Well, the trip was great…Baltimore was HOT (the hottest and most humid I’ve ever felt)…and the food was great! So where do I start?! Well I promised yarn shop reviews but I’m also going to add a couple of our restaurant finds too!
I didn’t time my (minor) surgical procedure very well…I had a small, suspicious lesion removed from my lower back—the ride up was difficult because I couldn’t get real comfortable and once we got into Baltimore…we’ll lets just say ALL the construction going on isn’t going into improving the roadways—a couple of times I felt like I was looking at pedestrians feet on the curb at eyelevel! The heat/humidity was unbearable for any length of time but considering what the Midwest and West are dealing with it may have been a little better but still stifling! Not to mention how the sweat felt running down my back and under my bandage....ouch!
Let me back up a moment, we made a stop or two on the way…for comfort, as well as, other reasons!?
My first Yarn Shop Review is Eleganza in Frederick, MD. For those who know me and my love of history this was really special…one (and I have many) of my pet peeves is when a city, town or village levels old buildings to make way for new construction. Well, Historic Frederick and one gentleman (not the shop owner) in particular has saved some valuable historic buildings and created a very interesting downtown area…it’s called “Shab Row”.
This yarn shop is housed in a c. 1843 log cabin along one of the main routes through downtown. The interior is authentic and the owner, Paul(sorry I can't remember his last name--I bad about that), has made great use of the small nooks and crannies, even the upstairs has packed! He carries all ranges from the high-end stuff to what anyone could afford! Classic wools, sock yarns to fancy fluff! Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Maggi Knits…the list goes on and on. You name it I think he had it! The one thing he had (I didn’t buy any but I lusted for them, held them and thought seriously about bringing them home) was the brand new Lantern Moon’s new Destiny circular needles!! OMG!…the wood feels great in your hands—they come in rosewood and ebony, a very smooth join but the best part is…the cable SWIVELS…a very smooth swivel mind you…no noise…no hesitations, so when you are knitting the cable doesn’t twist and contort so that you have to stop to straighten them out! He even had some of the Knit Lites…you can knit in the dark; just think of what you can do in the movie theater now! Oh and about the buildings…there are two other log cabins next door that this gentleman (not the shop owner) moved from another location to save from demolition which house gift shops. So you ask what I bought…
I was trying to be reserved because I know there are some other places to visit! The pin was a must have--it says "Luv 2 Knit! And I’ve always wanted to see a copy of the German knitting magazine “Rebecca” from Muench yarns, this one has some great designs. I wanted yarn…believe me! Especially seeing as how I’ve not bought any since May! It was a personal goal to abstain until this trip!
We ate lunch at a café just down the block…Tauraso's Ristorante which is a remodeled warehouse building all the brick and wood beam architecture saved and exposed. The food was very good but the staff had no personality…their attitude was…well...non-existent. Jack and I both had the crab cake sandwich and let me tell you…it was ALL crab there was no filler used at all! And very good! It's a little pricey for lunch but what the heck we are on vacation!
The second yarn shop on the menu was Keep me in Stitches just about a mile away. It’s located on another main route through town but located where a lot of row houses were mixed with business. Parking out front was available, and of course I had all my duck in a row…I’d already had the smell of fiber and hungry for more! Hubby is very patient and says he will wait in the car for me…I bound out of the car, wallet burning in my purse. I step up to the door…IT’S LOCKED! The sign in the window says OPEN…I check my info again; Tues-Fri 11-7…I look at my watch it’s 1:45…I check the knob again to make sure I wasn’t being a wimp…I peer hungrily through the lace curtains hoping to see someone…the lights are on…I can see the yarn…I try the door knob again…no its locked…I knock on the door…no answer—DARN IT! So, I slump back to the car before I end up a heap on the doorstep, looking quite pitiful…all I can say is, all the while holding back the pain, “their closed!” I assure Jack I checked all the times, their supposed to be open! So I called them from my cell phone…no answer…all I get is the answering machine…DARN IT! DARN IT! DARN IT! (I could say something else here but I AM a lady!—stop laughing). I'll have to try again to give my review...I won't give a bad review this time but if the next time it's closed when it's supposed to be open...?!
So it’s back on the road to Baltimore…from Frederick we are only about an hour away. I have one more shop in Mt. Airy that I want to visit but that’s for the ride back. Stay tuned for Part 2!
I did a lot of knitting and reading along the way…the baby sweater is back! I have most of the body done and getting ready to start the sleeves.
Oh—and I won a contest! Knitnana had a “Guess what it is” contest—I was one of 3 correct guesses...and Entrelac bag! Hey…I never win anything—Thanks Sallee!
2 comments:
Sounds like a nice, (if hot) trip. How disappointing about that shop being closed! Did you call them later to find out what happened? Sounds like someone ducked out for lunch or something, but they should have changed thes sign, at least.
ARRGH....I feel your pain so bad about missing that store - but you know, it's their loss!!! Think of the sale they could have made??? See you on Thursday with your prize!!!
(((hugs)))
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