Stash Enhancement

When I was perusing Wild Fiber last weekend, I found something new. Something that I’d only seen in photos, written about in blog posts, and occasionally added to my Etsy cart: pencil roving. It’s basically thin roving that’s about the thickness of a pencil. Hence the name. You can either knit it as is or you can spin it. Me, I’m going to spin it.

For this year’s Tour de Fleece I wanted to practice new techniques which means trying new materials as well as learning new skills. Pencil roving is new to me so it’s a suitable addition to the stash. I might not get to spin until after the tour but I’m still on the path to try new things.

I also found some teal roving while I was at the shop. Not sure about the fiber type it is but it’s soft with a long staple length. It’s nothing I haven’t spun before but, sometimes, you just need some good old fashioned stash enhancement.

How to Find Yarn Shops Using Ravelry

Whenever I needed yarn or just felt the urge, I’d pop over to my favorite yarn shop. Now that I’ve moved, my favorite shop is over 2,100 miles away! That’s a bit too far away to satisfy my yarn cravings, unfortunately.  Having a great yarn shop to visit is such a big help and I’m desperate to find a shop near my new home. I looked for yarn shops with Google Maps and found a few options but there wasn’t much information available for most beyond a name, an address, and maybe a website. So, I turned to Ravelry which has proven itself to be a great knitting (and crochet and spinning and weaving) resource. I found so many more shops and so much more information than with Google. If you’ve just moved, are looking for yarn shops to visit on a trip, or just want to go somewhere new, Ravelry is the place to start looking.

Once you’re logged in, click on the “Yarns” tab at the top of the page.

Right under the “popular new yarns” box is the Local Yarn Shop Directory. You can search by shop name, city, address, or zip code. I’m going with zip code since I want to see all of the shops in my general area. If you’re visiting, typing in the city’s name might give you better results.

After you click search, the next page lists all of the yarn shops within the area. You get their name, address, website, and distance from search address. To narrow down the results, change the mile filter near the top of the screen if you’re getting pages and pages of results. You can also choose to view the shops on a map when you click the “Location Map” tab.

When you click on a shop, you’ll go to a page that tells you all you need to know: name, address, contact info, and hours. If the shop has a website or a twitter account, those links will be there too. You can even see a map and get directions. Just as helpful, you’ll be able to see individual yarns that people have bought at the shop and brands the shop carries. Definitely useful information when you’re trying to decide if a shop is worth visiting.  

Have fun finding your new favorite yarn shop!

Visiting: Wild Fiber

I haven’t regretted moving to California. The weather is lovely, the beach is close, and my neighborhood is walkable. That’s not to say that I don’t miss my old hometown, family, friends, and favorite haunts. I also miss my favorite yarn shop. In The Making absolutely spoiled me with a large selection of wonderful yarn and fabric, great staff, and friendly knit nights. I’m not ashamed to say that one of the very first things I did once we decided to move was to look for yarn shops (and spinning guilds) in LA. Priorities, you know?

I finally got to visit one of the local shops, Wild Fiber, last weekend. Once I walked through the door, I was quite smitten. They have a large selection of yarns from wool to cashmere, tons of books and patterns, needles, notions, and adorable project bags. There was also hand dyed, luxury, and by the ounce roving. Can’t forget the spindles either. It made my knitting and spinning heart happy. The staff was friendly too.

 I’m looking forward to returning and browsing around for my next project and a bit of stash enhancement. Wild Fiber definitely worth a visit if you’re in town and have never been.