I hit the road last Tuesday to travel to Chicago for Stitches Midwest, armed with a truckload of yarn and a sense of adventure! My first stop, while unplanned ( I got off the highway for food and found YARN!), was a well-stocked yarn shop in Bowling Green, KY, called Crafty Hands.  I picked up a few skeins of Noro cotton/silk yarn for a scarf project, and enjoyed looking at the gorgeous selection of yarns before I hopped back on the highway.

I had all day Wednesday to play in Chicago, so my friend Kristen and I headed over to visit the girls at Lorna's Laces. We went out for tasty Mexican food and caught up on yarn gossip!

Amanda at Lorna's Laces Studio

We took the afternoon to do some crafty shopping, and our first stop was the delightful fabric shop, The Needle Shop. I picked up a couple of half yard cuts of fun cotton prints for some unknown future quilt project, and got inspired by fun color combos.

Kristen, shopping for upholstery fabric

Our next stop was Soutache, a wonderland of ribbons, buttons, and fancy trims. I exercised all the willpower I had not to buy a truckload, and narrowed down my selection to a rich paprika colored velvet ribbon, which I plan to use as detailing on a pullover sweater design. If you are ever in/around Chicago, you HAVE to visit this shop. The colors and textures will blow your mind, and the owner is funny, charming, and helpful.

Once we shopped our little brains out (and wallets), Kristen lead me to Piece for pizza and craft beer. We feasted on New Haven-style thin crust pizza, and delicious, award-winning brew.

After my day of fun, I felt recharged and ready to go for Stitches Midwest! Stay tuned for part 2!