Bunny Rabbit Wedding

I made this for a Ravelry swap, How I Met Your Mother, which is all about a wedding this season. The dolls are about 5" tall.

On the road, North Conway, NH, part 2

With a name like Nancy's Alterations and Yarn Shop, I fully expected the yarn to be an afterthought in a taylor's shop. I couldn't be more wrong; Nancy's has an amazing selection of yarns. I especially liked that the sample "swatches" were actually full-length scarves.

And the "swatches" for the sock yarn are actual socks.

If you get a hankering for yarn early in the morning, you're in luck--Nancy opens her doors at 8am or earlier. Her shop is behind the stores on the main road.

If you're hungry, stop by Chef's Market on the same block. There's something different in the display case every day--except Tuesday. Don't go on a Tuesday--they're closed.

On the road, North Conway, NH, part one

North Conway, NH has two fabulous yarn shops. The first one I visited was Close Knit Sisters--how sweet is that for a name?

The cute stuffed animals were checking me out as I checked out the skeins.

It's a friendly place, with people hanging out and knitting, and other people coming in and being greeted as old friends. The prices are great, lower than I'd expect for a tourist area.

If you're in the area, you'll find plenty of shopping opportunities close by--it's a mecca of outlets. Personally, that's not my thing--but I do like the local independent bookstore, White Birch Books. And for vintage-style fabrics at really good prices, you've got to make a stop at The Quilt Shop at Vac and Sew.

50 years ago...

I was just learning to crochet! 

 

Oh yeah, and listening to the Beatles for the first time ever.

On the Road-Newburyport, Massachusetts

Back home at my local yarn shop: Loom With a View.

Don't let the name fool you; Betsy may like to weave, but there's plenty--classes, tools, patterns, and kits--for knitters and crocheters. The samples change often and are extraordinary. Sign up for the newsletter for secret sales and previews of the next season's yarns.

Cozy, isn't it? You'll find it on Green Street, right across from City Hall and the police station. 

And if you're in the neighborhood and looking for a nice place to sit and crochet with your new yarns, walk down toward the waterfront, to a hidden away gem: Plum Island Coffee Roasters (note: it's not actually on Plum Island, but the views of the river are outstanding). If you are looking for an interesting lunch, try another one of my favorites: Middle Street Foods--the specials change daily, and the baked goods are exceptional.

On the Road--Montpelier, Vermont

Montpelier is a friendly place, but to make it even better, you'll find "Vermont's friendliest yarn shop" there: The Knitting Studio.

Enter, and you might think it's a tiny shop, but keep going to find an Alice-in-Wonderland-like hallway to the rest of the shop.

All the way in the back is a wonderful workroom, and an incredible variety of yarns:

And in another area is a selection of lovely local yarns:

In the front of the shop I discovered something I've never seen before--mink yarn! Seriously!

You can have your "mink stole" without having to slay any little mink animals. We can all feel better about that. The yarn is as soft as you can imagine, and not very expensive.

And to make my visit even more special, I discovered I got a discount on my entire purchase because it was my birthday!

Right next door is one of my favorite places to visit--the New England Culinary Institute's restaurants. Fancy dinners upstairs, casual pub meals downstairs, and everything in between on street level. There's always something fabulous on the menu. I highly recommend the superb Sunday brunch. But plan ahead if you want to do both--The Knitting Studio is closed on Sundays.

Montpelier might be the capital city, but it feels like being in a small town--a really cool small town.

On the road--Japantown, San Francisco

One of the places I just had to visit is the Kinokuniya bookstore in Japantown in San Francisco. Two floors of inspiring books! My favorite area, of course, is the aisle of craft books, especially the Japanese crochet books: amigurumi, lace, motifs, edgings, accessories, etc.

You don't have to know how to read Japanese; the patterns use the international crochet symbols:

There are also a lot of amazing magazines and art books, and of course: manga. The store is in a small mall, with gift shops (origami papers! hello kitty!) and restaurants (sushi! noodles!) on the ground floor.

Japantown isn't as well known as Chinatown, but it's definitely worth a visit. Click on the link for special events and festivals throughout the year.