...And Then We Went to Colorado!

*This post comes much later than planned. We moved, then had no Internet for a couple of weeks. Then the laptop decided it was fed up with life. But these things have been remedied more or less satisfactorily. We're moving again in a couple of weeks, but that should be a smoother transition. 

So, after a bumpy plane ride that involved charged for carry-on bags (what the biscuits?!), two-dollar sodas (that we didn't buy), and service with a scowl, we landed in Denver.  By the end of the night we were safely ensconced at a friends house and ready for some much-needed sleep.

We decided it was wise to rent a car for the following day.  We drove to Estes Park and there met with my first yarn tourism spot of the trip! The Stitchin' Den is amazing! It stretches across two storefronts and has managed to stay vibrant and expanding even after the trauma of last year's floods.  They also carry items for the cross stitch (my old love) and needlepoint artists. I bought a large jewel-toned skein of a yarn I have since forgotten the name of. I have no idea what to do with it, but I'm looking forward to finding out!

The other new yarn store I discovered was Wild Yarns in Denver.  This adorable and unabashedly hip shop featured locally spun and dyed yarn as well as selections from some of the bigger luxury brands. Don't let their small size fool you. I found many delicious skeins to fall in love with. It took much effort, but I finally settled on a sport weight yarn from Sleep Season in a moody colorway called Enchanted.

Of course I had to stop by Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins in Boulder to pick up another locally dyed treasure. This time around, I got another skein from Sunshine Yarns in Far, Far Away. It looks like a night sky in a fairy tale.

Needless to say, there was great food and drink and a spectacular wedding!  I have definitely fallen in love with Colorado and hope to go back as soon as next fall.

So, We Spent a Day in Atlanta....

The beginning of June brought us back to Colorado, my new other-second-home-away-from-home.  Mr. Deep lived there for many years before returning prodigal son-like to the South, so he has a lot of friends out there (and now I do, too!). You can read about last year's trip here, which started in Albuquerque, NM.  We were quite excited to get out to that beautiful state and visit friends, see a couple of them get married (Congratulation Shannon and Alex!!!), enjoy beer, and SHOP FOR YARN! Okay, that last one may have been just me.

But first, a word about our travel out there.  I really am sad I didn't take pics of this side trip for the blog, but I hope my Pultizer-worthy narrative will suffice....

Do to the ridiculous cost of flying these days, we decided to Megabus it from Columbia, SC to Atlanta, GA and fly from there.  If you are new to Megabus, know that we only spent ONE DOLLAR each way per person for a 5-hour trip.  It was a comfortable ride all things considered, and much more pleasant than the plane ride (I will not be flying Frontier again anytime soon).  The downside is that it left Columbia at 3am.  That was a little gnarly, I admit. However, we got to Atlanta at 8am and, though some weird travel alchemy that happens in such situations, we had tons of energy, and since our flight didn't take off for 10 hours, we had all day to play in the city.

We wandered around pretty aimlessly for about an hour, finding a great cup of coffee on a tree-lined street and having an impromptu picnic in Centennial Olympic Park. We couldn't find exactly what we wanted for breakfast, and we had all of our snacks we bout for the bus ride, so it was a pleasant, cheap alternative to a restaurant. Then we headed off to Little Five Points which, if you've never been, is a fantastic enclave of artsy Bohemia populated by those who would probably hate to be called artsy or Bohemian. There we explored a coffee house, a couple of pubs (practice for Colorado, you know) and a lovely Indian restaurant called Planet Bombay featuring a craveable tandoori chicken and very entertaining Bollywood videos.

Our favorite pub was The Porter Beer Pub, where we experienced amazing service and were introduced to Orpheus, a brewery new in the Atlanta area.  My favorite was a Double IPA called "transmigration of Souls". Beautiful.

After we were well fed and beered, it was time to get on MARTA and head to the airport. And away we went!

~~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~

Knit One, Watch Two Again....

Welcome to the third installment of my intermittent movie reviews for knitters.  Instead of reporting on movies about  knitting, I like to focus on how the movie accompanies knitting.  And here we go!

Not as pointy as it sounds....

The Final Cut - 2004, starring Robin Williams

The first of my review duo is The Final Cut, starring Robbin Williams as a "cutter", one who edits the memories of people to be played back after death for their loved ones.  Although seemingly innocuous at first, it becomes clear that the Zoe chip is quite controversial regarding individual privacy (the person with the chip is recording everything, including personal interactions, with or without the knowledge or consent of others involved) as well as the way human being experience life (in the moment versus for the sake of the recording).  Alan (Robin Williams) is haunted by his own past and find a path to its resolution while being hunted by an anti-Zoe group for knowledge he holds regarding a client's implant.

All in all, this movie was not bad.  It was very moody and dark and I love Williams in more serious roles.  It was suspenseful and philosophical.  There was not as much action as I thought there would be, and the storyline with the anti-Zoe group felt a little thready, but it felt very relevant for this age of living publicly through social media and our efforts to control what parts of our lives other people see.  Knitwise, it definitely fit the bill.  Most of the movie was expressed verbally, so I could absorb a lot without dropping a stitch.  A small cast made following the who's who easy, and I did find myself thinking about the philosophical questions the movie posed.  The Final Cut gets rated as a KNIT.

An intellectual escapes in this tale of intellectual escapism!

Night Train to Lisbon  - 2013, starring Jeremy Irons, Melanie Laurent and Jack Huston

An emotionally isolated professor (Jeremy Irons) is compelled to learn about the life of a Portuguese revolutionary poet and doctor when a book lands in his hands courtesy of a mysterious suicidal young woman.  On his journey, he connects with the people who most figured in the poet's life and comes to reevaluate the meaning of his own life's path. Based on the book by Pascal Mercier.

I found this movie quite lovely.  A quiet suspense unfolded as we learn more and more about the events that defined the doctor/poet's place in history.  Betrayals and intrigues abound, but melodrama is set aside for vulnerability and sincerity.  Though literate and understated, the film does it's job well in illustrating the violence and fear that surrounded the events of the revolution against the Estado Novo regime. Though visually very appealing, the story is told mostly through conversation and brief, beautifully written philosophical passages.  The atmosphere of the film is great for when you want a quite, literate ambiance for your knitting, and I was able to follow an impossible-to-memorize lace pattern and still keep up.  Night Train to Lisbon gets a well-deserved KNIT.

No Idle Hands Here!

Though I am generally a floppy person who enjoys her laziness as much as the next person, I still need to be doing something.  As I am currently out of yarn to dye, I'm returning to recycling yarn to fill up my time and my shop.  I have literally wound thousands of yards into skeins and still have a bunch to go.  I am so pleased with the summer colors and textures I was able to harvest from discarded sweaters.  They will be up in the shop soon! Here is a plate of mini-skeins as an appetizer.

Radiant Orchid, How I Adore Thee!

Ever late to the party (I may end up renaming my blog that), I figured it was time to celebrate Pantone's Color of the Year!  Radiant Orchid is gorgeous.  I thought nothing could top last year's Emerald Green, but I've been having so much fun looking for ochidy delights on Etsy that it has been very difficult to choose what to feature.  If you want to read my post on Emerald and my discovery of the wonder that is Pantone, you can check it out here.  Now, without further ado, some of my favorite Etsy picks of Radiant Orchid!

An understated geometric pattern really lets the color take center stage. From The Bolster Queens.

Radiant Orchid is not just an accent color! This nightstand from Stiltskin Studios is exquisite in full color.

I am a sucker for a new sheer lip color.  Etherealle makes this temptress shade. They actually make several shades that fall into the orchid family. Something for everyone!

I absolutely love men in shades of pink, berry, and the like. From Dark Cycle Clothing.

This photograph from Three Colors has a few of my favorite things: weathered doors, Paris and color!

There is nothing about this mug from Batton Clayworks that I don't love.

And you know I'm going to add in a yarn.  These beautiful and unusual skeins come from Silk Divine.

I'm All Business! But It's Fun!

Years ago, I discovered Pinterest.  I had a lot of fun collecting everything from ideas for crafts and home decor to outlandish fantasy castles and costumes.  Then, as many recreational online activities tend to do, Pinterest fell by the wayside and I found other things occupying my time.  But now I have rediscovered Pinterest and I am loving it.  I switched my account over to a business one, but left my boards the same.  After all, I'd rather have people know I am a real person, not just a website.  I also added a widget to this blog so people can follow me (hint, hint) or pin things themselves. I'm finding tons of inspiration for all aspects of my life.  The recipes alone are worth creating an account. I feel like I'm a little late to the game and that everybody has been pinning blissfully along for years without me, but I'm going to catch up!

Sangria in the Deep End, Bellini Freckle, Pool Party, Mojito Freckle

Yarn News: New summer colors are here and listed at Skein Deep Yarn!  I feel so good about these that I've made little sample to show yarn shops in Colorado while we are there in June.  I would love to have my yarns in a few fabulous shops across the country.  I have had so much fun working on my business and can't wait to create the next bunch of colorways.  I know it's ridiculously early, but I have some very fun ideas for my holiday line.  I'll slip some fall colorways in, too, of course!

Summer Sky, Celery Stalk, Paper Flowers

I've barely had time to knit the past few days, but I have a tank top I'm designing and a pair of socks on the needles.  I'll probably take a bit of time out today to devote to these little projects.  I'll post pictures next time! 

That's all the news here for now, so see you soon and have a yarny day!

Life is Messy!

I haven't updated my posts in a while. I know.  My blog is starving.

I spent the last part of last year getting ready for my first craft fair for Stagebunny's Cabinet of Wonders, my jewelry business.  It was spectacular!  The event was the Sustainable Midlands Holiday Celebration, which featured local artists and restaurants.  Everybody was so nice and supportive of my freshman effort.  I can't wait for the next one!  However, it did take a lot of time away from my blogging, marketing, and just all around anything-ing.

Me behind my booth!

Another thing that has kept me off the blog is the death of BOTH of the laptops in the household.  Thankfully, we have an ipad which was handed down to us by a family member, but if you've ever tried to use this site with an ipad, you know why it's not conducive to frequent blogging. I have a feeling the public library will be seeing my blogging self more often until a better solution is found.

Hints about summer colorways!

On the yarn front, I will be ordering new sock yarn bases for my summer line!  I am so excited to finally be able to purchase a consistent base for my hand-dyed yarn.  It's a step closer to my vision of a well-stocked and professional shop.  I'll have several coordinating colorways and they can be dyed to order.  I'm starting out with sock yarn because I know so many of you are as passionate about sock knitting as I am, but soon I'll be adding worsted, and I'll keep going from there!  If you have a favorite weight of yarn, please tell me in the comments page.  I'd love the feedback!