In just over a week, my mother, my sister and I will be traveling to California together for our first-ever Girls Trip. We have an itinerary all mapped that will take us to various hot spots in Sonoma and Napa where we plan to try lots of wine, squeeze in some hiking, and enjoy the mild spring weather.
Predictably, we’re also planning to hit one or two yarn stores. Yarns on First in Napa is officially on our itinerary. And I’m hoping we will “stumble upon” at least one other. I want to bring home some souvenir yarn to remind me of the trip. My sister doesn’t knit, but perhaps we can distract her with some chocolate.
I’m trying to decide what types of fiber projects to bring along.
- My tiny little Akerworks spindle served me well on my last big trip, so I’ll definitely plan to pack that with some fiber for spinning. This spindle is the best possible travel spindle, in my opinion. Small, light-weight, collapsible, and completely indestructible (unless you were to run it over with a car).
- Perhaps I’ll also pack a simple pair of colorwork mittens to knit. Or a hat. Hmmm…whatever it is, I’d better cast it on soon. Few things are more annoying than trying to cast on while flying coach.
I don’t want to get carried away. I must remind myself that I won’t have that much time for spinning and knitting. In an ideal world, I’ll be far too busy site-seeing and sipping pinot noir to have much time for my fiber. I tell myself this so that I can talk myself out of packing a sweater project.
All She Wants To Do Is Knit 
Have a good trip!
Have a fun trip. Are you just staying northern CA?
Yep, this time around we’re sticking to wine country and will have a day in SF, mostly to eat Chinese food.
If you get closer to Santa Rosa, there are a few in that area. I’ve been to Balls & Skeins in Sebastopol but there are plenty more.
Are you just staying up toward Napa or are you going to venture to SF?
Oh hey. Balls & Skeins. Thanks. We have one day already planned in Sebastopol. Going to go to the Barlow and see some other stuff nearby.
Have a good time, and definitely get some souvenir yarn! It’s the best. 🙂
Tw-, er, three words: cable cast on. Have a great trip!
Have fun on your trip!
Have a fun trip! Haha I feel like I’m reading myself thinking of what project to take…
I admire your ability to look at this realistically. I pack a minimum of four times more than I could ever possibly knit on any given trip and panic before leaving because surely I’ll uncover some super-human-knitting-speed I’ve never possessed before in my life and actually NEED 10 miles of yarn for a 2 day road trip. SO I throw extra in my carry on. Every.Single.Time
Not saying it won’t happen. There’s still a week to talk myself out of this sensible mood I’m in.
Socks. Plain vanilla socks. Toe-up or top-down; doesn’t matter. Once you get it cast on (for top-down) or get the toe increases done (for toe-up), it’s smooth sailing until you get to the heel. then auto-pilot knitting on to the end after that. My go-to travel project.
can’t wait to see your vacation knits! I always plan vacations around knit shops!
Excited to see your vacation knits. I also recommend socks for travel knitting!