Manos del Me

So, I have to begin by pointing out that the DOW dropped 777 points....crazy depressing. And by depressing I mean Depression. So, in true "the economy is bad, so I need to be entertained" form, I went out and bought more yarn today. Whoops. In my defense, I've had a rough couple of days. I won't go into detail. More importantly, I found the greatest LYS (local yarn supplier for all you who don't know the lingo) EVER. Really. After reading some Northern Virginia Ravelry forums, I noticed that a great deal of people were talking about a store called Uniquities in Vienna. So, today, I was feeling tired and a bit down when I decide to go to Knit Happens and buy yarn...but failed to remember that its closed on Mondays until I reached the doorstep. So with my GPS-enabled phone in hand (it's a lifesaver, let me tell you), I decide to take the opportunity to check out Uniquities before it closed for the day, as I knew it was about a 20 minute drive. It was awesome. It had everything I could possibly want in a yarn store and more. Lots and lots of stock, helpful people, and even prices that were a bit lower. I'll definitely be back. I've fallen off the wagon, folks. But you know...with yarn. So check out what I got.


The Manos del Uruguay (shown in the kelly green color) is some of the most beautiful yarn I've ever seen. They also had Noro, but that will have to wait...

So, on Sunday I went with my mom and Blake to the Crafty Bastards show, and it was great. The only disappoint was that Stitch DC pulled out at the last minute (that's what she said) and I didn't get to see my buddy employee (dealer) person. Oh well. Pictures!




The free tote and the Make zine tshirt! The people from Craft zine were there too, and it was great to talk to them.


My mom checking out the goods.

An especially cute craft. There were so many talented people there. This particular piece is made by Beth B. at Tiger Flight (tigerflight.etsy.com, but she has her stuff on magpiedc.etsy.com for the time being).

Other notable sellers that you should all check out:

• LoyaltyandBlood: Created by David Denosowicz and Maggie Doyle. Screen-printed t-shirts and totes, and awesome charm jewelry.
  
• Folktale Fibers: Some of the most beautiful handspun yarn I've ever seen. There's not much on her etsy now, but she does have an option where you can pick your own colors and she'll spin you up 4 oz of lovely falkland sheep goodness.
• Chris Creatures: Lots of amigurumi stuff, including sushi made into karate fighters, adorable refrigerator magnets, and basically the cutest stuff you've ever seen. Oh yeah, and Chris is pro-Obama. Awesome.
• Block Party Press: Really beautiful, whimsical, and folksy jewelry and accessories. I am personally madly in love with her honeycomb necklace...just in case any of you have inquiring (and gift-giving) minds.
• Final Approach: Seriously one of the coolest ideas ever. This seller takes reclaimed suitcases and bags and makes them into works of art. I think his etsy is empty because he had everything at the Crafty Bastards show, but shoot him an email or add him to your favorites. You'll be glad you did.
• kg + ab: Simple, clean, and lovely decorative items. This includes sculpture, dining ware and wall art. Once again, no items for sale right now, but check out the seller's previous stuff for a basic idea of the aesthetic.
  
• Sofia Masri: Sofia handmakes ornate and stunning porcelain jewelry, and it was quite hard to get my hand on the purse strings and not buy some of her lovely earrings. This store is up and running, so check it out. Also check out her other store: Poopsie.
• Jenny Jen 42: You can see Jenny's stuff in the above picture with my mom holding the pillow. This seller does some great things with felt appliqués and fabric. It makes me want to start using appliqués....all the time...on everything I own.
  

I hope this will inspire you all to come to DC for the great craft fairs and stores here. I'm going to save money for next year's fair and buy allllllll kinds of awesome stuff. It'll be ridiculous. I can't wait.

How 'bout that debate, huh? I'm excited to talk about it with my SnB group tomorrow...over German beer! Yes!