Flibbertygibbet

The reason for the season[al shopping]

The next stop was Imaginknit.
 

This picture gives you some idea of the scope of the place - there's a second room that's just as filled with yarny goodness.  The search was on for Malabrigo Worsted in Azul Profundo, and that's what I came away with, along with some laceweight Malabrigo in Marron Profundo for me.  Don't those names just sound magical in Spanish. So much selection here that it was also sort of bewildering.  I was sorry on Monday that I didn't make it to Noe Knits - don't think there would have been anything very interesting there but the neighbourhood looked like fun.

After that I decided to get myself in gear and get up to Fort Mason, and the reason for scheduling my work trip for last weekend - Renegade Craft! It took me quite a while to find Fort Mason and there wasn't any signage inside the compound which was annoying.  It was much bigger than last year's foray in New York but there wasn't as much that grabbed me - or that I grabbed.

Well Typepad is playing up again (h-a-t-i-n-g it at the moment, and it's slower than hell - wondering why I'm bothering to pay the $ for it) so just losta very long post about it all but I did find some complete treasures. 

Beautiful bears from Annie Galvin, aka Wexford Girl of 3 Fish Studios (with her husband who does wicked robots), a fellow Irishwoman and really friendly.  I bought two of her handpainted postcards. But I think the bears will be on my Christmas list.

Lots of fabulous earrings from Hannah Chile at Hannahmade, I have worn these about three times already.

Ok, have lost the rest of this post for the fourth time and it's getting very frustrating.  Will leave it here, more to come.

I'm baaaaaaaack!

The logistical and technological hiccups of the first twenty-four hours got sorted out. I wish I'd been able to explore Mountain View and the surrounding area a bit more (there are some good quilting shops around apparently, though none in San Francisco) but as I won't drive... Next time I travel I will tell the bank in advance so they don't cancel all my cards again.  I will also make sure my phone service provider has set up my account correctly.  Being stranded - no money or means of communication - was not fun.  Let's just say I am not an off-grid girl.

After a couple of days of working rather too hard  (up early to work in UK time, staying late in the office to meet up with people in the US, I got to go and play!  Yes, it was fabulous.  Add San Francisco to the list of Cities I'd Most Love to Live in Following a Huge Lottery Win.  I have even chosen the house I'd like:

It's on California and Franklin.  Lots of pretty houses around there. 

On Friday we went to the Latin American Club.  These reviews are pinpoint accurate and as funny as the place itself.  We also went to Esperpento for tapas ($12 each including tip!) and I got back to my hotel pleasantly hazy.  My tip for the Lat Am club is don't drink the cocktails - they are strong as hell.

My hotel room had that essential ingredient: a knitting couch.

Yarn tourism is a great way to see a city, seeking out those specialist shops.    Art Fibers was pretty close to my hotel though I did need to use Googlemaps to find it.  Lately I am incredibly directionally challenged. 

Roxanne, the owner of this store is super friendly and though ostensibly shopping for the lovely Lucy, I did find a few things for me.  Roxanne helped me to find some treasures and also the best match for Lucy's shopping list. En route to the next yarn store I stopped at Rare Device. Ooh, I fell in love with lots of prettiness there.  Lisa Congdon, the co-owner was there, really friendly.  I wanted to tell her how much I admire her work but the old 'she'll think I'm a stalker' instinct kicked in.  I bought cards and some of Lisa's magnets:

More on the trip later...and the shopping...and RC...

I have the cloud. Now show me the goddammed silver lining.

Landed at SFO safely.  Good.
In Mountain View now.  Not so good.

There have been a few 'challenges' as my too polite boss often says.

• Missed first meeting, but that's ok.  Except the guy now isn't available tomorrow at all.  Oops.
• BlackBerry is dead.  Luckily I can now get online or wouldn't know where I was going (I know, there's a lesson in that)
• Tried to get $ out using my Switch card like I always do.  But all of my cards have been declined.  There are no 24 hour HSBC numbers (that pick up) so I am hoping I can get on to them tomorrow in my AM.  Having no money and being disconnected is scary.  At least my normal mobile is working.
• Taxi driver (thankfully prebooked using credit card) did turn up.  Very sweet man. But smelled of bad bad BO.  It was a long journey in many ways.
• It's fricking hot here.  I laughed and thought the BBC website was wrong - but inland it's 100 degrees.  Not that bad here I think but definitely a little heatwave.  Pasty white Irish girl didn't think to bring sunscreen.  (I know P, I should have known after last year at RC).
• Got to hotel, no room for me.  Manager obviously forgot to 'squeeze me in' like she said.  Luckily they had a cancellation.

It's all going to be better tomorrow.  Right?  Right?!

Oh, and got almost all of the increase rows done on a Clapotis for me in Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, the yarn I bought in Purl Soho last year.  Love the colour but it's a bit splitty.  And now it feels like the RSI is flaring...gnnnnnnrughhhhhh....

The Doll House

(Photo from Times Online)
I went to the Viktor & Rolf exhibition on Thursday with the lovely Abi and it was quite the eye-opener.  See something of it here.  I didn't know anything of their clothes beforehand and during the exhibition itself the jury was out (I started off feeling rather like this journalist) - but by the end, having paid close attention to the captions around the exhibits, I was both intrigued and inspired.  Particularly by the third coat in the Russian Doll series above.  This questionnaire is interesting - partly the first question about the women they design for, because I felt a strong sense of depersonalisation of women and of the models (literally reducing them to mannequins just to show the clothes); the doll heads are supposed to echo the porcelain miniature figurines that the fashion houses of the 30s and 40s used to showcase their collections but the childlike expressions were sinister. it seemed just too ironic that one exhibit was framed by the names of all the supermodels that were 'in' that year.  But it's definitely worth seeing, and as Helen told me, it benefits from repeated viewings.  I don't doubt it.  My recommendation is to view all the collections and the films and then go to see the Doll's House.

There are lots of workshops being held as part of the education programme, and I may even find myself sneaking back.  Sadly I will miss Ruth's workshop as that day I'll be off indulging my textile tendencies in San Francisco.  Ok, sorry to miss it but won't be sad... she said gleefully as she tripped off across the Atlantic to Renegade Craft!  I think there may be a few tickets left for Ruth's session - good luck in snaring one!