Traveling around

Do you ever know you need to do something but it seems a bit overwhelming so you put it off. Then you’ve got new stuff to do plus the old stuff so now it just gets bigger. Yeah, well that’s sort of what’s been happening with the blog so sorry for the absence. But here’s a wrap up.

I’d been wanting to take a weekend away for a while and finally got the chance last weekend, going on a little jaunt through Galesburg, IL, where I visited a lovely antique shop, to Davenport, IA, where I found a yarn shop (as you do) and my find of the weekend (a whole stack of vintage crafting magazine from the 30’s, 50’s and 70’s for just $5) and finally on to Muscatine, IA, home of the famous shell button factories and home to a Crazy Girl Yarn Shop. Here's a photo of the outside of the shop and one of the inside of the old button factory that's now been refurbished and houses a variety of very cool shops and restaurants.

I stayed at the cutest little bed and breakfast called Strawberry Farm B&B. It was, oddly enough, at one time a strawberry farm. The owners were so kind and did they ever do a great breakfast! Handmade quilts and antiques everywhere, a screened porch and lovely back yard. Charming. Definitely charming.

Muscatine is right on the Mississippi. Here are some shots of the area. As always, you can click a picture for a larger view.

In my treasure trove of vintage pattern books I found the most interesting pattern for a knitted slipper. It’s a most ingenious construction. Here’s the picture from the magazine showing the layout and the finished product.

And here’s after the seams were sewn and on my own personal foot.