Peninsula to Pier LYS Shop Hop, Day One

Dateline: Emerald Hills, 9/18/08

The second annual Peninsula to Pier LYS (local yarn store) Shop Hop started today and runs until Sunday. 19 shops are participating. Each shop has a one-skein project (some have both knit and crochet projects), pattern free with purchase of yarn. As you visit each shop you get your passport stamped. There are prize drawings at the end for people who have at least 12 passport stamps.

I missed last year's shop hop and I'm determined to go to all 19 stores this year. Will I end up with 38 skeins of yarn and 38 new projects? I'd better not! So why am I doing this? Certainly I don't need any more yarn or projects. I've been to most of these stores many times. The chances of my winning a prize are slim. And I have some other events planned for this weekend in addition to the shop hop. I guess I'm doing it because it's an accomplishment of sorts, and a break from my normal routine. I'm also determined to blog about each day's adventures. And I'm determined NOT to buy something in every shop.

This is definitely a multi-day endeavor. The geographic spread is from Burlingame, 15 miles north of us, to Carmel, 95 miles south. Today was my long day for shop hopping, because I didn't have anything else scheduled, so I decided to start with the shops farthest away. I thought about staying overnight somewhere, but decided against it because I didn't feel like being away from home again so soon after the Portland trip. Since the shops were all open until 8 tonight, I decided to stay out as late as I could and visit as many shops as I could.

This would be a perfect application for Twitter; I could have Twittered my location and purchases all day. Since I didn't, I'll go through the day's events here.

9:15 -- leave home

10:06 -- Morgan Hill

Perfect timing; arrive at Continental Stitch right after opening. This is the only one of the 19 I've never been to. Morgan Hill is always on the way to somewhere but never a destination. Last year's grand prize winner arrived there ahead of me. The store's crochet project had not yet arrived.

Bought: One skein of Schaeffer Anne, rainbow colors, 30% off.

In front of the store, I run into a friend who didn't know about the Shop Hop; was just passing by in her car and happened to see me. She recommends that I stop at Madonna Needlework, which is not on the hop. Since she's the second person to recommend this store, I decide to go there. There is some knitting yarn, but mostly needlepoint threads, beautifully arranged by color.

Bought: Small hanks of 4 different needlepoint threads to try with the bead crochet project that's giving me so much trouble.

12:25 -- Pacific Grove

Too bad I have so little time in one of my favorite towns in California. Grand Prize Winner is at Monarch Knits, having already been to Carmel and back. I become worried that I'm behind schedule and won't get to all the Santa Cruz shops today.

Bought: 2 skeins of Knitcol self-striping sock yarn (I probably won't do their fingerless glove project, but I liked the yarn); 1 skein of Tango tape yarn (because the Monarch people showed me how to crochet one of those nice ruffled scarves; I never did get the hang of knitting with this type of yarn).

Lunch at Red House Cafe, which has a wonderful warm tomato and mozzarella sandwich. French roast coffee from the drip bar at Juice and Java, for the road. Drove out of town on Oceanview Blvd.

2:40 -- Carmel

Quick stop at Knitting by the Sea, just to get my passport stamped. Fruitless search for a bead store. Carmel has no street addresses, so all I knew was the intersection. I wandered around for a while, then asked in another store and found out bead store was out of business. Referred to a different store, which turned out to have jewelry but no beads.

Bought: One pound of Carmel Foglifter French roast coffee beans, at Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Co.

4:45 -- Capitola

Another quick stop for passport stamp at The Yarn Place. Then off into the Santa Cruz rush hour. Luckily my car radio can now get KPIG, a station I like which is available only in the Monterey/Santa Cruz area.

5:30 -- Santa Cruz

Had a little trouble finding the Golden Fleece's new location. New store looks smaller to me than old one.

Bought: One skein of Kauni (I can't resist the stuff!) in yellow/orange/red.

Coffee/dessert at Java Junction, a Reese's peanut butter cup mocha. Then on to the Swift Stitch.

Bought: 3 skeins of Plymouth Fantasy Naturale from the "2 buck bucket"; one skein Chasing Rainbows mohair/wool (although I won't do the beret project); one pattern.

6:50 -- Felton

Luminous Threads is my last stop for the day. (I considered also going to Purlescence, which was open until 9, but will save it for another day.) Their project is a knitted bracelet with cables, which I might not do, but I bought the yarn and got the pattern anyway. I reminisced with Amber, the owner, about that terrible stormy day in January when she helped all of us who were trying to get to the Quaker Center for our retreat. Hoping for better weather next January.

Bought: One skein Cascade Greenland; 4 glass buttons.

8:20 -- back home. 7 down, 12 to go.