It was a girls day out yesterday as Barbara and I headed 30 minutes south to Northeast Fiber Arts Center in Williston. What a find THAT was!! Not only does she have beautiful yarn, but many different types of fiber for spinning as well as Feltmaking.
Being a beginner at spinning, I chose the easier to spin and less expensive roving. I don't have my wheel with me, so this will all go under the bed for now.
This roving is "Vermont" ... since we drove all this way, I should at least buy something "made by Vermont sheep" ... with a little alpaca thrown in!! Hopefully some day I'll be able to show you a finished product ... if not, it will make a nice addition to my craft room!!
Like the lady that came in after us, I felt totally overwhelmed by the choices, but the owner was a great help when it came to picking roving I could spin, and yarn for a cowl. Our main objective however, was patterns!! Although she had quite a few books and magazines, Barbara didn't find what she was looking for.
One of the most fascinating things in the store were these hats ... hand made felt hats!! I fell in love with them. As soon as she puts her hat-making class on-line, I'll be signing up. The green one perfectly matches a lime green coat I got on Mackinac Island.
We couldn't pass up the Cookie Love store on the way back. Since the second "Knits and Bolts" store we drove to was out of business, we needed consoling, and this was EXACTLY the place to stop. The best cookies ANYWHERE!! You can even buy the frozen dough and bake your own. We bought a Vermont dozen ... 11 cookies (just don't tell anyone there were actually 13 ... we ate TWO!!)
I've been looking for a bathroom door stop for ages and haven't seen anything that might work. On the Boldt's houseboat/barge, we saw several examples of unusual stops. THAT gave me the idea to hit an antique store and see what I might find. THIS is an 1860's Bearded Man charcoal iron in excellent condition. I have no idea where the name came from ... but the top opens up so you can put burning charcoal in the bottom, then adjust the air vent in the back to keep it burning and iron away, while the smoke comes out the front. PERFECT for a door stop!! I have to say it's working extremely well, and if I ever need an iron while on the road, this will fit the bill!!
We also found these wooden printing numbers and letters, which will be a great addition to a collage I'm working on. There are many antique stores around the area, some even in people's garages. I may need to bring the truck and horse trailer back for a visit.
While we were gone, Tom worked on his rig installing a new battery water-fill system, which is a very neat idea!! On our way back from shopping, we stopped in at Archie's Grill for some takeout lunch/dinner we knew Tom would enjoy. They had the best barbecue bacon/onion/cheeseburger, and I added sweet potato fries!! YUM YUM!! Put this on your "must have" food list.
I also made a quick run by Petco and got some more balls for Cooper to destroy. These are the "Kong" brand, so they should last a little longer. He's been playing with one for the last hour, which is good because he's occupied (like a little kid) but bad since every time it gets under something, I have to go retrieve it. He has me well trained.
It rained on us a little while shopping yesterday, and again most of the night. This morning it's black overhead, so I think we're in for some more!! It seems the East coast is soaking wet while the West coast is dry as a bone. Someone is definitely watching over us, as it flooded in Wisconsin shortly after we left that area. Now we just have to watch out for sinkholes!!
You haven't heard me say "I could live here" in a while ... but Burlington Vermont is one of the nicest towns I've been to in a long time. I know, it snows and probably gets very cold ... I still like it!! It's the largest town in Vermont, but smaller than my home town. It's also home to the University of Vermont with many unique restaurants and stores. Besides, they have GREAT antiques with VERY reasonable prices. If you need a Bearded Man, just let me know and I'll see what I can find!!
Do not know when you will arrive in Maine for your lobsters, but try having lobster roll(s) as well. Several lobster rolls are large enough, you can have the leftovers for another meal. I, too, purchased real maple syrup when we were in Vermont in 2007. Then I turned to LL Bean and bought from them.
ReplyDeleteLynn Cross
Probably in about 5 days or so Lynn ... and I'm told the lobster rolls are the BEST!! I can't wait!! Good to know LL Bean has syrup too .. although being by myself, this bottle will probably last a L O N G time!!
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