Acquisitions

I spent the "weekend" (in actuality, Monday and Tuesday) buzzing up to Niagara and back. The entire trip was soundtracked by Melodica, which, in my opinion is the ultimate travelling companion. Lovely, lovely stuff -- I never leave home without it.

Speaking of lovely stuff, I had the pleasure of visiting a couple of delightful yarn shops along the way. First off was Stitch in Jordan Village where I picked up a couple of delicious skeins of Malabrigo:And then I flitted on over to Stratford to pay a visit to Close Knit, a wee but very welcoming shop that's still relatively new (and will be carrying my patterns shortly!) I just had to get my hands on some of their locally-sourced, lanolin-rich sport weight yarns:I had a hard time limiting myself to two skeins each of only four colours. It wasn't easy.

And now for some Gnome gnews (sorry, I just had to) -- the socks should be out in a day or two. I promise.

Decade(nt)

It was ten years ago today that I woke up on my own in another city for the first time.Many things have happened since then. I learned how to knit, for one.And now I've been and done and felt and had. Met and said and seen and went.Onward and upward.

As for the future...the Gnome Socks' pattern will be out this week.

Chicago: by threes

Yesterday I returned from my third three-day trip to Chicago in nine (3x3) months. Such auspicious numbers could only add up to a fabulous time and sure enough the universe smiled upon me. It was a lovely visit.

I now offer you nine select images of this most recent trip. Hopefully this will make up for the pictures that I didn't take the last time.

Left to right: Marina City; 330 North Wabash; Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago as seen from the River.


My feet standing on one of the handful of remaining wood block alleys that date from the mid-nineteenth century. Count those tree rings!


My knitting-bedecked room (Room 810) at the Hotel Indigo Chicago. Yes, I squealed when I saw it.


Vintage signage at Wrigley Field.


A view of the gorgeous, gorgeous, Carbide & Carbon Building, now the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago.


Lunch at Sheffield's. This shot reminds me of a Van Gogh cafe scene (I suspect it's the lights and the server's pose.)


Breakfast at Elly's Pancake House, fine purveyors of such delights as black cherry blintzes (which are wonderful,) at all hours of the day and night. I love the decor to distraction (and back.)



And finally, two details of Florine Stettheimer's fantastic Portrait of Virgil Thomson, which is simply amazing to experience in person. I could've stared at it for the better part of the afternoon. Alas, my attentions were required elsewhere.

While away, I did manage to sneak in some knitting time, and I have a nearly-completed Flamingo mitten to show for it. Expect the pattern soon.

Home and away and back again

It's official -- The Garden is Bigger than All of Us. The peppers are especially prolific (and photogenic):Those are Super Chili (remember them?), Cayenne, Serrano, Jalapeno and Hot Portugal peppers. Someone may have gotten a little bit carried away in the hot pepper section of the garden centre.

There are also all kinds of interesting people to meet out in The-Bigger-than-All-of-Us Garden, such as this Fellow (Lady? I never can tell with bugs):
Hello! You have lovely beady-looking compound eyes, Mr./Ms. Mantis!

In knitting news, progress continues on the Strawberry socks:I'll also have you know that we are mere days away from their pattern release.

Progress has also begun on Clerkenwell, the new socks for Gentlemen:I've decided that just about everything looks three times better when it's photographed at Czehoski. Oh, and I kinneared Mick there (it was my first time):What a charming little place...and the fact that it's a mere three doors down from Romni Wools? You Torontonians really are fortunate.

Chicago

I spent the first part of this week in Chicago, which is rapidly rising to the top of my list of Favourite Cities. Whenever I'm there, everything just feels "right," especially when I'm riding the "L."

Of course, when one's accomodations are exquisite and several fabulous meals are consumed, it's difficult to find fault with anything. I managed to return with an even stronger love of amber glass globes and buttercream-coloured Fiestaware in addition to another few salient (and knitting-related) items.

No trip to downtown Chicago is complete (for me,) without a stop at Loopy Yarns. How can one not love a yarn store housed in an old train station?I want to marry their entire wall of Cascade 220 which, to me, is heaven. They carry every colourway. I limited myself to six choice skeins:They seem like quite a springy group, don't they? These are (probably) destined to be a felted bag that I'm currently designing.

I had the pleasure of riding the "L" over to Andersonville where I visited the Swedish American Museum's store. They had yarn on hand, as I had hoped they would. I departed, richer by four skeins of Sisu:...and a charming Dala horse bag, which turned out to be perfect for carrying yarn (which is always a good thing.) It really was a wonderful trip. Now I'm experiencing a sort of state of city-withdrawal. I hope to make it back to Chicago sometime in the summer.