Horror of Horrors

Well today was San Francisco. I woke to a beautiful blue sky. I decided to head off to see Helen at Urban Knitting.This time I thought I would be smart and take Public transportation. Oops I took the Bart and went one stop to many, so I still had to walk about a mile to get there. That was OK It was a beautiful day. I turned the corner an EEEEk aghhh Urban knits has gone out of business! There was a sign in the window that said thanks for 7 great years.
I think it is so sad when a knitting store dies. I decided I needed chocolate immediately!( I was morning the loss of a good if not great knitting store)

I also had the need to console myself with fiber. It was still early so I decided to walk the rest of the way to ImagiKnit
I may have stopped one more time for another double chocolate chip cookie... I can't remember... It was a bad day!

ImagiKints is a delightful yarn shop floor to ceiling with amazing fibers. They carry all my favorites.
the staff is delightful and helpful. This has to be a nice reflection on the owner Allison.





Thanks to Katelynn, Jeanette, and Michelle. I was starting to feel my pain ease.
When ever you are in San Fransisco I highly recommend a stop at ImagiKnit
Its located in the Castro area at 3897 18Th Street.
PS the Bread cafe has a killer double chocolate cookie ... just in case you feel the need.

So in conclusion Horror of Horrors we lost another great knitting store, however it just goes to show, that you should always shop your local yarn stores. These great stores are little Islands of creativity. So......... shop, shop, shop. Come on Knitters lets not loose anymore!

Queit Foggy Day in San Francisco

I know a lot has been said about the weird weather in San Francisco. Mark Twain said " The coldest summer he ever spent was in San Fransisco". We arrived Wednesday night and I kid you not it was clear sultery evening. We where wearing short sleeves on the roof of the hotel.( there is a beautiful observation deck on the eleventh floor of our hotel)

That is why it was so surprising to wake up to a cold and fogy day. Don't think I am complaining, after I went back to my room and added some layers, I was off. The weather matched my mood completely, I find San Francisco often does. I was in a quiet contipaltive mood. I decided to do some spirit renewal and balancing.

My friends on the ravelry, the bay city knitters and the men who knit group, had recommended the Yerba Buena Gardens. These gardens are just beautiful in the middle of a crowded urban landscape. The San Francisco museum of modern art SFMOMA is right next door( I am going to do that another time I didn't want to much stimulation) Also, surrounding the gardens is the Museum of Craft and Folk Art. http://www.mocfa.org/

My destination was Samovar Tea Lounge http://samovarlife.com/

It sits overlooking the gardens and is a nice place for quiet contemplation. It wasnt crowded so I tucked into a nice corner spot loaded with pillows. I ordered a nice pot of soothing tea and let the knitting fly!!! Ahhhhhh....

after enjoying my pot of tea and my meditative knitting(there is something to say about quiet knitting in surrounded by people yet still anonymous)I decided to head off to what I consider one of the most sacred spots in the country. Grace cathedral
Wait! wait! Oh well I guess I am walking......


It is quiet a hike, since Grace Cathedral sits at the top of Nob hill. It is so worth the effort. The church itself is beautiful and awe inspiring. The rose window, the stained glass, and the soaring ceilings, but it has two other things that make it a destination site for me.


First, I am an avid fan of Labyrinths. The labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in cultures around the world in many different forms. Similar to a maze,but without any dead ends. the oldest known examples date back five thousand years. Grace Cathedral has two copied after the labyrinth at Chartes Cathedral.

People use Labyrinths for quiet contemplation, meditation, finding balance. I find they help me focus my meditation and prayer.
If you are interested in Labyrinths check out this site and find one in your neighborhood
http://labyrinthlocator.com/



http://www.gracecathedral.org/

The other thing I find so inspiring at Grace Cathedral is The AIDS Interfaith Chapel
It is a little chapel just to the right of the main cathedral. It is a place of mediation and remembrance for all who have suffered, or are fighting, and thankfully surviving this disease.


I spent another good hour and half walking the labyrinths and sitting and meditating (with knitting of course)

From there it was back towards the Hotel and Chinatown.


Now I am going to give away one of my favorite things. Every time I am in Chinatown I have to pick up my organza knitting bags. They make the greatest project bags. You can color code the projects you can see though them and they are as Strong as iron (needles poke holes and the things self heal)The best part is they are cheep!!! Three bucks a bag. They make great gifts for your knitting buddies.

While in China town I had to stop at my favorite Vietnamese pho shop. Yum Yum noodle soup!!

back at the hotel I had to snap this picture of the Trans America building

Thanks for spending a quiet foggy day in San Francisco with me...

San Francisco ...... Open your golden gates.........

The great thing about exploring a city is finding its hidden treasures! San Francisco has many and I just keep finding more and more.
Today my buddies and I were off to Dotties True Blue for Breakfast/Brunch(just off the corner of Jones St and Geary St). Dotties has been touted as one of the best breakfast restaurants in the country (per usa today). It is very small and there is a usually a line. We got in pretty quick. It is defiantly worth the wait.




After Dotties it was off to find Urban Knitting. (http://www.urbanknitting.com/)






I have had a ton of recomendations to check out urban knitting from friends on Ravelry. It is located in a area called Hayes Valley. Hayes Valley is one of those hidden treasures I was mentioning earlier. They have passed an ordinance in the district to ban chains from coming in. It is a great way to support small local business. Urban Knitting is one of the crown Jewels of the neighborhood( from a knitters point of view). The store is big and airy and has a very urban loft feel. Loaded with beautiful yarn. Check out the wall of Malibrigo. The best part of Urban Knitting is the owner Helen. She is a no nonsense wonderful vibrant woman who's style and taste are reflected in her beautiful shop. The samples and patterns in the shop are sure to inspire( they did me.....) My only regret was that I didn't have time to sit and knit... Oh but I plan on returning. While in the area make sure you have time to shop Fell St and Hayes St. Urban Knitting is back to back with an other highly recommended spot The Blue Bottle coffee stand. I also really enjoyed Polanco A Gallery of Mexican Arts (http://www.polancogallery.com/)
The owners Aldo and John are warm and inviting with a beautiful selection of mexican art.
Give yourself some time when coming to the Hayes Valley area you will want to spend some time!
I want to think the men who knit and bay area knitters groups on ravelry who were so generous in there recommendations.
Stayed tuned I have more trips to San Francisco in February ..... More treaures to uncover.....
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