Shops and Resources: July 2008 Archives

I needed some yarn for a couple of hat projects I've decided to start. Rather than trek over to Noe Valley, to Noe Knits, where I usually go for yarn, I decided I'd try one of the other shops in the city. I went over to ImagiKnit in the Mission/Castro.

How is it that I have never been there before? What a lovely store. It's been awhile since I've seen such a wonderful selection of yarns. Their bins go from floor to ceiling. And they are organized by gauge, so as you walk around the room they go from thin to thick. The first room is all wool and animal fibers. The second room seems to be all non-animal, e.g., cottons, silks, bamboo, etc.

I was able to get a lovely collection of yarns for the hats. I also picked up more needles, as I only had one size double pointed needles. They had a lot of brands of needles that I had never seen before. I was able to pick up a pair of addi double pointed (which I can't wait to use). I did get a pair that turned out to be more of a flexible plastic than I realized. Sadly, I've already broken off the tips of two of them (this cast on for the hat is rather tight). I'm not really amused.

I will definitely keep these guys in mind the next time I need supplies. They are on the corner of 18th and Sanchez. There were a number of Muni lines that run right along there. And I was able to find street parking at 6:00 without a problem. Yay!

(Photos from the ImagiKnit website. Next time I'll remember to take some shots.)

Yesterday was day two of the BlogHer conference. During the lunch break, I wandered out to Union Square to get some fresh air and I hoped a bit of sun. Across the square I saw the sign for Needlepoint, Inc. I have been past this shop many times. But in my seven years of living in the San Francisco Bay Area I had never been. I decided to fix that.

I wandered up to the second floor and found myself in a rich, full world of floss, yarn and canvas. The shop is packed to the gills. One whole wall is nothing but floss and yarn. The display of silk threads is dazzling, so many shimmery colors, from floor to ceiling. I wandered through the shop, looking lovingly at the hand painted canvases. They were works of art in and of themselves, before a strand of thread was even woven into them. And then I saw them... the quilt of Beatrix Potter characters. And I lost all sense of reserve. I'll post separately of what I picked up.

I walked back to the conference, giddy with my new purchase. But really, what was I thinking? Yet another project for me to work on? I barely have time to work on the things I've already started, yet alone take on a 10 panel needlepointed quilt.

And that's when it hit me. I needed another blog. (Yes, still another project). I'm very poor at recording the work that I do. I often make things for others, and after I've gifted them I have nothing to look back on. And perhaps there are others you might be interested in my craftiness.

So... there you go. I'll be filling out the site as quickly as I can. I'm torn between wanting to work on this AND any of my many crafting projects. If only I could type and stitch at the same time.