skiing at Eldora Winter Resort
On the eighth day of Christmas
Last month I asked my sister if my niece needed a sweater for this year because I needed something else to do while moving across the country, working a full-time job, Christmas shopping, and traveling for work.
As usual, I was fairly quick to pick out a pattern and buy yarn, machine-washable as requested. I even knit it for a day, Thanksgiving day, and made good progress on it. Since then, I have been toting it with me everywhere, but have not knit a stitch.
2010 is the year to focus on gettin’ ‘er done!
Don’t worry, I have another Christmas knit that I didn’t finish. It comes next.
Out & About
During the 2.5 weeks that I’ve been in Colorado, I’ve spent a bit of time driving around, getting to know my new home.
I’ve wandered around Denver, its north metro area (Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Superior), and Boulder. In summary, the good food can be found in lower downtown Denver and in Boulder. We have good shopping right here, down the street, in Broomfield and Superior. From now on I plan to avoid Westminster if possible. A side note here that I was mistaken in thinking that Colorado is a state full of rich, white people.
So what do you want to know about the place? Would you like to know where to peruse a full selection of French magazines in a warm, cozy bookshop? If so, I recommend Tattered Cover Book Store. Would you like to watch a movie at a theater full of teenagers, lacking in sufficient parking, and with an absent valet? If so, then I recommend AMC Westminster Promenade 24. Would you like to have a delicious and authentic Ethiopian supper? Then I recommend Ras Kassa’s Ethiopia Restaurant in Boulder. Would you like to shop for fabric and yarn in a locally owned shop that specializes in eco-friendly and socially conscious yarns? Then I recommend Fancy Tiger Crafts.
Fancy Tiger Crafts, in Denver on the border of Speer and Baker neighborhoods, is a fairly small shop with lots to explore. I especially enjoyed their sewing sections, including lots of books and patterns. They have those really cute Amy Butler patterns which I cannot afford. I loved all their unique and modern oilcloth, so come springtime, I plan to make an outdoor table cloth and chair covers on my balcony café table. For now I purchased some Cascade Yarns Eco Alpaca and a cute, cute, cute yard of pincord corduroy (22 wale per inch), printed with matroiska dolls and ponies. What should I make with my new treasures?
New digs, new yarn, new hat
We’re finally getting settled in to our new home in Colorado. It’s great here, lots of sunshine and beautiful views. From our home we have a great view of the Mile High City, plus a spectacular view of the Flatirons. There are several nearby fabric shops, plus some lovely yarn stores downtown. So far, I’ve visited two: Lamb Shoppe and Fancy Tiger.
The Lamb Shoppe was busy, busy, busy on a Sunday afternoon. They have a coffee bar, serving Illy coffee, YUM! This shop is chalk full of yarn, from floor to ceiling. There were tables and lots of chairs for people to sit and knit, drink coffee, read, and hang out. While I was there, a beginner’s knitting class was in session. I overheard the teacher giving instructions for a long-tail cast-on. All in all, I grade this shop as one of my favorite stores in the USA. I purchased some gift yarn there, a new wool-winder, and some Noro Kochoran. I know, I know, Noro’s really not my favorite yarn, but it was exactly what I was looking for because I am making a Mesi hat to match my blue and grey ski jacket.
As you can see, it only has one pom-pom added, but I wore it on the slopes on Sunday anyway. The pom-pom is enormously attractive to snow and becomes quite heavy after I wipe out on the slopes. So I definitely need a second one.
This hat definitely has some maker’s marks in it, but I am happy with the result so far. The Noro is bulky weight yarn and the pattern calls for DK, so it is very dense and warm.
Next time, I’ll tell you a bit about Fancy Tiger and the yarn and fabric I found there.
