Happy Mother's Day and Suggestions on How To Spend a Day of Leisure

Happy Mother's Day!

Hopefully you will find time to relax this weekend whether you are a mother or not.  May I humbly offer a few suggestions to help fill your day?

While sipping on your morning coffee/tea, how about reading a few blogs?

Inspiring Blogs
The Fringe Association
Knitted Bliss
The Gift of Knitting
Purl Soho
The Blue Brick
Blueberry Hill Crafting

Pick up a knitting/crocheting project and watch some vlogs to keep you entertained:

Favourite Vlogs
Along the Lanes
Legacy Knitz
Casey Neistat
Fun for Louis

Of course checking out the newest patterns on Ravelry is a must.  Brooklyn Tweed is coming out with a new pattern collection May 11th, which I am sure many of you are looking forward to checking out.

Craftsy Tutorials
How about picking a Craftsy Class and learn something new?  There are so many classes to choose from in a variety of the arts.  Recently I bought My First Toe Up Socks by Susan B. Anderson.  I have been working on a pair of striped socks using Scrumptiouspurl Stripe Me Up yarn that I purchased at the Knitter Frolic's show in Toronto last weekend from Shall We Knit, a yarn store located in Waterloo.

Scrumptiouspurl Yarn

This class was the perfect cure to a hectic week.  I followed along listening to Susan's calming and encouraging voice and before I knew it I had knit my first pair of striped toe up socks.  It was the perfect balance to my crazy week. This is the fifth pair of socks I have ever knit but my first pair of toe up socks, using the afterthought heel and Russian bind off.  I am so pleased with my socks because Susan's instructions on gauge and fit are extremely helpful and have led to the first pair I have knit that truly fit.  

Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know  by Sally Melville is another Craftsy video that I recommend to all my knitting friends. I love this kind of platform for learning.  You can return to your video time and time again and even ask questions if you get stuck. Let's face it some of the videos on Youtube teaching knitting are not the best.  Craftsy gives you a chance to learn from an expert instructor who teaches knitting for a living.

Awaiting the afterthought heel

Books & Magazines
There are so many knitting books and magazines available.  Have you had a look at these?
Swoon
Knitlandia
Knit-Wear Magazine

And for a non-knitting favourite, here is a fantastic cookbook that comes highly recommended to me by a friend who is a cooking expert.
The Yellow Table 

I am looking forward to doing a few of these suggestions today while I enjoy some knitting time.  Those socks are awaiting the after thought heels and I will finish them up today.

And lastly, how about checking out some Instagram feeds. (Don't forget about mine:  woolercoaster :) There are so many fantastic ones out there.  Here are a few yarn stores Instagram feeds that I love, some of which I have had the good fortune to visit.

Instagram 
La Bien Aimée-a yarn store in France
Do Ewe Knit-a New Jersey yarn store with the best yarn photos
Fibre Space-a yarn store in Alexandria, Virginia
Loop London-another fabulous yarn store in London

Happy Mother's Day!

Have a wonderful day!

Fibre Space: Alexandria, Virginia

Fibre Space.  I have been a fan of this store's blog for some time, admiring all the yarn lines they carry and knitting ideas shared each week.  Imagine how happy I was when I figured out that Fibre Space, in Alexandria, Virginia was actually a few subway stops away from where I was staying in Washington, D.C. (Get off at the King Street/Old Town station).   Of course my trip would not have been complete without a visit to this store.

Fibre Space was incredible.  I liked everything about it.  In addition to all the varied yarn lines it is roomy enough to hold classes/knit nights.  It is so well stocked with knitting needles, yarns, fiber, patterns, and yarn bags.  Just about everything you can imagine.   The staff were sweet and so helpful.  But seriously, the yarn...

Highland Handmade Sugar Maple Sock

Jill Draper Makes Stuff

Everywhere I looked were more special skeins.

Shepherd's Wool

The Fibre Company Terra

Woolfolk

Hazel Kits, Crave Yarn & Hedgehog Fibres

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio DK

Crave Yarn

Sweet Georgia

And then there was the most beautiful table of Hedgehog Fibres Merino DK

There were so many gorgeous knitted samples too.  Seriously, it was knitting heaven.

Knock Out Round Shawl (free pattern on their website):  Neighbourhood Fiber Co. Studio

Bonnie Banks Shawl in Dovestone DK

Braidsmaid (by Martina Behm) in Sweet Fiber Yarns DK

I was completely mesmerized by this store.  I just kept walking around the store looking at all the incredible yarn.  How I wish this yarn store was near my house. If it was I would just hang out there all the time.  I would volunteer to work there for free!  The really great thing was that Looped Yarn Works which I visited in Washington D.C. earlier in the week had a different variety of beautiful yarn....so between the two stores the choices are unbelieveable.

And right around the corner from this store was an antique store with the most incredible selection of vintage buttons (so many tubs of them). The owner told me that he gets so many knitters coming in.  It is definitely worth a visit too.

It was so hard to choose what to buy.  Here a few skeins I picked:

Crave Yarn Summit Fingering, Hazel Kits Entice Fingering & Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn

I loved every moment of my time in this store.  If you ever have the chance to Fibre Space I strongly urge you to go!  Can I come with you? ;o)