Countrywool and the Saving Grace

We have been traveling through the beautiful states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, basically choosing towns and then taking the scenic routes to get there, and wow it is beautiful.

I have been in the backseat steadily working away at my cardigan. Today, while analyzing and admiring my work, something seemed off… my raglan increases on the right side were in the wrong place!

I sat in the back feeling more and more depressed at the prospect of having to frog (rip out) everything… AGAIN. I decided I needed someone with more experience and expertise to tell me what to do. So I headed to Knitmap.com to look for a yarn shop in the direction of which we were headed for the day. After finding a few that were not open because it is a Sunday, we found one in Hudson, New York, which was on the way to the Catskills, which was the place we picked to go today.

Our GPS was leading us down several little country back roads, but onward we went in search of this little yarn shop. The drive there was absolutely beautiful, so much so that we just had to stop and take pictures! (See below).  Lady Luck was on our side because she was open 10-3 on Sundays, every other day by appointment only. Countrywool, run by Claudia Krisniski (aka my saving grace) is the epitome of a local yarn shop. Cozy and inviting with yarn and needles and pattern books arranged around the store, everywhere invites you to come in and sit awhile.

I went into the store, pulled out my project and explained the problem. (For those of you looking to make the Rocky Coast Cardigan, I will do a separate detailed post chronicling my mistakes, so you can learn from me and not make them!) She originally said that I would most likely have to rip out and I felt myself beginning to slip into an internal sadness but then she kept on looking at the work and she said she had a solution. Yay! Queue intense knitting surgery. 

Here is the complicated knitting surgery

She was great in explaining all the details, and letting me sit and do a few rows to get confident in this new confangled knitting surgery technique. 

My aunt asked, “Would you like to look at yarn while we are here?” Claudia and I shared a look that most likely resembled how cats look when a bowl of milk is set before them and I answered, “What kind of question is that, OF COURSE I would like to look at yarn”

Knitting is an addiction, I swear. So Claudia and I talked about sock yarn, because as you all know I have conquered my irrational fear of socks! So now I am looking to try the technique of two at a time socks! That is a project for after I finish the cardigan. BUT that doesn’t mean I can’t buy some amazing yarn for said future socks!

Claudia set me up with some beautiful and scrumptiously soft Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace Yarns in the colorway Storm. It is so soft and pretty!!!! I will have to go waste hours looking for sock patterns now, but for now, I am perfectly content to fix my sweater thanks to my saving grace of the day, Claudia.

New sock yarn with one of our random destinations in the background

It felt really good to support a small local yarn shop that is the epitome of what a yarn shop should be. Claudia has an amazing online store with great yarn and needles and more, and I highly recommend going to her shop if you are in the Hudson, New York area! www.countrywool.com

I am now finished with my emergency knitting surgery and back on track with my sweater. I am doing the increases only on the sleeves and preparing to set them aside to work on the body.

This is amazing trip and a beautiful place, but I am also excited to head home to be with my handsome man soaking up the California sunshine. We have made plans to spend a whole week together divided between his parent’s house and mine. Traveling is fantastic, but there is something about the small pleasures of being with the person you love, doing the little everyday things.

In front of a beautiful view of the Catskills