Yes I still knit! I haven’t done a ton of it, but I’m still chugging away on the Shadow Shawl and and I’m still totally digging it. See? So leave me alone now! 
Here’s a picture of Superboy on his last day as a 1st grader. They have a half day tomorrow and I’m not sending him since not only did his teacher say he didn’t have to go, but he said they’d be watching a movie anyway. Uh. No thanks. He can do something way more productive at home with me. I could have him clean the toilets or mop the floors. You know? I can’t believe I have a 2nd grader. Crazy. And yes. He does have his ear pierced if you’re wondering. He’s cool like that yo! He’s had it for a while now.
Call out to my knitster friends! Especially any of my Cali friends? A good friend of mine is going to San Fransico this weekend and wants the scoop on all things knitty. Where are the good places to shop, knit, grab coffee AND knit? Anyone want to meet up with her? Leave me comments or e-mail me and I’ll hook you up with her. Thank you!
22 Comments
Wow - your school is done early. My daughter has 8 1/2 days left as a first grader (and one of those days is a field trip and another is a field day). You gotta love the teeth in first grade!
Be careful, he’s going into second grade. Next thing you know, you’re gonna be a Grandma, babysitting HIS second graders! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Dave,
Who just turned into a great grand uncle. (WTF???) Isn’t that when your trampy niece has a kid?
Shawl is looking good, Superboy is looking cool.
Art Fibers is a total must and it’s close to Union Square. If she’s going just to be in San Francisco, Imagiknit is great. If she can get further afield than that email me and I’ll give you a list. I figure commuknity is a given, if she can make it down to San Jose!
I’ve decided I’m going to do the Shadow Shawl with my Rosalie. It should arrive today. I’m so excited!
And congrats on surviving 1st grade. Our school runs quite a bit longer, mid-June. And then I’ll have a 3rd grader and a 6th grader. How’d it get to be time for middle school already?
Who knows what Scout is knitting these days? The Shadow knows…
Those are some teeth. Does he bite?
There is a WONDERFUL yarn shop in the Castro District. I call it the Gay Castro Yarn Shop but I know it has a real name. I love this yarn store not only bec ause they have an enormous amount of wonderful yarns but you never know what you will see/experience as you’re getting there. San Francisco is a great place to visit with n open mind.
Hee hee - I would get the giggles about those teeth, too.
I’ve honestly never been to any shops up in SF because I so rarely get up there. Nathania totally knows what she’s talking about though, so listen to her.
I’m further along on my Shadow Shawl than you are…I’m still in the first half, but I’ve done all 10 stripey sections, and I think I’ve got around 30 in the center part? Clearly you need to get moving.
Never been to San Fran, but shawl progress looks good and the teeth are funny.
Your shawl is so pretty! That yarn and pattern has a great effect.
I haven’t shopped in San Fran, but the two shops I know of there that I understand to be worth visiting are Artfibers (mentioned above) and Imagiknit. Imagiknit is supposed to be INCREDIBLE!!
If your friend wants to take a trip over to Oakland, there’s a wonderful yarn store
called Article Pract (http://www.articlepract.com/) on the edge of Oakland and Berkley.
It’s a small store, but packed full of yarn and the people who work there are really
great.
Anyone visiting the Bay Area must go to Art Fibers if you want non-standard yarn (read: their own yarn), and ImagiKnit (probably the “Castro” store mentioned above) if you want yarn you’ve heard of but never seen in person. Both are unequalled. But we have lots of amazing yarn stores (one called “Amazing Yarns”) so wherever she is visiting should have something worth seeing.
Three fabulous places here in the city by the bay. I shop these 3 regularly. 1) ArtFibers
located on Sutter Downtown S.F. has very unique yarns you will not find anywhere else.
Their Koigu, Golden Chai, and Whisper are oh so beautiful and silky to
Knit with. http://www.artfibers.com/index.php
2) ImagiKnit she should visit they are awesome well stocked (huge selection
-mind boggling really). They are having a 30% off sale on selected yarns right now.
Also, Kitty corner to the shop there is the Samovar Tea/Coffee shop I hear is great.
This place is on 18th/Sanchez http://www.imagiknit.com/
3) Noe Knit - This shop is wonderful too. Susie the owner is so sweet and goes out of
her way to please her customers. They are located on 24th St in the heart of the Noe
Valley –jam packed with little shops, restaurants, and coffee shops: http://noeknit.com/
These are my 3 LYS locals that are tried and true…
Congrats to Superboy! Since the guys are gone now, I forgot how cool the last days of school can be!
Well now you have a helper at home for the Summer! Should
make everything more fun and entertaining. Shawl looks really
cool i really like the purpley/bluey you are using. Also i was
wondering what kind of camera you use-I am very impressed
with all your pics especially the close-ups.
Ditto everything Nathania said! Everybody seems to LOVE Artfibers (I don’t, but I’m more of a basic solid colored yarn kinda gal), and Imagiknit probably has the biggest selection in the city. I don’t know of any yarn stores in the Castro. If she’s interested in lace, she should totally go to Lacis in Berkeley which is accessible by public transportation. Or, if she’s into DYEING, Dharma Trading Co is in Santa Rosa (not so cloase), but it’s the dye mecca of the world.
Listen, you can’t believe you have a second grader? MY baby is going into high school this September. Talk about something unbelievable!!
Whoa - you KNIT??!?! *falls down in a dead faint*
Those teeth!!
Amy
Your shawl looks great so far.
Wow! My kids still have 4 weeks of school left. My daughter who is also going to be in second grade next year has a mouth that looks very much like Superboy’s. I love that look.
Here’s my review of the SF shops I’ve been to:
* Artfibers, in the financial district, convenient to BART. Limited hours Sunday. They carry their own line of yarns, which are lovely. They will create a pattern for you on the spot (using KnitWare software, now owned by a friend of mine!). Convenient to BART.
* Imagiknit is the Gay Castro Yarn Shop, at 18th and Sanchez. Diagonally across the intersection is Samovar Tea Room, which is a way awesome place to get interesting food and great tea. Convenient on public transit (Muni rail)
* Atelier Yarns is bordering the Pacific Heights neighborhood. They have a good selection, and service is imporving. Note particularly convenient to transit, but if you happen to be in the area worth dropping by.
* Greenwich Yarns in the Marina neighborhood has a good selection of stuff, with a mixed reputation for service. I’ve always been treated very well there but others have complained to me. YMMV. Not convenient to transit but again, if you nearby, you may as well drop in.
* Carolina Homespun operates out of their house, I think, and if you call they might let you drop by. I haven’t dropped by yet but would love to. Not convenient to transit.
In Berkeley and Oakland - I’ve been to Stash, which is a great shop with a nice selection. The Harlot was there last year. It’s not convenient to BART but in a cute neighborhood with an awesome deep-dish pizza place nearby (Zachary’s). The other place I hear about in that area is Article Pract in Oakland. I haven’t been there but it’s supposed to be a great shop.
Heading down the Peninsula - my favorite shops are (heading north to south) Nine Rubies in San Mateo (growing selection including good set of Artfibers, Schaffer, and even some Tilli Tomas), Creative Hands in Belmont (good selection, nice people), Full Thread Ahead in Los Altos (focuses on hard-to-find yarns such as Cherry Tree Hill, Shaffer, most of the SouthWest Trading Co line, and other very yummy stuff), CommuKnity in San Jose (already mentioned, very large shop for this area with a great selection displayed well). Going north a bit, I should mention that Knitters Studio in Menlo Park has a following, good selection, but be warned that they mark their prices up a LOT. Back south, Knitting Arts in Saratoga has a following, large selection, but I have never been there so I cannot report further.
Hopefully this does the job for your friend! I can provide some links to local knitting groups if you email.
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[...] So those are the only tips I can remember at the moment. Have fun! I’m going to be out of town from the 26th to the 1st and I might not be able to access the database and stuff. So if you have an issue come up don’t be surprised if I don’t get back to you until after the 1st of June. (I’m the one that Scout mentioned yesterday but I can’t post about it on my site it’s a surprise) [...]