Friday, November 14, 2008

Vermont Knitting Trip



Whew...finally got some time to post about our Vermont knitting weekend. I've had sick kiddies home most of the week and I finally think they're on the mend. Me, on the other hand.....

Anyway, I wanted to share with you all of the beautiful yarn that I bought, the fantastic inn we stayed at and the yarn stores we visited.



First, the Marshfield Inn and Motel - eco-friendly (which I loved!), extremely delicious breakfasts (esp the local eggs and bacon), very friendly hosts (they were very accommodating and friendly!), clean rooms/bathrooms (and hot water!) and a beautiful view. The only things that I wished for were a bigger room for all of us to group together for knitting (we ended up taking turns in each others' rooms) and clocks. Besides those, I would definitely stay there again - what a lovely place!



The first yarn store we visited was just around the corner from the Inn in Plainfield and only sold Vermont (non commercial) yarns, which I thought was a nice idea. The store was big inside (perfect for staying there and knitting) and had some nice yarns....Green Mountain Spinnery, Cherry Tree Hill, This and That Farm, a nice pattern/book selection and cute knitting accessories. The owner was very good to use and gave all of us 10% off our purchases. I think the biggest hit was the "This and That Farm's" Cormo/Tussah Silk 2ply (4 oz and 254 yards of heavy worsted). Sooo soft, soo squishy and nicely spun - I bought 3 skeins. I think almost everyone bought some.

Here is the whole group at the store:


(Back L-R: Christina, Me, Jackie, Lora, Vidhi, Patti, Heather, Julie, Amanda 2.0, Blogless Amanda, Ericka)
(Front L-R: Chris, Brittany, Donna, Gaye, Sarah, Denise, Donna)

After this, some people went to the Cabot Creamery, Ben & Jerry's or to another yarn store further away. Some of us stayed behind to knit - which was relaxing and fun. That's when I started giving out the hourly prizes for the weekend - everyone in the group donated something and was able to get at least one prize in return. That was awesome!

Later that night for dinner, we had reservations for the Main Street Grill in Montpelier and it was FANTASTIC! We paid to have our own room (with the wine bottles and stone walls...very cool) and had a hot, sexy nice-looking waiter to serve us. From salad to dessert, the meal was exquisite and delicious. I think I had the most fun of the weekend that night. I highly recommend this place!

The rest of the night was an orgy of knitting, playing Apples to Apples, drinking (some of us didn't) and some nakedness. I got a lot of knitting done on my sister-in-law's felted bag (pics next post) and laughed a lot.

Sunday was mostly spent packing, knitting and getting ready to go over to The Knitting Studio in Montpelier, VT. We had an appointment for the day - there was even a sign on the door saying that the store was closed for a "private party" and it was thrilling that it meant US! The owner, Brigette, was funny, welcoming, and adorable. I loved the store, the yarns and the whole atmosphere. I hope she visits us here in NH at one of our knitting nights. What a super store she has! (She even baked goodies for us and refreshments!)



Now...onto the luscious yarns I bought!!!



1 & 2. Green Mountain Spinnery's "New Mexico Organic" -2 skeins in white - for socks. Sooo soft and lovely. (shown on bottom) and This and That Farm's "Cormo/Silk" - 3 skeins off white- for a shawl. Again...extremely soft and squishable.



3. Regia 4ply Sock Yarn - 2 skeins for a gift for my grandmother-in-law



4 & 5. Classic Elite "Star"- 4 skeins (on sale 40% off!) in different colors for my sister-in-law's scarves and Classic Elite "Princess" - 1 skein for fingerless mitts for me

Then, I also got these yarns/fibers in the mail for other projects (I'm up to my eyeballs in softness and yarngasmic yarns!...not that I'm complaining....)


1. 4 skeins of Malabrigo in two complementary shades of yellow for a tea cozy (Ravelry Link)


2. 2 skeins of Malabrigo for hats for Ian for the winter


3. 2 bags of London-Wul's polwarth fiber for spinning - one bag will be for making yarn for this beret (Ravelry link).

I'm in Heaven!!!! What do YOU think? LOL

9 comments:

CraftyGryphon said...

Ooooh, beautiful yarn, lots of knitters *and* Cabot cheese? (We hit the Cabot Creamery every time we visit my dad in NH!) That's a pretty great trip!

Jackie said...

Great post. I loved all of your pictures. Takes me back to Vermont!

cayli said...

Wow, it is even prettier then I had imagined. Such a change from here. Looks like a great time and very nice looking yarn too!

Anonymous said...

Looks like you all had a great time. And your purchases all seem so yummy.

Suzanne said...

What a great trip. Until about 2 years ago, I had relatives in Cabot and have even stayed at the Marshfield Inn. The scenery is so nice.

Anonymous said...

It was a great weekend! I really enjoy spending time with my Manchvegas friends. I can't wait to start knitting my cormo/silk; that stuff is so incredibly soft. I'd sleep with it on my pillow if I wasnt' afraid of drooling on it ;-)

Anonymous said...

Great pictures and great post. Sounds like you had so much fun! The Marshfield Inn sounds pretty spectacular. :)

Amy Davis-O'Malley said...

LOVE that beret you picked out - I hadn't seen it before and I do believe that I have some handspun that is just waiting for it! (and the name is just too perfect!) thanks!

Unknown said...

Drool.... Lovely purchases!