Back in NYC!

I should be doing paperwork, I should be putting things away, I should fold some fliers for work, I should…………… instead, I am blogging and blog hopping. Well, its 4:30am, still jet legged from the trip to Paris and its still dark out. The Trip to Paris was great. The only yarn I bought is this natural colors alpaca (no dyes). I really love it. So soft. The store wound the skeins for me. I picked nine colors, (they had more) since I want to make another sudoku something, which means nine colors.
The other yarn shops in Paris were not so great, but at Le Bon Marché the selection was very good, but the prices were very high. I really wanted to get some Rowan cotton/wool and Rowan felted tweed, but I knew the prices here in NY and on line, and it did not make sense. It was nice and cool at Le Bon Marché, and my son was sleeping in the stroller, so it was a nice visit to the “hobby shop” department… I visited the new museum in Paris, Musee du Quai Branly, for non-western art, and the newly renovated Musée du Petit Palais.
Both great to visit, AND are cool on very hot summer days…
We went to some markets and I was inspired by all this recycling of cans, bottle caps, etc. all these items are made in third world countries, but the creativity is universal!
Found some lovely "hobby shops" and some fun tea shops and salons.
We took the train to Bretagne (or Brittany ) where is was cold and wet for one and a half days (as it should be in that region…) but we had fun anyway.




The wet weather causes much lovely moss and lichen. It also happens to be artichoke season , and I love artichokes! They had many artichoke fields, which I must confess, I have not seen before; artichokes in the "wild." it was wonderful, and we cooked them when we got back to Paris. Yum!And, while waiting for my brother who was at the supermarket, I ran to a group of shops to find shelter from the rain and found a little hobby shop, full of yarn and ribbons. I was excited at first, but found that 90% of all the yarn was acrylic, or 50% acrylic. Food wise in Bretagne- have great oysters, very special cider; you have to eat the crêpes, and you have to order for lunch the Moules au Safran et a la Moutarde, mussels steamed in white wine, mustard & saffron served with fries. It was further north, and the daylight extended to 10:30pm, maybe even later, and we walked on the beach at low tide- wow!
I made progress on my Meilenweit socks. Its from Knitting Vintage Socks; the: Simple Ribbed socks, with a Dutch heel (I did not care for it much, but it was new to try) and a pointed toe,(which I can see using again). Now, never having knit toes-up, I wonder if it makes sense, since I do love the fact that the rounds get shorter and shorter as you get close to the end! I really enjoy knitting with the cotton wool combo, ( I don't like just cotton, it has no "memory") and that is why I really want the Rowan cotton wool, for a cardigan I have been wanting to make for a few years now. I got it in color "rich."
It was a great trip- and I am happy to be home!!! Unfortunately I had to miss the spin meeting of my knitting group upon my return, but I hope there will be more (hint hint Annie...)
I am ready to cast on for my Lily socks. It appears everybody is LOVING it!