FRANKFORT, KY

Thanks to the fine folks at the Kentucky Book Fair, I spend a weekend in the state’s capitol of Frankfort every November.  Imagine my surprise to discover recently that the town houses a wonderful yarn shop that I somehow missed!  You can be sure I fixed that grievous error right away.  Should you find yourself in the charming town of Frankfort—here’s how to have a great yarn-y visit.

Start your day with a little local sugary goodness at: 

Magee’s Bakery

225 W Main St 

Frankfort, KY 40601 

502-223-7621 

www.frankfortmagees.com

They've got a location here and in the neighboring city of Lexington, and have been family owned since 1956.  This tiny little shop serves up some wonderful doughnuts going far beyond the standard flavors while utilizing fresh ingredients.  Word has it their Cheddar Cheese bagels are splendid, too.  They offer a variety of breakfast and lunch fares, but with a bourbon (“Buffalo Trace,” no less!) doughnut calling your name, it’s hard to opt for anything as ordinary as chocolate sprinkles.  I also got to taste the waffle flavored doughnut with bacon—yum!

Right across from Magee’s, you’ll find:

Nitro of Frankfort

220 West Main Street

Frankfort KY  40601

501-226-2400

nitrooffrankfort.com

There’s a certain color of blue you’ll find everywhere in these parts—that belonging to the University of Kentucky.  The UK Wildcats are nothing short of an obsession here. One stop in this store will let you know that Wildcat fever extends far beyond jerseys and sweatshirts!  This small store packs a whopping selection of clothing, accessories, and other gifts.

Next, wander down to Broadway, arguably the town’s “main street” running right beside the train tracks.  There are a variety of shops and businesses worth your attention here.

Poor Richard’s Books

233 Broadway

Frankfort, KY 40601

502-223-8018

http://poorrichards.indiebound.com/

Bookstores tend to come in two varieties—the common and the uncommon.  This falls clearly into the uncommon variety.  You know the kind where you walk in and it smells like books (not retail)?  Where you know you’ll be lost for at least two hours if not more?  Where the people are as interesting as the literature?  That’s a find of a bookstore.  You owe it to yourself to go upstairs, where the real treasures lie waiting. If you’re already in the mood for lunch, you can duck into the Coffeetree Cafe right next door.  Otherwise, continue down the street to:

  

Completely Kentucky

237 W. Broadway St.

Frankfort, KY 40601

800-457-1990

completelykentucky.com

The vast array of locally produced gifts, food, art, soap, and a dozen other things makes this a must-do stop on my annual visits.  Burbon balls are a no-brainer, but don’t leave without buying a box of Modjeska’s candies by Bauer—there’s nothing else that compares with these sticky, gooey, caramel wonders!  If you can’t decide on one thing, they offer fabulous gift baskets as well.

Venture off Broadway down St. Clair when you are ready to visit our fiber find of the day:

The Woolery

315 St. Clair St 

Frankfort Ky 40601

800-441-9665

www.woolery.com

Owner Chris Miller and his wife run this marvelous spinning and weaving store that has embraced just enough knitting to keep everyone happy.  While primarily an on-line business, the Woolery still boasts a satisfying retail experience thanks to a depth of stock and a staff that truly “knows their stuff.”  “We really care,” says Miller, “You can’t hire that or buy that.” Indeed!

As for the spinning, you'll find everything from artfully made drop spindles (collector’s items in themselves!) to starter Cricket looms to elaborate full size floor looms.  Walk in here, and chances are highly likely you’ll come out with a new hobby—or just a new way to do your present hobby.  

“We’re not contagious, but we are addictive,” Miller jokes, but it’s true.  On one shelf you’ll find one-of-a-kind art yarns.  On another you’ll find roving in a gazillion colors for felting, spinning, or ornamentation to make your garment unique.  Tools, gadgets, fibers—the diversity expands your world as you realize all the different things we can do with fiber.

Want to dip your toes into spinning?  Start on a small scale with one of The Woolery’s extensive selection of handcrafted drop spindles.  They are as much art as tool, and very simple to learn.  But beware—we all know drop spindles are the “gateway drug” to a much larger spinning addiction!  Should you need them (and you know you will), the Woolery offers a full selection of classes in a variety of fiber arts.

Does weaving catch your eye?  Start small with The Cricket Rigid Heddle Kit.  Compact enough to fit on a table top but large enough to tackle a substantial project, this mini machine can introduce you to the craft without a huge investment.

How about a new spin on your knitting?  I was fascinated by the Addi Express King Size knitting machine.  It’s a spool knitter on steroids!  This behemoth can tackle large flat or tubular projects at lightening speed.  If you were ever daunted by too many rows of garter or stockinette, this would whiz you through a large garment in no time. Personally, I think the thing’s large enough to double as an end table—what a conversation piece!

Our “Knit Along” from here isn’t knitting, but my first introduction to the weaving craft.  No, this isn’t that jersey-loop loom you played with as a kid. Schacht’s Zoom Loom brings an adult vibe to modular weaving.  But that doesn’t mean you have to get all serious.  I’ll be making the adorable “Shelby the Sheep” from JDE handwoven’s Swatch Critter Kit especially created for the Zoom Loom.

Frankfort is just the right size for an afternoon of exploring.  Another little gem on St. Clair is

Village Arts

226 St. Clair Street

Frankfort KY  40601

501-330-1968

www.thevillagearts.org

When you shop here or at the sister store in LaGrange IL by where I live, you support Angels Outreach and the Lake Eyasi Girls Vocational School in Tanzania, Africa.  Buy stuff and feel good—a perfect match! I liked the colorful, textured bags and the handcrafted earrings.

For me, there’s really only one way to end a day in Frankfort, and that’s with a “Hot Brown.” I first discovered this amazing (if not healthy) dish back during my visit to Lexington, and it’s been a favorite ever since.  Nothing compares to the cheesy, saucy, savory goodness of all that meat.  The best I’ve had can be found at:

Sarafini

243 W Broadway St

Frankfort, KY 40601

502-875-5599

serafinifrankfort.com

Yes, as the name implies, they do great Italian, Yes, they have the quality bourbon selection you’d expect at a Kentucky establishment. But for me, Sarafini’s is all about the Hot Brown.  Exquisite.  I’m sure my cardiologist dies a little bit every time I eat one, but since I only get there once year, I figure it’s a fair trade for one night of gastronomic bliss.

If you are in to horses bourbon, or both, there are loads of other great things to do in the area that you can check out here.  Enjoy!

MORE MONROE, WI

"Feed my sheep..."

For someone who knits as much as I do, I don’t spend much time around sheep.  That all changed on my recent trip to Wisconsin.

After spending a lovely morning in Monroe, my husband and I drove out to a farm.  Along the way, Jocelyn of Orange Kitten Yarns had advised us to keep an eye out for barn quilts which are quilt squares painted onto the sides of barns. I’d never heard of this, and was delighted how it added to our driving experience.  It felt like an artistic grown-up scavenger hunt.

After a short drive, we arrived at 

Homestead Wool and Gift Farm

http://www.homesteadwoolandgiftfarm.com/

Jim and Sandy Ryan were delighted to share their farm with us, telling us about the marvelous fibers Sandy makes.  No one was more excited when Sandy asked, “would you like to feed the sheep?” nor was anyone more surprised when Jim produced a box of Nabisco Nilla Wafers!  Evidently I have more things in common with sheep than I realized!

Wellies on (it was a muddy, muddy day!), we trudged out to where Sandy’s flocks of sheep, llamas, and dogs have their happy home.  One shake of a cookie box and we had company:

What a great, memorable experience.  I look at the yarn Sandy gave me to knit, and it has a special quality to it now.  I’ve seen the sheep.  I've shared cookies with them.  We’re connected.

I was surprised how distinct each sheep was.  In the short time I met them, it was easy to spot unique personalities.  There is something meaningful about a sheep’s eyes.  They look at you like they know great secrets.  I was unsettled to know how many of Sandy’s happy sheep are “rescue” sheep.  She’s good at her mission; they all look quite contented now to me.

Sheep get a bad rap for being “not too smart.”  Their emotional bonds--to owners, their offspring, and each other--shows that for the lie that it is.  Sheep form strong relationships and even have “best friends.”  Life has taught me that is the very best kind of smart, astute choice of snack foods aside.

Afterwards,  Sandy took us to her workroom to show us how fleece gets from sheep to needles.  I’ve tried very hard (and mostly succeeded) to keep out of the whole spinning thing, but that doesn’t squelch my appreciation for those who do.  Look at this carding drum!  Don’t you just yearn to touch all that artful fluffiness?

Sandy gave me three different yarns.  It’s not often I get to pick my own project, so I loved the opportunity to match these very different fibers with Ravelry searches for projects.  

First was a lush, chocolate brown in ungulating widths.  I decided not to relegate this to a purely winter project (it’s rather chunky), but to pair it with some creamy lace-weight for a squiggle lace shawl I could wear year round.

Then came a cheery hank of high-voltage green.  A Ravelry search for projects using 50g of yarn yielded a smart set of fingerless gloves.  This is perhaps one of Ravelry’s best features--you can wander through pictures of possibilities based on whatever yarn you’ve got.

And finally, two hanks of very sheepy art yarn, complete with curly-cues that feel like they’re right off a sheep’s back (but cleaner, of course).  While this would serve as a dramatic trim to just about anything, I’m going to knit them into a stunning scarf to keep those Chicago winds at bay.

While the farm is a charming place to visit, there is no shop here--you’ll need to catch up with the sheep’s fleecy output at local yarnshops like Orange Kitten or online.  If you find yourself driving near Monroe, however, look them up and tell them DestiKNITions sent you.  

Don’t forget to bring them some Nilla Wafers--you’ll make instant friends.

Next, we wander north to Verona and New Glarus.