California Yarn Shop Trip Report

I recently returned from a one week vacation with my middle daughter, 14 1/2 years old, to Los Angeles and Laguna Beach, California. (my other 2 daughters are at overnight camp)

WOW what a trip. In addition to visiting many beaches and piers, shopping on Rodeo Drive, biking on The Strand, driving up to Malibu, and eating sushi, I managed to squeeze in several visits to yarn shops.

FIRST STOP STRAIGHT FROM LAX :

the LIGHTHOUSE SUSHI BUFFET in SANTA MONICA

all you can eat lunch !!





I told my daughter the best kept secret place to see celebrities is at yarn shops!! Of course, she didn't believe me but we still got to visit the following:




YARNS UNLIMITED on PICO BLVD. IN SANTA MONICA

This shop was on my list to visit but I actually stumbled across it and saw the sign as I was driving by !!

HUGE store, shelves and bins from floor to ceiling. A nice selection of yarns on sale too.

2 ONE SKEINS PURCHASED


NEXT STOP:

BEACH KNITTING

WOW - only 5 minutes away from our hotel in MANHATTAN BEACH !! I was very inspired by this shop's Knit for Charity collection. The owner was delightful and introduced me to

PANDORA - a very unique yarn that stripes and alternates with fluffy fibers and

MISTY ALPACA CHUNKY - amazingly soft.

I purchased a beautiful

LANTERN MOON Knitting Basket and 2 skeins of MEDITATION. This amazingly soft yarn smells of lavender and I can't wait to make a scarf with it. Very "ZEN CALIFORNIA" !!

WE DROVE PAST:

After all, I couldn't convince my daughter to stop EVERYWHERE with me,

so instead we went into the FAMOUS:

KNIT CAFE

I was greeted by the owner, Susan Mischer, a former vice president for specials and documentaries at CBS. Somewhat secretive about the stars that visit her shop, I knew they were lurking somewhere in this W. HOLLYWOOD location on MELROSE AVENUE.

She also wrote the book:

"GREETINGS FROM KNIT CAFE"

Greetings from me at the Knit Cafe!!

Other stops in W. Hollywood area:

and we visited MONTANA AVE.

home of:

L'ATELIER

where the friendly instructor opened the shop up just for us.

She said she recently taught, Brooke Shields.

Also on MONTANA AVE.

MICHAEL STARS

A visit to REDONDO BEACH PIER and famous sites from the T.V. show, "THE O.C."

We drove down to LAGUNA BEACH for the weekend and my daughter enjoyed seeing the sites where the M.T.V. Show "LAGUNA BEACH" is filmed.

While my daughter was getting a manicure at the:

I visited STRANDS AND STITCHES

Here I was inspired by a group of knitters who are working on the Lorraine bag by Berroco

I purchased 2 skeins of

ZIGGY made in Italy by S. Charles and I recevied their free pattern to make a

ZIGGY CURLY Q SCARF

We spent a day at the beach where I worked on the Market Squares Entrelac Bag

I made even MORE progress on the bag waiting 5 hours in LAX for our return flight to Cleveland!!

Well worth the 10 minute drive over to LAGUNA HILLS, we visited:

YARN LADY

This HUGE store had a collection of EVERYTHING!!

I especially loved the wall of COLORFUL CASCADE 220 (my favorite for felted bags)

and an amazing collection of NORO KUREYON, my other felting favorite!!

My daughter enjoyed her purchases on our vacation as well from

RODEO DRIVE in BEVERLY HILLS !!