Yarn Crawl!!!

This past weekend, I went to Montclair with my knitting buddy Deborah to meet up with Kim for a long overdue yarn crawl adventure. Usually, we meet once a week if our schedules allow it, and we get to sit down for 30 minutes during our lunch breaks to talk, eat, and knit. Every day we leave, we are saying that we need to spend some time together that is not controlled by Corporate America. So, this past Saturday was that time. We ate at Raymonds, then went to Modern Yarn and Stix N Stitches.

I was super-excited to FINALLY go to Modern Yarn. Walking in there was so serene, calm, and beautiful. The people were very friendly, and the atmosphere was just warm and inviting. Kind of like a knitting spa.. LOL!!
I was looking at the website and drooling at the iKnit T-Shirt. They had it in light pink, but when I asked for it I was told that my size only came in Fuschia. Yippee!!! That was even better. Also, I saw the yarn that I was longing for. Manos in Mulled Wine (#118). I had bought the last skein at Brooklyn General a few months ago, then I decided that I wanted to make a raglan Cardigan out of it after I saw how beautful Mary Beth's was. However, I did decide to make the whole pattern with Manos, instead of just the yoke. Hence, the need for more yarn. I also bought some sock yarn for a swap gift that I am knitting. Lorna's Laces in Bittersweet. I think that colorway is gorgeous. Hmmm... I may have to get another pair just for myself. The best part is that the impending sweater will match my T-shirt that I love so much. Woohoo!!

So, as I was calmly knitting my vest, I hear someone say "Shameka, you don't know me but I love your blog". I am like "me???". I was taken aback, and delighted at the same time. I didn't know that I had fans out there. So, I finally got to meet Blog-Free Kelly, from Kim's blog. It was such a pleasure. She made me laugh so hard, and had such wonderful stories. Here is a picture of her and Kim Together. Gabriel is there in the corner, refusing to have her picture taken.

However, Deborah "accidently" caught her in the background of this pic. Honestly, I don't know if it was intentional, but she still got the shot. Great job, Deb!! Here I am in the picture, holding my vest. I had just finished putting the neckline on waste yarn, so that I could work the last section before seaming.

Here is a picture of Kim working on a sock for a little girl that is gonna be so happy. The girl's favorite color is orange, so she should be very delighted.

Here are the three knitting Divas of the financial district!!! Oh, yeah... I am responsible for the cookies on the table. I can't help it if I have a sweet tooth. We also split a Red Velvet cupcake, and it was sooooooo good.

So, our second stop was Stix N Stitches. I had to pry myself away from the sock yarn. I was so tempted to buy some Austermann Step. I thought that this store was bigger and a lot roomier than a lot of other stores that I have seen, so I decided to capture the moment. Yes, I think I have finally mastered the Self-portrait. LOL!!!

So, here are my spoils. I have wanted to make the Gathered Pullover since this magazine came out. I have a pair of boots, and a bag to match already. The Berrocco Ultra Alpaca is just soooo soft. I cannot wait to dig into it. More on the actual knitting progress tomorrow. I also have plans for an A-line baby dress for a long-time friend. She is having her first baby girl, and I need to get rid of some of my stash. The vest did not use as much yarn as I originally calculated. So, I will be making it with the same Jaeger Baby Merino DK yarn. I will be using a pattern from "Knits, Knots, Buttons and Bows.. Projects for Babies" by Lynda Schar.