Yarn Along 2015.40: Shop Hoppin', a FO and a new knit!

Weather-wise it's a pretty gloomy chilly October day at this little place here.  But, since Wednesday is Yarn Along day, the weather isn't getting me down.  I've been waiting almost an entire week to tell you about my fun couple of afternoons shop hopping with my mom last Thursday and Friday.

Back in August, my mother asked me if I'd ever participated in the Mid-Mitten Yarn Shop Hop before. Participated?  I'd never even heard of it.  But once I found out what it was, I definitely wanted to join in!  So, Mom and I decided to be among the first to purchase passports for it when they became available, and I blocked out those dates on my calendar.

Well, Oct.8-11th was the shop hop.  And hop (and shop) we did!  On Thursday we started at the store closest to Mom's house, and visited four stores total.  Okay, five stores if you count the quilt shop we stopped at that was just a few blocks from one of the yarn shops.  Mom even was the Thursday door prize winner at one of them, winning a kit to make a lovely scarf.

the official shop hopper bag

(came with goodies, both edible and knitting related)

We both did a bit of shopping, of course. We each bought something from each shop; there were so many luscious yarns everywhere we went.  I think I bought a bit more than Mom did, but I'd been making a list of yarns I needed for upcoming projects.  So, I bought maybe more than a bit.  And, now that I've had a few days to think about future projects and their yarns, I think I need to buy a few more skeins of the golden colored yarn in the picture below.  They were my only impulse buy, because I found the color so lovely.  And now I've seen the perfect pattern for them; I just need about twice as much yardage as I have.

My fiber purchases.

On Friday afternoon, we went to the fifth and final shop, which turned out to be one of my favorites, and only about twenty minutes from home!  Sign me up to be a repeat shopper there!

We also hit another quilt shop on Friday, and I made some fabric purchases there for Christmas present projects.  Think I'm gonna have to be a repeat shopper there too; so much lovely, good quality fabric.  (Just as I have learned the difference between cheapy acrylic yarn and scrumptious wool, cotton and other natural fiber yarns, I am noticing the difference between cheapy fabric and fabric of such quality it makes you teary-eyed.  My tastes run to quality, now I just need to get my pocketbook to match. To quote a gift tag Mom and I saw while shop hopping: "Just because it's homemade doesn't mean it was cheap.")

I am really glad Mom told me about the shop hop.  And that we visited the two quilt shops too.  My bank account is probably about $200 smaller now, but if I stay on track and get everything made into presents it really isn't any different than if I'd gone and purchased those gifts one at a time.  Plus, this was a whole lot more fun than hectic holiday shopping is, and I still have the enjoyment of hours of crafting to look forward to!


Back at home, it was time to knuckle down and finish that dish towel I've been working on for a while.  My fingers were itching to work with some of that newly purchased yarn, but I knew I had to finish my towel first.

So I did.  And then I grabbed a skein of new yarn and got started on a warm woolen hat for DD2.

the finally long enough dish towel

and DD2's hat so far

This is the pattern I am using for DD2's hat, and it is knitting up super quickly.  I will be done with it by this weekend.  Then I will have to decide which of those delicious skeins of yarn will be on my needles next.

Tales and pictures about my fabric purchases (and their designated projects) will have to be another post on any day that's not a Wednesday!