Spring Break Contest, Day 4

Here in the US we are nearing the end of Spring Break week. The kids and educators get a week off from school, some use it as a time for family vacation, and some use it simply as a time to regroup and get things done. Here at SSYC, we're going to celebrate with a week's worth of contests!

Today, you have the chance to win a skein of your choice of Djinni Sock from Dragonfly Fibers. This soft, cashmere blend is dyed in an array of vivid colors, and all you have to do is answer the question below for your chance to win the one you like best. Maybe to make these!

Have you been on a yarny vacation or pilgrimage? I've heard some fantastic stories from some of you about knitting cruises you've been on, or week long car trips where you and your friends stop at yarn shops along the way. Do tell if you've done something knitterly and awesome, or tell us about a fiber excursion you'd like to take. You have until noon EST on Saturday, April 8 and I'll randomly choose one person to win a skein of your choice.

Last year I finally went to an epic fiber festival, Maryland Sheep and Wool. I have been wanting to go for years, but I always had kids that seemed too small to me to make it a go. So finally, we all went and it was just as great as I had hoped. I shopped til I dropped, the kids enjoyed petting sheep, playing in hotel pools and sleeping on sofa beds, and I even got to knit the entire way there and back. It was awesome.

Comments

[Linda L in Wisconsin]

I've never planned a yarny vacation per se, but I do hit up the LYSs of towns when on vacation. I have a small but growing stash of souvenir yarn to show for it!

[Ramona]

I was lucky enough last year to take advantage of a last minute opportunity to attend Rhinebeck. We drive there from Toronto so on the way we stopped at a trunk show in Buffalo to see a designer friend speak and of course buy yarn. And the festival itself was amazing. I met so many people I had known online only and I got to see and touch yarns I don't have access to here. I loved and I'm going back this year.

[Elizabeth]

Every trip is A chance to visit a local yarn store! My favorite was at the Knitting Cottage in San Diego. How perfect to visit Pacific Beach and walk to A charming yarn shop! Heaven!

[Carol]

One January day last year, three friends and I made a day trip of going to Napa for lunch and then yarn shopping at an LYS. It was a pleasant way to spend the day. We talked about going to the Sonoma County Yarn Hop last spring, but we all wound up too busy with kids and such on the day of the hop.

[Connie]

In 2002 and 2004 there was a fiber festival in SW Montana. A friend asked me to help, so for 3 days I worked behind the scenes, wrangling sheep, herding llamas, fetching fleeces for the judge etc. I've never learned so much, had so much fun nor been so tired. Best intro to fiber festivals ever! I haven't done made it to the Big Sky festival yet, but I will one day. Black Sheep Gathering too. One day ~dreamy sigh~

[Joan]

One time my daughter niece and I went on a store in Portland. I bought yarn to make a pair of mittens!

[Debbie]

I've been to Carolina Fiber Fest and have been wanting to get to Maryland Sheep and Wool. Whenever we are traveling I do the 'pre-check' for any yarn shops in the area and usually check out at least one.

[Susan James]

First thing I'm gonna do when I win the lottery is book a knitting tour in Ireland! I would sooooo love that!!

[Nancy Hooper]

My sister and I travelled across Ireland in 2015, hitting as many yarny/wooly places as we could. Sooo incredibly beautiful!

[Linda Byrn]

Two years ago while vacationing in Michigan, we made a day trip to East Jordon, where the Stonehedge fiber mill is located. After observing the creation of yarns in the "factory", I was able to search through the pile of Crazy yarn, and came back with a wonderful stash!

[jennifer thomas]

Not yet, but I want to go to a fiber festival soo bad!

[Kay]

I have only taken yarn specific trips locally. I love OFFF (Oregon Flock and Fiber) and usually try to plan for any Blue Moon events (their awesome Barn Sale for one).

[Lisa B]

I've not been but hope to. A knitting cruise, one of the retreats the Yarn Harlot teaches at, the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, etc. would be sublime but I also enjoy just visiting yarn stores in whatever city I find myself.

[Renee Anne]

There have been no pilgrimages for yarny purposes. Yet. I did make a trip to Stitches Midwest after we had moved to California but we were visiting home in southern Wisconsin so it wasn't that far. I actually dropped off my oldest (and only, at the time) with my best friend, and went to Chicago for the day. And I shipped the yarn home :)

[Sara B.]

I attended the Knitting Pipeline retreat in Kennebunk Maine in 2015. It was an awesome time! Walks on the beach, Loster rolls to eat - and then a driving trip home through Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Quebec and Ontario!
Onderful fun!

[Maureen Sepkowski]

I've never been on a yarn pilgramage...but I'd love to take a yarn road trip!!

[Amanda Swanson]

A friend and I did the L.A. County yarn crawl a couple of years ago. We hit all 30 stores in 3 days! It was awesome, we got all kinds of yarn and the shops had great suggestions for food, so we discovered some new favorite eats, too.

[kay Burgess]

I have not yet been on any road trip yarn adventures. Would love to at some point.

[Marianna]

No specific yarn vacations but I have a very patient husband who lets me visit any shops at our destination.

[Jane]

I took my first visit to Stitches South last year, and it was great to spend a few days totally immersed in yarny goodness and knitting.

[Donna]

I haven't been on a yarny cruise. I have gone to the Midwest Fiber Fest a couple of times & to the Wisconsin fiber fest once. Stayed in a hotel. But what I really love is buying yarn when on vacation. Then I have a relative permanent reminder of that vacation.

[Geraldine Scott]

I've never been to any sort of knitting event...I think I would have a panic attack trying to decide what to buy! However, whenever we travel for some reason or another, I will look for yarn or needlecraft shops...always try to bring home that type of souvenir!

[Savannagal]

I'd really like to go on one of the knitting trips to Iceland, or Ireland. Twist my arm, I'll go just about anywhere if there's knitting involved.

[sue]

The closest to a 'pilgrimage' is the annual shop hop in our area though I always do see if there are local knitting stores wherever I go.

[Wanda]

I haven't been on a yarn pilgrimage, but I look for yarn shops in every city I've had the pleasure of visiting. Just loved the Md Sheep & Wool Festival when I lived in the area.

[Elizabeth Durand]

I have had a couple of great yarny experiences. But I'll write about this one --every year my knitting guild has a knitaway weekend in a local hotel. Unprogrammed, and just a good kick-back-and-knit 48 hours. It is such a good time.

[Christine]

I haven't traveled far, but going around to all the different LYSs in my area for a yarn crawl was a blast!

[Beth]

This past November I was in Florida to go on a 4 day cruise with my sister, nieces and sister-in-law. I stayed a couple of extra days there just to rent a car and drive to Sarasota to go to a knitting store there. I spent a couple of nights there by myself and enjoyed knitting, yarn shopping, and the other more typical Sarasota sights. I had some great me time after the cruise bonding experience and went home refreshed,relaxed and rejuvenated.

[Beth]

In the fall, my dad took my mom and I to Rhinebeck. We spent the day at the festival enjoying the sheep herding demo, angora sheep judging and of course buying yarn! The next day we came back home to PA by way of various antique shops. Two great activities all rolled into one weekend!

[Sherryn]

I would love to go to Rhinebeck one year. But it's a bit of a challenge with our schedules. Whenever we do take a vacay, I always check to see if there's a knitting store and an Indy bookstore. Yarn and books - makes me so happy!

[Caitlin A]

My mom and I are hoping to some day do a road trip to Maryland Sheep & Wool, stopping off at Fibre Space on the way so we can buy all the yarn.

[sprite]

I went to the first Sock Summit in Portland where I got to take some fun classes, see some friends, and meet you in person!

[Cynthia Carpenter]

I only knit on vacation. Hubby does all the driving.

[April]

Yarn conference in Minneapolis my 16 year old knitter daughter wanted for her birthday

[Sue Boisvert]

I make every trip a yarn trip. I find a local yarn shop and look for local or regional yarn and then I knit something to remind me of my travels.

[Pat HIll]

I've never gone on an epic yarn trip, although I try to include a LYS on any travels. I would love to attend either Squam or a retreat. While Rhineback sound like fun, I'm not really into large crowds.

[Jenna]

I have a group of close knitter friends and each October we make a pilgrimage to Rhinebeck for the NY Sheep & Wool Festival. It is so awesome.

[Barb]

We are going to Cleveland to visit our daughter and son-in-law in May, and we are stopping by your store on our way there!

[Nicole]

I have never been on a yarny vacation, as I am a pretty new knitter. But in May I'm hoping to go to the Pacific North West LYS Tour!

[Amanda]

The closest I've come so far is a local fiber event. I would love to make it to Rhinebeck, MDSW, DFWFF, and Stitches Texas or Midwest. Yarn stores I would love to visit in person are The Loopy Ewe, Webs, and Wollmeise.

[Dawn]

I've been fortunate to go to a Stitches event for 3 years. My husband and I turn it into a yarn vacation together. I make sure my class/es are only once a day so we have the rest of the day together to go exploring.

It makes for a good balance, yarn filling, great time!

[Liz Awsumb]

Never gone to any kind of yarnie vacation or festival, but I am headed to both Alaska and Colorado this summer, and I've been pinning yarn stores on Google Maps like that's ALL I plan to do on vacation!

[Linda]

My ideal yarn pilgrimage would involve driving a camper around the entire USA, stopping where I/we want, visiting yarn stores all over the good old US of A!

[Audra L]

Lots of mini adventures. Planning Rhinebeck in a couple of years. I have fallen in love with the Shepherds Harvest Festival near St. Paul, MN. Have gone the last 2 years with friends. Drove down around 3am with my best friend and 2 nieces, breakfast at Perkins, hit the festival when it opened and stayed all day. The rest of the night was room service, swimming pool, fondling the days purchases. We do it again next month!

[Marilee]

I went to Amy Herzog's fall make.wear.love. Retreat in Maine last year. Fabulous! Great instructors and I met a lot of awesome knitters.

[G. K. Green]

I have yet to go on a trip solely motivated by fiber, but whenever we travel by car I practice 'intentional yarn tourism​' by looking along our route for local yarn shops and making a point of visiting them. The summer that we drove from the southwest to the east coast, I visited six different LYSes along the way!

[Anna Baker]

Only reason i want to see New York City: Purl Soho.

[Elizabeth]

Some friends and I went to Stitches Midwest and the next year to Maryland Sheep and Wool with stops along the way. Both were great so it is tough to pick a favorite.

[Laura Ricketts]

I journeyed to Seattle to attend the Nordic Knitting Conference in 2010... and returned to teach there four years later!!

[Helen King]

I have never been on a yarny trip but when we visited our daughter in California she knew I loved to crochet and knit so she planned ahead and found a yarn shop to take me to. That was an awesome surprise!

[Anne]

I've been to the Fiber Festival in Hemlock NY. lots of yarn and classes!

[Kathleen McCunn]

A yarn-based vacation sounds so fun! I have done a quilt-shop-hop before. It was very hard on my pocketbook! I found a fabric I liked so much that I bought the whole bolt! I have tried to work in a little bit of that fabric in to every quilt I've made since that trip, and it always brings back the great memories.
The Djinni Dragonfly sock yarn looks so luscious! All the colors are appealing, but the Van Gogh Sunflowers is my favorite.
Thanks,
Kathleen

[Tabitha Burks]

Not yet! But I'd like to eventually! I'd love to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool and someday see yarn shops in different stores around the country or in different countries.

[Robin]

Whenever we do a car trip I plot the yarn stores along the way. I have some great yarn souvenirs!

[RuthAnn]

This Sat. is the Fiber Expo in Ann Arbor and I have the day off work and am ready to go. It is not as big as the fall expo but is a great day with lots of fondling with Zingermans for lunch.

[SarahP]

I haven't done a specific yarn vacation, but i do like to stop in at least one yarn store in any new city I visit.

[Vicki]

The closest I have come is my drive to Stitches every year. But a knitting cruise sounds so fun!

[Wendy Chase]

I have not been able to do that yet, but someday! I do look for yarn shops wherever I go though.

[Rachel R.]

I've never been on a yarn-specific vacation, but I love visiting local yarn shops wherever we go! My favorite was several years ago when I got to go to Loop in London!

[Diane Hibbard]

No knitty trips, I wish. Wow, a cruise of all knitting. That would be something!

[Zoe Juniper]

Every August I take a road trip o the Knit August Nights knitting conference/retreat in Napier, New Zealand. It is just springtime and we are always guaranteed lots of warm weather, plenty of yarn shopping, workshops and wine. It is divine

[Karen G.]

I am fortunate to be able to go to Rhinebeck each year because my mom lives close by. Every trip I go on with my husband involves visiting any and all exotic vacation area LYS's I can find. I would love to go on a knitting retreat someday.

[Teresa C]

I want to take a knitting Alaskan Cruise.

[Marjorie Millner]

I'd like to visit SSYC in person! I drove across the country and back last year, but I had my two cats in the car and it would have been a several-hour side trip (I drove route 80 through the Chicago-Indiana-Ohio corridor.). So I hope I can take another trip sometime, without kitty cats to worry about broiling in the car, and visit the store.

[Dezarae]

The only yarn adventure I've been on is the local yarn crawl (that is no longer available ;0;). Rhode Island is small and our yarn shops are dwindling and I made it my goal to hit every shop. I packed up my daughter and incited my Mom and we spent the day visiting over 10 different yarn shops, finding a bunch of great other places along the way.

My next goal is definitely Rhinebeck

[Amanda]

My biggest yarns trip was to Washington DC about 5 years ago. I went with one of my closest friends, also a knitter, and had a wonderful time exploring museums and yarn shops. Our favorite was Fibre Space in Alexandria- we went back a second time when we went to Obama's second inauguration. We were both exhausted, but we dragged ourselves to that shop!

Aside from that, I try to find a yarn shop wherever I visit and get a skein of sock yarn as a suvenier. I have a feeling a trip to Ft. Wayne is in my near future :)

[Kristi]

Oh my goodness, I would LOVE to go on a knitting retreat!! The only yarn festival that I've been to so far is a small one in Watertown, South Dakota, and that's not exactly a vacation, as it's not quite an hour and a half from my house. :)

[amy g]

Every Spring and Fall I get to gather with a group of friends at our Fiber Retreat. I call it knitting camp to my other friends or I get jokes about a healthy weekend of fiber! It's a lovely get-a-way to central Minnesota and we all do a huge variety of fiber arts. BUT - my two destinations of choice would be Brown Sheep in Nebraska and Simply Socks! Every time you write about getting in a new shipment, I want to jump in the car and go. Thank you!

[Marie]

Last year for our 8th wedding anniversary, I dragged my husband to http://www.ritesofspringfiberfrolic.com/ in Wisconsin! Weekend away from the kids for him (and me), and yarn shops for me! Plus it was in Wisconsin so we had great beer and sausages.

[Alice]

Going to Maryland Sheep and Wool would make so much sense given where I live and the classes I want to take, but I think I'm going to give it a miss this year. I'd l o v e to go to a strung along retreat, but this year I WILL be going to the WEBS retreat, which is pretty exciting.

[Gail]

I would love to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool. We have a friend that lives in the area and it could be a great getaway.

[Lara]

My first and only (so far) yarny trip was short but wonderful. We live right across the street from the fairgrounds where the Shenandoah Fiber Festival is held every fall. I've had it on the calendar for several years but have been repeatedly thwarted by scheduling conflicts. This past September my youngest daughter and I went over for "just a bit". I don't know who had a better time, but the vendors were packing up before we finally decided we should leave.

[Stacy]

I would love to attend a knitting retreat at a beautiful lodge on a lake. Sounds like so much fun.

[Erin]

I have not taken a specific yarn vacation, but I make sure to check out yarn stores wherever I go!

[JAN]

My DH always plugs a few yarn shops into the GPS for road trips. You meet the nicest people there. I would love yo take a knitting cruise though. The one to Alaska this summer sounds cool

[KimW]

Any time we leave our city limits, it's pretty much a given that if we see a yarn shop, I'll be stopping for at least a few minutes (always longer!). I got a nice surprise for my birthday last fall when my husband and girls surprised me with tickets to the Common Ground Fair in Maine and a visit to one of my favorite spots on the Maine Coast. The fair was wonderful and full of fibery temptations. It was fun to look forward to the trip and plan some projects to shop for. All of the yarn I came home with was in shades of yellow/gold and gray. I've changed my mind several times about what I want to make, but that's all part of the fun!

[Sarah]

I've gone a number of overnight trips to festivals. I am plotting a drive with my mom from Boston to Chicago with a stop at ssyc on the way though

[Cheryl]

I've never managed to visit yarn shops when traveling (even ordered qiviut online after Alaskan cruise) since hubby isn't too keen. But my dream trip would be Iceland, Ireland or New Zealand tour of several weeks with classes and shops. I would settle for a knitting cruise or retreat if I don't come into a pile of money!

[Jeanne Bush]

I live in CA and my husband and I would drive cross country most years for various bike rides. One year we were going to drive thru Indiana and timed it perfectly to pass thru your town when the shop was open! My husband was ever so patient while I shopped and shopped in your store...I had a wonderful time and have now knitted up all the yarn I bought that day.

[Sandra]

My daughter is in the Navy and is stationed on Whidbey Island in Washington state. We went to visit her but I knew that Tolt was on the way and i planned our route so we could stop along the way. I loved going there, I sent the rest of my family to get yummy drinks while I was able to shop, I could have stayed much longer enjoying many fibers that I had heard of but not seen before. Now every time we go visit my daughter I get to stop there!!! It's definitely a highlight of my trip.

[Jody Laake]

There are two events right here in my backyard that I have never been able to atten. One is a yarn shop crawl through the tri state area on which you can visit an unbelievable amount of local yarn shops. Fun, friendship and prizes are offered at every stop. The other is the Wool Fest held in Falmouth, Kentucky. Imagine a whole weekend of yarn, crafts, food and fun!

[Carolyn Zewe]

I have never been to a large Fiber fest or taken a yarnie vacation but I do look for local yarn stores when I am on vacation and try to find some local yarn to purchase.

[Teri]

Not yarn, but fiber-adjacent. I lived in Arizona for a time. I remember taking a trip with quilting pals to a tiny, out-of-the-way fabric shop literally in the middle of nowhere. It was only a 90 minute drive from our town, but it seemed like another land. Fun!

[ikkinlala]

I've never been on a fibre-oriented vacation (although I have stopped at a few yarn stores on other vacations). I'd love to make it to an Amy Herzog sweater workshop at some point.

[Martha Anne]

A friend and I have been having yarn adventures for years, mostly local- yarn crawls in Seattle then several days to Vancouver BC for a yarn event for three years. The latest addition to the rounds is the Rose City Yarn Crawl in Portland three years in a row. It's fun to see different yarns from local dyers.
I would love to go to Edinburgh for their knitting and yarn event....

[Barbara]

On a free day in New York City I did a mini yarn crawl!

[Mary]

Michigan Fiber Festival a couple times in Allegan, Michigan. And 2014 Rhinebeck! Loved them!

[Lynne]

My sister-in-law and I did the WEBS Rhinebeck trip a couple of years ago. It was a great weekend!

[Linda Bazinet]

Even though I haven't had a yarn-specific trip, I make my husband drive to yarn shops every vacation we take. We drove an hour out of our way in Vermont so I could visit Green Mountain Spinnery (it was worth every minute). We took a ferry to Amherst Island (near Kingston, Ontario) to visit Topsy farms. We loved driving around the island and seeing the sheep with guard llamas (also saw a coyote). We have also made yarn-specific day trips – we visited Wellington Fibres one spring and saw jumping baby goats (and I got wool for a mohair vest).

[Marilyn]

Went to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival this year, a four day event and I can't imagine a better yarn experience. Met many wonderful knitters from all over the world. It's a very well organized event. Four days of workshops from the best. See you there next year!

[Lisa]

Most years I get my knitting friends together and we drive an hour to the Great Lakes Fiber Festival in Wooster. Not really a vacation, but a nice day trip.