00 for each 125 yd skein. To my eye Romni is getting tidier and tidier and less crammed so as to allow easier shopping, movement and decision making with no apparent decline in the incredible breadth of it selection of natural fiber yarns.
After that we were off to Ewe Knit - almost directly north of Romni in Mirvish Village right at the Bathurst Subway station. It was my Aunt's first trip there and like me, she was very impressed. In my opinion, its the nicest yarn store in the city. Organized, Tidy, Clean and not so cluttered you can't think or imagine possibilities for the yarn on the shelves. There are places to sit and have a coffee or tea but its like sitting in a cafe rather than someone's kitchen or living room. The shop is also stocked with yarns I haven't seen elsewhere...
I had to stay away from the blog because I needed to engage every bit of knitting energy towards finishing Ranger. (I was starting to think about casting on for something else just for blog fodder (and maybe a little bit because of intense boredom with that project!) and I knew doing that would likely mean Ranger wouldn't see completion until next fall)
Turns out that approach worked. I finished last weekend and it was worn multiple times even before it was blocked - hence the lack of an FO post. Now its blocked and once I can nab a few modelled pics I'll put it up next week.
After Ranger was done I enjoyed a bit of yarn shopping with my Aunt as she was in need of yarn for a new project. On that outing I picked up my standard baby gift Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and once home, cast on for "Gaspard" - a most entertaining construction and shockingly small size after what I'd been working on prior to that! Again, more on Gaspard next week. I'm done the body and working on the first sleeve, hoping to send that off to the FO pile and its intended recipient ASAP.
The shopping trip with my Aunt took us first to Romni on West Queen West. We were in search of a range of colours in Bulky Weight and as usual, the staggering selection, didn't disappoint. She ended up with a basketful of Romni Store Brand Bulky Weight Merino Silk at $15.00 for each 125 yd skein. To my eye Romni is getting tidier and tidier and less crammed so as to allow easier shopping, movement and decision making with no apparent decline in the incredible breadth of it selection of natural fiber yarns.
After that we were off to Ewe Knit - almost directly north of Romni in Mirvish Village right at the Bathurst Subway station. It was my Aunt's first trip there and like me, she was very impressed. In my opinion, its the nicest yarn store in the city. Organized, Tidy, Clean and not so cluttered you can't think or imagine possibilities for the yarn on the shelves. There are places to sit and have a coffee or tea but its like sitting in a cafe rather than someone's kitchen or living room. The shop is also stocked with yarns I haven't seen elsewhere...
- Felted Yarn. Yup the yarn is felted instead of the knit. Yielding a non-pilling end product!
- Stunning vintage-inspired patterns and matching highest quality fine Alpaca yarn
- Wool and Nettle yarn. Unique, subdued colours and environmentally friendly. Not for use next to the skin but inspiring all kinds of possibilities.
- A refreshingly vast array of Koigu in stock prominently displayed while the visually bossy Noro which I always find distracting when its front and centre is still there but not in your face.
- A glass case displays all manner and price points of interchangeable needle sets and cases. As we peeked at the variety the owner jumped up from her meeting with a yarn rep to show us everything up close. No peering over and past the cash register at the fancy chrome lovlies.
- How about Zauerball toe up sock yarn disks to make identical striped socks even two at a time?
I've been following the Ewe Knit blog ever since our visit and again, I have to say, its impressive. Its updated regularly - with free patterns and information on seasonal yarns - information I can use whether or not I'm planning to visit the shop. Much more relevant (to me) information than I receive in the newsletters I get from the other Toronto yarn stores that generally feature information on classes and KAL's and new arrivals but with little information on that new yarn coming in.
The Ewe Knit shop is open 7 days a week and they offer the DKC member's 10% discount. It may not be "local" to me but its easy to get to - closer to a subway stop than any other shop and there is a parking lot and cute restaurants for lunch (wine?) handy too. That double whammy Romni/Ewe Knit trip may just become my favoured yarn shopping system in the months ahead!
'Hope you have a great weekend ahead! Thanks for dropping by!
