Fun day in the City........

Today was the day that my husband decided to take a day off from work to add on to the long holiday weekend. We have planned a fun day together while my daughter is in school and my son is asleep. (My son has been working 3rd shift) I really don't get out much...... so doing something fun for the day, I have really looked forward to all week.
My husband has just taken up woodworking again since he bought his Shop Smith woodworking system last month. He has been working a few hours each evening after work for the past few weeks on a beautiful oak quilt rack for me.
I had sent him a link to a few photos this week while he was at work. And in his spare time he did a search for instructions to make me a yarn swift. He found that Ohio State University (OSU) had a book in their Fine Arts library which had instructions for creating a swift.
So.... he decided this would be a "great field trip" for him and I to venture out to early this morning.
We first had to stop by one of my husbands friends house early this morning around 9 AM. I met this friends wife for the first time today. She was real delight to visit with and we found that we have so much in common. She wished I could stay a bit longer to visit. I promised we would visit again soon. We said our goodbyes and parted our seperate ways.
On to OSU....... we found a place to park in a "nearby" parking garage.... not really.... we had to do a bit of walking and find the Fine Arts Library on campus. The walk on campus was really enjoyable. I have never been there and it was nice to finally visit.
We find the Fine Arts Library and the book is pulled that has the plans for the yarn swift. Also has plans for another type of yarn swift that is a vertical floor swift. Really neat!
Next.... knowing how close we are to a yarn shop that I have only been to once or twice since we have lived here in 7 years. I hoped that I could somehow coax my husband into taking me there. Ahhhh.... the coaxing worked..... but..... he tells me we can only shop around for 5-10 minutes since we are meeting up with a group of friends for lunch that we used to work with. So..... once inside..... I found the new issue of Knitter's and the premier issue of IK Crochet magazine (not the correct name but... it is for crochet). I did not even have a chance to look at them when my husband is already telling me...... don't linger.... we are only going to be in the store for 5 - 10 minutes...... sure.... yeah right.... me only spend 5-10 minutes in a yarn store that I never get to go to. I proceed to look inside the store..... I find all kinds of lovely novelty yarns for the purses I design. I just adore all the beautiful colors and types that I found for the new purses I have been working designs for. I have several that I really want just for me and really have wanted to find some very unique, vibrant novelty yarns.
So.... today..... I felt like I was in a candy store with LOTS to choose from. I had grabbed a large wicker shopping basket when I entered the store in anticipation of buying lots of unique yarns. I loaded up this basket with more room for possibly a few wool yarns in colors that I did not have at home. I only bought 4 of these. (Cascade 220 - aqua, burgundy, royal blue), Cascade Quatro (various shades of purple). At this point..... my husband had asked where to find sock yarns.... he wants to find some colorful.... not drab gray.... yarns to make him a few pair of socks. So.... I point him into the direction where all the sock yarns are found. Ahh..... finally..... he is off on his own.... in search of yarn for socks he wants me to make. Perfect.... I can hopefully make a pair or two for him to give him for his birthday the end of October. Wait a minute.... my birthday is before his.... October 3rd to be exact.... I start thinking.... I wonder what I can find that is extra special just for me. No.... the gorgeous novelty yarns.... these are not what I have in mind. I continue on my search..... at this point is becomes a rushed search.... my husband comes back to me with sock yarn.... enough to make 3 pairs.... I check these out for yardage, for dye lot matching.... ooops.... need to find one to match one of the dye lots and sent him back to look again. I quickly move through more of the store to see what else I may find.... I met up with a couple of women that are looking at another wall display filled with more gorgeous novelty yarns.... found a few more that were added to my basket. The women saw the handspun yarns I had brought in to show the owner to get her opinion on how well I am doing as a new spinner.... since April. These women spot the handspun and immediately want to know where I found this yarn in the store.... I explain to them that I also spin and this my own handspun. They were both in awe. I was given a huge approval of how nice the yarns are. We shared ideas for scarves they are creating and matching up yarns, etc. Really nice to have met them. Thanked them for their compliments on the handspun and we all went on our way to venture further into the store. I came to the last section.... now my husband is really ready to go. He has found his sock yarn, has the correct dye lots and is telling me we need to leave so we can meet up with our friends for lunch. Just when we were walking through the last area of the store my husband notices a yarn swift... just like the one I have been wanting.... a table top model. Not a clamp on style. I thought for sure as I asked him to take it down from the shelf that it would be out of the price range I have found online recently. I was wrong.... very wrong.... I actually saved.... about $20.00 + shipping cost. I told him..... forget making me one..... I am buying that one.... I want it and need it. He tried his best to talk me out of it.... no way.... I want it.... I am buying it.... can't talk me out of it. I told him he could still make me one if he wanted.... but I wanted this one. It was a great price and I did not want to walk out of that store without buying it. I knew I would go home and regret it. So.... as I realize now..... this is my special early birthday gift..... just for me. That just made my day complete. Next stop..... I glanced over all the gorgeous roving.... not priced... I did not want to push my luck any further by asking pricing and delaying our departure from the store. Oh.... I also did find a few more felting patterns. One is the new Fiber Trends The Sheep Tote pattern..... it has the sheep on it. I really wanted this pattern since my business name is Ewe'n Me Country Crafts. This is the perfect purse/tote bag for me. I also found a simple crochet pattern for making felted crochet purses. This company name is not familiar to me at all. It is called Hook What's New..Crochet Design - Triple Delight.... Crochet Felt Purses. The pattern is for a small purse that I thought my daughter may like. I really would love to find a few more crochet patterns for making purses. One that I saw is for a purse similiar to the Booga Bag. I think I could design a crochet purse which is similiar. It really is not that difficult to design a purse if you have an idea what you want, know the basics of how you want the purse or tote bag to look and how to constuct it. So..... I may play with a few ideas this weekend to see what I come up with. I meant to buy the one that is similiar to the Booga Bag.... not the one I ended up with. Oh well.... that is OK. I will use it.
Now.... I am finally done with my shopping.... and no.... all of this shopping did not take only 5-10 minutes..... more like 45 minutes. Oh well..... as I mentioned..... I have not been to this store but only 1-2 times within the past 7 years. It is on the other side of the city which I don't care to venture to.
As I paid for all the wonderful, colorful goodies which I found in this store.... I show the owner my handspun and tell her that never did get the hang of the drop spindle I had bought earlier this year in her store. I did however attend a fiber event in April and still could not get the knack of spinning with the spindle. I did not give up though on the thought of learning to spin....... eventually. So... I bought a bunch of roving and decided to keep trying. I spotted a spinning wheel at this April event that I fell in love with immediately..... I bought the Ashford Traveler spinning wheel. And I managed to learn spinning very easily once I went through a few failed efforts at first. I kept trying..... I finally managed to get a nice yarn spun and plied. I had to have more.... much more roving and made plans to attend another fiber event in May of this year. I stocked up on roving and now needing more.... much more. I hope to buy either raw fleece and do all my own dying, carding, etc. or find more dyed or undyed roving. So.... another fiber event in my future..... in two weeks.... Yellow Springs, Ohio. I can hardly wait!
OK......Back to the discussion with the yarn shop owner whom also spins and teaches...... She gave me wonderful compliments on my handspun and approval of how well I am doing. Wow..... that really made my day! Another woman working in the store had to take a peek.... she agreed.... I have done very well and was very impressed. I told them that I am working towards selling my handspun and they both were very encouraging, telling me that from what they see.... I would be successful.
I had to leave the store to go on to lunch with our friends. I will definitely go back again..... someday.
So.... that was my adventure into the city. We live out in the suburbs.... away from the city. I don't get the chance to venture out that way often. But.... when I do.... I make the most of those visits. I find such neat things also. I guess I am very much the stay at home type of person.... and I love every moment of it.
We met up with our friends for lunch. A bit late.... but we did make it. We had a nice time visiting and enjoying our time together.
Upon arriving home.... my husband checked on the last finish coat he had put on the quilt rack he made for me. It was completely dry.... so, my husband brought the quilt rack inside and put the quilts on it. Really turned out beautiful. Now he is ready to start on his next project. A workbench for the garage and then will start creating a Oak Pie Safe or a display cabinet for my porcelain dolls that I create.
Since I have been home I have been winding up alot of yarn using my new swift and yarn winder. The swift has made a huge difference compared to using the skeiner with the winder. The swift makes things wind alot quicker. I now have several balls wound of wool for making more felted purses.
I have been busy all evening..... being Mom the taxi..... again. The usual take daughter to the movies, pick up, bring home, go back out, take my son to work, go to the grocery store. And just think..... in just a few hours..... I will be getting up, picking my son up from school and taking my daughter to school to catch the bus for her first away Cross Country meet. So.... I am off to get just a little sleep.
If I don't have a chance to get back online over the holiday weekend..... Have a safe and restful weekend. I have the weekend off..... no farmer market tomorrow. What a nice weekend this will be..... not having to work..... I can do things around the house, relax, knit and anything else I desire to do with my family.