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

[Carolyn]

I've never been on a yarny trip, but I have taken a trip or two the Houston Quilt Festival with friends and taken classes there. It was such fun! I've always dreamed of going on one of the Yarn Harlot retreats, especially the one in Port Ludlow...

[yolanda v]

Went to my first last Year. WNY Fiber Festival in Hemlock NY, and it was a bit overwhelming for a newbie. But I got over it! Purchased my First spinning wheel. I am planning on attending a Retreat next year. But for this year some road trips to places.

[Johane]

I haven't been on a yarn pilgrimage per say. But when I travel, I often look up yarn shops in the area, to see if any are close to where I'll be visiting :) Some look up retail shops, I look up yarn shops!

[Jessica]

I went to my first fiber festival last year, Wool Gathering at Young's Dairy in Springfield, Ohio. I took my kids (then ages 3, 6 and 9) and it was a delight! I shopped and my husband took the kids through the corn maze, played mini golf, painted pumpkins and checked out the animals. We met back up for lunch in their family-owned and operated restaurant. They have their own ice cream shop too. The place was really crowded because it was truly a family-friendly event. On the way home, the kids were already asking if we could go back the next year. We sure can! It was only an hour from home, so I wouldn't exactly call it a vacation though.

[Barbara]

Have taken several "yarn destination" road trips mostly day trips but we did do one overnight. I always seek out yarn stores no matter where I travel. No wonder I have such a large stash (that keeps growing!)

[Chrissy]

I haven't been on a yarn pilgrimage or yarny vacation but I often look up for local yarn shops close to the areas we travel to, just in case I "have to" buy more yarn.

[Terri]

I haven't been on a specific yarn trip, but I did do a yarn crawl for the first time a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed seeing new shops and what they had to offer. Also, I go to the Wool Gathering at Young's Dairy every year (it is very close to me) and it is wonderful!! I also try to see if there are yarn shops when I go to new areas and check them out. Next week, it will be the Needle Injunction on HHI!

[Melissa Loback]

My aunt and I go to knit in every year. It's our chance to escape the husbands and kids for the weekend. I am from Wisconsin and a couple times a year, I drive to her house in Michigan and we drive down to SSYC for an afternoon of yarn therapy. Worth the drive every time!!!!

[Linsey]

Not yet!! But hope to in the next year!

[Lizzie]

I have gone to my small local fiber festival in Northeast PA, but my yarny dream is to go to Rhinebeck! It's on my retirement bucket list. :-)

[JoAnne B]

I went to Meg Swanson's Knitting Camp in '95 and had a wonderful time. It also provided entertainment for my family. They continue to laugh and make jokes about it twenty years later.

[Katie M.]

Well, there was a 2 hour road trip to visit simply socks in person last fall. Other than that, not really. I do try to find yarn shops wherever I go on vacation. Yarn makes great souvenirs.

[Maureen]

I was on a trip with my father and it was a cruise to Alaska. When we stopped at the different ports we did go and search out the different yarn stores. He could not believe that there was that much interest in yarn but now these years later he understands.

[Reanna]

No epic pilgrimages for me yet. I am going to MDSW in May, though, and Rhinebeck in October. Not too bad for a brand new knitter, if I do say so myself.

[Deborah Jones]

I've never been on a yarn trip but if there's a local yarn shop, I'll always make time to visit it!

[Nancy]

I haven't planned a specific yarn trip, but I always scout out yarn shops, knitting shows, and sheep and wool festivals along the way of a car trip.

[OzKnitter]

For a Worldwide Knit in Public day one year, a bunch of my knitting friends and I travelled around Melbourne on public transport and visited 5 or 6 local yarn stores.

[Barbara Rude]

A friend and I took 4 days and went to Colorado and found about 3 yarns shops in Denver and then went to Ft. Collins and found four. We had a special project we knitted together for the trip and had lots of fun finding restaurants and lovely yarn shops.

[Natalie]

My usual pilgrimage is to the SSY store... One day I am going to do a knitting retreat. It's on my bucket list

[Marianna B]

A while back I went to visit my mom, with the intention of (ahem) taking her to visit Marr Haven Farm in Allegan, MI, then going to the Michigan Fiber Festival. Marr Haven no long has undyed, mule spun yarn from their Merino Rambouillet sheep, but does sell their own hand-dyed Merino Rambouillet yarns.
I had a blast, I think she enjoyed it as well.

[Elaine]

My dream would be to go on an Icelandic knitting tour!

[Anne Marie]

The Mid-Iowa Yarn Shop Hop has become an annual pilgrimage for me. I think it's going on 7 years now since it started, and I've been each year, even with all the kids in tow if necessary. I wouldn't miss it!!

[Shanel Sions]

I have only managed to get to one fiber fest here in Seattle this far. I would love to attend a retreat one day!

[Joyce]

My biggest yarn adventure has been Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago, but I'd love LOVE to go to Rhinebeck

[Rhonda Atkinson]

I visited my daughter in South Korea January 2016 and we found yarn! There was a huge underground market with multiple small booths with all types of yarns and several little ladies knitting or crocheting at each. I did buy yarn there. We also found an upscale yarn store (above ground)where I got a skein of camel yarn. Haven't done anything with that yet but it is pretty. And I love road trips anywhere so I can knit the whole time.

[Nancy]

One of the bad things about living in Florida is that knitting stores are few and far apart, so I dream every year of doing the pilgrimage to NY. One of these years.....

[Diane]

Very rarely do I take a vacation without checking what the local yarn shops have to offer. Much yarn is the same but there is almost always something either local or something I have never seen in person. I am lucky my family puts up with my shopping.

[Van]

I've been to a few fiber festivals. Spent way too much money. Also Stiches knitting camp many years ago. That was great fun!

[Koreen]

I have only been to craft fairs, farmer's markets & fiber festivals in NH, ME & VT. I hope to go to larger events in CT & NY. It's always a fun because I'm with my daughter(s) and granddaughter!

[Lori V]

I almost always look for and visit yarn & papercraft stores whenever we travel, but as far as a big yarn adventure, that is still a bucket list item, but I have it all picked out: Yarndale in Skipton, England, home to Lucy of Attic 24 fame and a few other crochet goddesses that I'd love to meet. No real plans at this point, but lots of crossed fingers and daydreams❤️

[Linda Scarborough]

Fiber tour on my bucket list-have been on Quilting tours with my sis,but I hope to do a fiber one soon.

[Nancy]

A few years ago my husband and I went on a knitting cruise and land tour in Alaska. It was just wonderful traveling with other knitters, seeing much more than the usual tourist sights! One of the most memorable excursions was a trip to a musk ox farm to learn all about quiviot! We had both been to Alaska before, but this trip was much more memorable.

[Denise]

Haven't taken any yarn specific trips but always look for local yarn shops wherever I travel.

[Judy]

No "yarn vacations" for me. Sounds like fun, though.

[Yvonne]

Never been on a yarny vacation or pilgrimage. Maybe something I will do someday.

[triplesss]

I've never been to a fiber festival or on a knitting retreat. But I'm close to Maryland Sheep and Wool and would like to attend!

[Anne]

I have traveled to Squam Art Workshops for their spring retreat twice. Pretty awesome! My husband is awfully supportive of my knitting obsession and when we travel he nicely helps me locate the LYS(es) in the area so that I can check them out.

[Elizabeth]

I used to drive over an hour as a fresh 17 year old driver to the Chelsea MI Spinner's Flock spinning guild every month. No one in my immediate life had anything to do with yarn or spinning, so I had to make these mini pilgrimages to be with my kind. Even my knitting group was hosted 40 minutes or an hour away in another direction, and those ladies were and are like second mothers and beloved aunts to me over ten years later.

[Becky]

I haven't done anything specifically for knitting, but last year we did a Disney Cruise that went to Scotland, Iceland, and Norway, so I made sure to hit knitting stores and even the souvenir shops had yarn and knitting kits!

[Andrea Sandahl]

When vacationing, my friends & I always look for yarn shops before we leave home--it is always fun to have souvenir yarn! Sometimes we even do KALs with our new yarn!

I also go to a fiber festival in South Dakota every fall with my friends for the weekend--VERY FUN!!

[Annette Poole]

I have gone to Stitches in Chicago several times. And of course I make the trip to Simply Socks several times a year! I would love to go to Rhinebeck sometime

[Merna]

Lots of weaving conferences, both regional and national, have been huge buying opportunities. Now I travel more to see fiber exhibits, just last week to San Jose, California, to see excellent gorgeous tapestries.

[Kate]

Some friends and I rented a cabin and went to SAFF a few years ago. It was quite fun! Waiting for the kiddo to be a bit older before going again.

[Donita Wriska]

We have a local FiberFest twice a year that I go town Saline, Michigan. We visited a yarn shop called Fiber Space on King Street in Alexandria, Virginia when my daughter lived there. So much fun. Sadly we don't have any local yarn shops now. As a result I've become an online yarn shopper for Indie Dyers.

[Katrina]

I've been to Rhinebeck three times! My kids love the area, and we do a lot of family activities beside just yarn shopping :)

[Theresa Nunes]

My knitterly trip was a few years ago I visited my sister in law in Indiana and we went with her knitting group to Stitches Midwest. It was heaven! After the trip to Stitches we were lucky enough to go to Simply Sock Yarn! Another wonderful day! Still working on the project from the yarn I bought that day:)

[Sally Summerfield]

Three years ago, I attended my first fiber festival "A Wool Gathering" in Yellow Springs,Ohio. I felt like in was in fiber Heaven surrounded by my people. I remember thinking that these ordinary people were around me all the time but they just weren't evident. Now when I people watch, I scrutinize to determine if each is a knitter hiding in plain sight. Anyway... last year I invited my knitting group. We loaded up my motorhome and headed up the night before (4 hrs) to drycamp in their parking area. ( with permission) what a ball we all had! Definitely the first of many yarns adventures in my motorhome with my knitting clan.

[LynnIL]

I am lucky to have a yearly spring retreat to attend and it is close by. It is a fun meet up with lots of knitting time, classes offered by participants and several knit shops, within short driving distance.

[Emily Chandler]

The central Indiana yarn shops have offered a yarn crawl for the past 3 years in March, and I have participated in the last two years. Wish you guys were a part of it, but I think the participating LYS's think you're a little too far north to include. Boo!

[Susanna W]

I do the Rose City yarn crawl in portland every year and it is such fun. While I don't usually get to all of the shops, it's fun to visit a handful and see the trunk shows and find new colorways I can't live without!

[Janet]

I went to Vogue Knitting Live in New York City in January. I spent the mornings in knitting classes and the afternoons playing tourist in the city!

[mellenknits]

Before I had a my daughter, a friend and I went to Rhinebeck. The weather cooperated and it was a great way to celebrate fall and fiber!
I haven't been able to make the trip since, but I'd love to go again (although, in the intervening years, it's become larger and more crowded, so I'm sure it would be even more overwhelming!)

[Di]

The yarn shops in our area do a "yarn crawl" every spring. A shop hop of only yarn shops. This year there are 10 shops participating and we have 6 days to visit them all, since they are quite spread out. My friends and I look forward to it all year, then we pile into a car and drive....and SHOP till we drop. It is total girl/yarn time - each shop has ordered a specially dyed yarn for this season's crawl, has a sample made with that colorway, and gives a pattern to go with it, and sometimes designers and dyers are even in the shop with their patterns and yarn. We come home with so many new projects, beautiful fiber, and various accessories, and we've learned to "catalog" the yarn and pattern into a bag and label where we got it, what it is intended for, so we can identify what pattern the yarn is meant for and easily ask questions later on when we start the project. Pure fun, lots of laughter, especially when we took a wrong turn and got lost in the mountains, lost our cell phone signal, and the area looked like something out of the movie Deliverance. I kept shaking the cell phone, saying, "you can do better than this" (but all it gave was a map of the entire United States with a pin in our location, which never moved again. We prayed not to get a flat tire or any kind of car trouble, we laughed so hard and finally got to where we wanted to go. Many miles, many patterns, and many skeins of yarn later we got home. Then we did it all again the next day....and the next....Oh so much fun!!!

[Marie]

I'm on my way to DFW fiber fest. Spent a week in Big Bend NP, now I'm in San Antonio and headed for Dallas tomorrow

[Jan Winiecki]

Whenever I go on any trip I always bring my sock yarn and needles. My husband teases me as I usually make the first sock on our way to where we are going and then make the mate on the trip back home. If we find a yarn shop I purchase my next skein for our next trip.

[Sandy]

No yarn retreats, but wherever I go I try find
the local shops that feed my habit.

[Judi Schaffer]

My friends and I go to a lake house twice a year. Four of us fill the car with our knitting and food for a weekend of meals. Lots of knitting time during the drive and 2 bliss filled days of guilt free knitting, wine and great food.

[Beth]

My old northeast Ohio knitting group used to make a pilgrimage to Great Lakes Festival in Wooster. It is my hometown, and a few others in the group had lived there, so we knew all the good places to eat, too. The Mill for breakfast, then to the fairgrounds for the festival. Lamb sandwich from the food truck at the festival, finish shopping, then track down wherever in town the Lerch's Donut trailer is, and a final stop at Hartzler's for ice cream, and butter and eggs to take home. Oh, and pounds of fiber came home with us, too!

[Rose Birchall]

No yarny trips. Good knitting weather today. Big fat snowflakes coming down.

[Kathy S]

Whenever we go on a vacation I always seek out LYS's in the area. No fiber fest celebrations but maybe someday. Would like to make it to Madrona Fiber Arts Festival sometime. It's only 130 miles or so away but it's in February and there is a snowy mountain pass to cross in winter.

[Renee' Sawyer]

We are lucky to live in the land of the San Diego Yarn Crawl, Vista Fiber Festival, the Los Angeles Yarn Crawl, and Yarnosphere... I have been to all of them at one time or another. Great road trips! If I had a group and lots of money, I would be heading to Indiana tho' to see your place. Another thing we did as a group was take a knitting cruise. Not an organized cruise but just a lot of us knitting - it was fun. I would LOVE to take the train to Portland for their Rose City Yarn Crawl! Imagine the knit time getting there!

[Kara]

I've never been on a specifically yarny vacation or retreat, but I'm always scheming how to make our road trips go past destination yarn shops. Actually, my husband just left on a business trip this morning, and I spent a bit of time searching for LYSs in the city he's travelling to in case he wants to bring me home a present ;-).

[Heather]

I haven't traveled very far for yarn-y adventures. We do have the Knitter's feomic in Toronto each year and I try to go (though sadly not this year) and I have been on the TTC knitalong.

[Jan]

I've dreamed of a Port Ludlow retreat, or one with Meg Swansen, but have been to a few Stitches events, and a few Maryland Sheep & Wool events. Lots of yarn, not much of a budget - would love to be able to spend what I wanted!

Thanks for the contests.

[Dari T]

I've done a regional Yarn Hop in my area several years, but, what I would really like to do is a dedicated yarny retreat or visit a yarn/knitting festival (Vogue Knitting Live, YarnCon, Rhinebeck, etc). Maybe someday.

[Jenny]

Closest I have come to a yarny pilgrimage is driving to Fort Wayne to come to your shop!! I absolutely love coming to visit and get so inspired every time I do!! Wish I lived closer!!

[Bonnie]

I've been known to look up yarn shops before I go on vacation, but I've never done a vacation based on the shops. I would, however, like to go to Webs enough that I'll probably plan a vacation in the vicinity of their store, and I'd like to go to Iceland for the northern lights... and the yarn. I've made the trip to Simply Socks (a couple of hours) just for the yarn multiple times!

[Beverly Shearon]

My girlfriends and I take a week every summer to get together. Only two of us knit, but the others know that wherever we go the two of us are going to find a yarn shop. They think it's funny how we get so excited about looking at yarn and handling it. And, of course, we always buy a skein or two.

[Susan Ipavec]

My favorite yarn-y trip was when I went to Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago a couple of years ago. What a fun time! It was so nice to shop in the market and see the fashion show.

[Lindsey Gensel]

I'm in the middle of planning a Seattle trip in November to go to Vogue Knitting Live in November! I'm going to rent an Airbnb and hit up some local shops as well! I have always wanted to go to one of these events.

[Nancy]

I went to the Loopy Ewe Spring Fling. Drove myself all the way from MO to Denver. It was a fun time.

[Larissa]

Many years ago, as a new knitter, I went to the fiber fair atnGreencastle, IN. It was so fun!

[Donna Kuehl]

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is just a short distance from me. It is a great yarn and fiber destination - a great stop every year!

[Lilie]

I went to Rhinebeck in 2011 and will go back this year! I've been to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in 2014 & 2016.

[Tara Paine]

I've been pretty fortunate in my crafting live. I went on a knitting cruise with my mom 10 years ago, I've been to MDSW 3 times, SSK (this year will be my third), and Knittin' in the Mitten last year.

Do hope to make the pilgrimage to Rhinebeck one of these years.

[Christine C.]

I haven't gone on any organized knitting cruises or retreats, but I do get together with friends for "craft day".

[Nicole]

I retired three years ago this week, and have tried to go do something yarny at least once a year! I went to Knit City in 2015, it was fantastic! I took my husband and he really enjoyed the wooly vibes. In 2016 I was spoiled, as I went to a Port Ludlow retreat (alone--should have brought a friend) and RHINEBECK!! This past February Madrona was the destination. Rhinebeck was my favourite, hands down--but that's just me; I'd rather walk around fairgrounds than be stuck in a hotel or conference centre any day, rain or shine.

[Mary]

I have not been on a knitting cruise or yarn crawl. Would love to do that. I always look for yarn stores when we go on vacation. I will get to go to a "crank in" next month and take my circular sock machine - it's a reproduction of the ones used during WWI to make wool socks for the troops. A steep learning curve for this hand crank machine so I am looking forward to help.

[Veli]

I always look up local yarn stores when I travel.

[Judi Kennedy]

I look up yarn shops wherever I go, but I would love to take a "Yarn vacation". It would be a trip planned around yarn shops. I would like to spend 3-4 hours in each shop talking with the people/customers in the shop and with the owner. I've done that on a small basis (trips to Georgia & Florida) but never a big planned trip. I love to knit and really love yarn. Someday.

[Coby Hanna-Butler]

We have a knitting group that meets on Mondays and we've discussed making a trip to Chicago for their fiber arts fair. I really hope we make it happen!!

[Kay]

My dream is to go on a knitting retreat some day. There's a perfect one coming up at Lake Tahoe, but unfortunately the timing isn't working for me. Hoping it's offered again.

[Ann]

I'm going to the Signature Needle Arts 10th anniversary retreat in October. I can't wait!!!

[Susan]

I would love to go to a fiber festival and a yarn crawl

[Melanie]

My mom and I took the weekend and went to YarnCon in Chicago last year. It was a yarn WONDERLAND!!! We got to take a couple of really great classes, too. Such a great time.

[Michelle]

We haven't made a trip ever just for yarn related purposes, but when we do take vacations, we make a point to visit some of the local yarn shops.

[Amy C]

My husband and I went to Scotland and England, to walk Hadrian's Wall and we ended up in Edinburgh for this year's yarn festival. It was amazing!
He is now hatching plans to visit distilleries all over Scotland and asked me if I thought there might be any yarn stores we could include along the way.

[Brooke]

Western North Carolina has SO MANY good yarn shops! Each year there is a yarn crawl through the area, and I've been on the yarn crawl for the last few. I'm also lucky enough to live very close to the ag center, where we have SAFF (southeastern animal fiber fair). I take some me time and go every October. I will spend hours looking into each both. It's so wonderful to live in an area so rich in farms and fibers!

[Ann]

If you want to make my day, just suggest a trip to either the library or a yarn shop!

[CJ Jones]

I went to the Vogue knitting conference in Pasadena one year. It was awesome. I spent a ton of money and took two classes. It was well worth it because I still remember it so fondly!

[Diana]

Last year I went to Rhinebeck for the first time! It was amazing. I went with a couple of great friends. Once there I meet up with ours, some that I have never met in person before. It was really a wonderful experience!

[Nancy F.]

I'd love to visit the outports of Newfoundland and learn from knitting masters.

[Julie V]

Yarn School in Harveyville,KS three times. It's more focused​ on spinning, but there is plenty of time for knitting (and eating)!

[jo]

Eons ago, when I used to quilt and lived in Austin, I went to the International Quilt Festival in Houston. It was fun, but a little overwhelming!

It actually did my heart good to see that most responders to your thread either haven't done most of the ones you hear about on podcasts/blogs. Makes me feel less like I'm missing out :)

I'd like to do something schmancy--somewhere away and not just a visit to a yarn store in my vacationy area. But I haven't decided on anything yet.

[Liz K]

Travelled in Scotland, Outer Hebrides, Shetland Islands. Shopped, shopped & shopped.

[Donna]

Been to Rhinebeck the last two years. Awesome. Also have been to Common Ground Fair in ME. Only products made in ME - have a good selection of ME yarn. Great find

[raquel from JC]

My last new yarn store search took me to Blowing Rock NC, but I haven't had the opportunity to travel overseas to look for new yarn or techniques. Maybe someday I will combine a trip to Edinburgh with my father to visit distilleries and go to the yarn festival over there!

[Alison]

I've been to the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon, a few times, and Maryland Sheep and Wool, but I think the most fun I had yarn shopping was when a bunch of girlfriends hit about 3 shops in one day. I can't remember specifics because it was almost 10 years ago.

[Teresa Wall]

I am a new enough knitter that I have not had any yarn adventures on the road yet, but I am looking forward to them in the future. 🤗

[Lisa Sauer]

I'm fortunate to have Stitches West in my backyard, but I have used other events as an excuse to check out new cities (Atlanta, Nashville). I try to have a yarn adventure in all my travels (especially international) - in fact, I'm looking forward to some Irish yarn adventures next week!