CAYSC Shop Hop

As promised, a follow up from the Shop Hop last week (complete with loot pictures!).

As I began documenting and taking pictures of everything I walked away with last week, I realized that I bought a little more than I originally thought. Here we go...

Besides the cute little passport pictured above, Shop Hop attendants also received a reusable tote bag filled with loot from local Michigan companies.  Every store along the route provided 'hoppers' with a free pattern, written by the shop owner.

The first shop along our way was Woven Art in East Lansing. Woven Art became one of my favorite yarn shops from the moment I first walked in back in January.

Here I purchased yarn for this cute little Acorn Hat designed by Meg Croft, and also a skein of Shepherd's Wool in baby blue (just in case Baby B turns out to be baby boy!).

I was getting ready to check out at Woven Art when I spotted the Dale of Norway books and decided to peruse a little more.

Naturally, being only two months away from the due date of my first child, I grabbed a baby book- what can I say?  These days, it's instinct.   On the first page of the booklet I just happened to find this little beauty:

Seriously?!  You cannot expect any soon-to-be-first-time-mother-with-baby-due-a-month-before-Christmas to pass this one up.  Not this soon-to-be-mother at least- no way!  The plan for this is to try to get it done between the time baby is born and Christmas.  Should be interesting!

Next up was Rae's Yarn Boutique in Lansing. Here I scooped a sweater stone and my first skein of Noro. I have neve worked with Noro, and honestly, have never really understood the appeal- but I think I may be starting to get it. Once Jill introduced me to the Spring Sock pattern, I figured it was worth a shot.  Not sure when I will get around to knitting with it, but you can expect an unbiased review when I do. (You can also find some interesting footage of Erica and I battling with giant knitting needles at Rae's if you click here.)

Our third stop was at a shop I've been wanting to go to for some time now, so I was excited to visit Yarn Garden in Charlotte. Here I purchased the project bags seen above and also yarn to knit a new stocking for Christmas (yes, I will somehow have to fit this in along with the Dale of Norway...we'll see).  The stocking pattern was the free pattern designed by shop owner Lindsay Harmon.

Finally, as our time was running low, we made a stop back in Lansing at Threadbear Fiber Arts Studio where I walked away with two booklets from Classic Elite Yarn (not to mention my new Lansing Cowl and Beret pattern, which happened to be the pattern given away upon receiving your fourth Shop Hop stamp).

If you happened to attend to CAYSC Annual Shop Hop and have pictures and/or a blog post to share- let me know, and I will link to them here:

Knitterella Blog

Kollage Yarn Blog

EKnits

Also, if you attended and received my new patterns, they are now posted on Ravelry for you to add as a WIP- find the cowl here, beret here.