The title is more accurate than the usual San Francisco based song lyric. Not that I didn’t enjoy SF, but my time in Oakland with the Kristine and Adrienne (and CLEO!) of A Verb for Keeping Warm and my friend Karen Templer definitely left me with a case of the warm fuzzies. And an almost pathological avoidance of my inbox.
I left the day before Halloween to teach two days of Brioche Knitting classes at Interweave Knitting Lab in San Mateo, CA. My classes were delightful! Afterward, I stayed in Oakland for a few days of mini-vacation, exploring San Francisco with K&A: visiting The Presidio to see the Andy Goldsworthy installations, shopping in Japantown, and hunting for treasures at the enormous Alameda Flea and Antique market (where I bought a suh-weet vintage CAST IRON SKILLET, which I toted home in my carry-on suitcase like a crazy lady).
On the way home, I managed to miss my connecting flight through Chicago, so I called my bestie Amanda, and zipped over to her place on the Blue Line train. I got to visit her, her husband Derek, and the lovely Lorna’s Laces yarn studio for about 24 hours before hopping back on another plane. And then I slept. And slept. And slept a little more for good measure. And ate restorative Alabama BBQ.
Here’s a visual travelogue of my adventures and treasures.
This sums up my California/Chicago travels. Dogs and yarn.
Spire by Andy Goldsworthy. Epic.
Goldsworthy installation. We hiked up and down the whole thing and met a little dog in a crocheted sweater, so much fun.
Flea market finds.
Shabu shabu dinner with A-day, Kristine, and Mary Jane Mucklestone. Fun dinner!
Spirit tasting room at St. George Spirits, home of Hangar 1 Vodka. We’re VERY happy.
Car ride with Cleo.
Kristine in the Verb dye studio.
A-day scouring and mordanting some California Pioneer yarn!
My beloved skillet.
Sam the dog at the Lorna’s Laces studio.
Treasures from Verb.
These sewing books from Kunokiniya were irresistible.
