Knitting Here and There--from MSN to BCN

Hola! Were you wondering where I've been? After all, it's been almost a month since I last blogged. Well, I've been busy keeping true to my name--knitting and embarking on some wonderful journeys.

My first journey was a quick trip to Madison, where I was a vendor at the Madison Knitting Guild's Knit-in. The Knit In is a great little event that I was lucky to be a part of--vendors are drawn by lottery, and I was fortunate to get in for the second year in a row. It was a long day, but thoroughly enjoyable. While there, I obtained some lovely handpainted yarn from Sandy of Sandy's Palette--I swapped with her for a sale kit, and I think each of us went away happy and thinking we had gotten the better deal. I couldn't wait to start knitting up my new acquisition, so even though I already have a pair of mittens on the needles, I started another pair with my swap yarn. It would be a perfect small project for my next journey--a week in Barcelona!

There is so much to tell you about Barcelona! For today's post, I'll stick to the knitting, but watch for another post in the coming days for a strictly touristy take on the city. My knitting adventure in Barcelona started on the plane. My DH admitted to accidentally pulling out one of my "sticks" when he picked up my project from the seat pocket where I had left it. We searched deligently, but the needle was nowhere to be found. I wasn't upset though. The loss of my needle simply meant that I HAD TO visit a yarn shop in Barcelona.

On arrival in Barcelona, we made our way to our hotel, checked-in, and immediately set out for the nearest yarn shop, All You Knit is Love. The shop name reflects the warm and friendly nature of the shop owner, Jennifer, an American ex-pat, and her Catalan spouse, Miguel.

Jennifer quickly helped me find replacement needles. I enjoyed a quick tour of the tiny store, and took special note of the lovely locally produced roving. Unfortunately, I don't spin, so I passed up the roving for a European (Norwegian?) yarn in a beautiful teal shade for more mittens as a souvenir. My husband enjoyed a lengthy chat with Miguel about business and European Cup soccer while Jennifer and I talked knitting. We enjoyed our visit so much that I decided to return for the shop's S&B knitting the following evening. The knitting ladies (and one knitting man) welcomed me with a Catalan kiss on both cheeks.

I cannot say enough about the friendliness at All You Knit is Love. The shop never lacked customers during the two days that I visited, and although I don't speak Catalan and my Spanish is both limited and rusty, I could tell that the customers were loyal and felt a sense of community towards each other and the shop. I was pleased to hear the owner's good news that they will be moving to a bigger location in a busier street nearby. They are moving just two blocks over to Barra de Ferro 8--a great location, just off of Princesa and around the corner from the Textile and Picasso Museums. If you are a knitter and a visitor to Barcelona, a stop at this shop really must be added to your itinerary.