SALT LAKE CITY, UT--Day Three

Brews, blazing, baked goods, and beautiful views...

For our final day in  Salt Lake City, we’ll take in an inventive yarn shop as well as some of the city’s iconic sites.

DestiKNITters are a flexible breed.  We like tea just as much as coffee, so today’s adventures launch from:

Tea Zaanti

1324 S 1100 E

Salt Lake City, UT 84105

801-906-8132

teazaanti.com

The owner knits—what’s not to love? This isn’t an early morning place—they open at 10am—but this very sit-and-knit-friendly establishment combines a high quality tea experience with a laid back, homey atmosphere.  Small but well-done food choices round out the menu so you can nibble while you sip and stitch. My sources recommend the cucumber sandwich (of course—how can you have tea without a cucumber sandwich?).

Just down the street you’ll find today’s yarn shop adventure.

Blazing Needles

1365 S 1100 E

Salt Lake City, UT 84105

801-487-5648

blazing-needles.com

Look for the house-like structure with the large metal yarn-and-needles sculpture in the front yard.  Yes, they’re needles, and yes—wait for it—they do indeed blaze:

Blazing Needles is a boisterous, friendly store packed with stock and one of those back tables continually filled with chatting knitters. Owner Cynthia Mills’ love for connecting people shows up all over every welcoming, artistically stuffed room.  

Cynthia (left) and yours truly

“Best friends meet here,” Cynthia boasts, and it’s easy to see why.  “It’s a safe place for community to gather.”  Cynthia cares about how companies do business and fosters good relationships with vendors.  “It’s really all about the people, not selling yarn.”  

Blazing Needles is a flagship store—meaning they carry every yarn in every color—for Shibui, Brooklyn Tweed, and Quince and Co, with more to come.

Fun, creative launches, impromptu parties in the back garden, and community projects like teaching local 4th graders to knit are part of the Blazing Needles experience.  There’s simply no way anyone would leave this shop without something new and wonderful—with the encouragement you need to tackle a new artistic challenge.

Projects, pottery, and yarn seem to spill from every corner. Here’s what caught my eye:

Spearheads Sweater

The stunning yoke on this sweater by Jarod Flood makes a dynamic statement for either men or women. You’ll need six skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Quary in your base color, plus one skein in a contrasting color.

Easy Folded Poncho

There seem to be a million ways to knit this popular pattern, but Cynthia recommends holding strands of Habu Silk N85 and Tsumugi together on a size 6 needle to make this contemporary and elegant version.

Ingeborg Slippers

Who doesn’t adore hand-knit slippers?  Especially when they’re as beautiful as these by local designer Kristin Drysdale. A perfect project to step up (pun intended) your color work, these use 1 ball each of two colors of Rauma Strikkengarn wool.  You’ll have the toastiest toes around, or they also make a great gift for someone who travels frequently.

Knit Along: On the Spice Market Shawl

Melanie Berg’s standout design gets a new kit version with every season—and who wouldn’t want to own several of these gorgeous accessories?  Shibui Stacatto silk and wool blend combine in a palette of colors—you could pick your own, but if you’re like me you’ll know you could never outdo the brilliant kits for color combinations.

Once you’ve stuffed your adorable Blazing Needles tote with yarn and patterns, it’s time to stuff your brain with good books.  That means heading to:

The King’s English Bookshop

1511 S 1500 E

Salt Lake Cty, UT 84105

801-484-9100 

kingsenglish.com 

DestiKNITters know independent bookstores are essential to life!  This wonderful shop entices you with nooks and crannies just begging to be explored.  There’s a little bit of everything here.  We especially love stores committed to supporting local authors with signings and such.  Volumes upon volumes are complimented by just the right amount of gifty things and a truly splendid children’s section.  Go!  Buy!  Save the independent bookstores!

Ready for lunch?  We’re heading downtown to spend the rest of the day in Salt Lake City’s unique city center.

Les Madeleines

216 E 500th S

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

801-355-2294

lesmadeleines.com

Another owner who knits—hooray!  Chef Romina offers a nice variety of soups, sandwiches, and cafe fare for your lunch, but you’re mostly here for the star attraction:  the buttery, flaky pastry known as a Kouing Amann (pronounced “queen-a-mon").  There’s a debate as to whether it’s best heated or not—so get two and conduct your own test.  In fact, get a dozen to go—this place has the most adorable take-out containers I have ever seen. And not just gingerbread men, but Ginger Dudes.  Love.

Next, walk over a few blocks and explore:

Salt Lake City Public Library

210 E 400 S

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

801-524-8200

www.slcpl.org

Safdie Architects photo

Yes, a library.  One look at this place and you’ll see why this Moshe Safdie design is worth a visit.  Visually stunning, the building is worth a good long wander through the cozy sitting areas, or a ride on the a snazzy glass elevator to the rooftop for a city-wide view. If you have kiddos in tow, the children’s area is great fun.

Next, no visit to Salt Lake City would be complete without taking in:

Temple Square

50 W S Temple

Salt Lake City, UT 84150

801-240-2534

templesquare.com

The view from the top 

The 35-acre site serves as the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often known as the LDS Church or the Mormons.  It’s also home to the celebrated Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  No matter what your theology, you can marvel at the near-perfect acoustics of the Tabernacle, enjoy the gardens (especially beautiful at Christmas or in the Spring), and maybe even catch sight of a new bride. While the temple itself is not open to those outside the faith, the Visitor’s Center has an intriguing scale model and other information. 

For dinner, head up to the top floors of the luxurious Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  There you’ll find two restaurants—the casual Garden Restaurant and the more upscale Roof Restaurant—both of which offer unparalleled views of the temple, the complex, and often all the way to Salt Lake.  It’s the perfect way to cap off your adventures in Salt Lake City.

Up next, we cast on the ingeniously constructed Fili Mitts from Unraveled Sheep.

June Reader Who Crochets: Amy Drown

The third Wednesday of each month we chat with someone who shares our love of books and yarn. DestiKNITters, say hello to Amy Drown.

Amy, what are you working on right now? 

I’ve actually had to pack up all my craft supplies at the moment because I just received a new job that requires me to move in a few weeks! But I was about to start on a new tartan afghan in colors that will (hopefully!) mimic one of my family’s clan tartans (I’m Scottish on both sides!).

What feels like your favorite/greatest crochet accomplishment? 

Definitely my first tartan afghan (see picture above)… because it came out square! :-) I’m terrible at keeping my loops and rows uniform. My cat, Rob Roy, however, is fond of the first one I ever completed, a large bedspread with a fun diamond pattern (see picture).

What feels like the worst crochet mistake/foible/wrong choice you’ve ever made? 

So I attempted this great red, white and blue patriotic afghan with a great border and star-shaped cutouts and… well, afghans aren’t supposed to be trapezoidal. It was so bad, Goodwill wouldn’t even take it, and a coworker ended up using it to pad a box for her dog to have puppies in!

Do you have a favorite yarn you like to work with? 

No, I’m afraid I’m still too new and inexperienced in the craft to be this particular! Anything soft and abundant enough to handle my myriad mistakes and do-overs!

Metal or wood crochet needles? 

Um… is it terrible if I didn’t even know crochet hooks came in wood? I’ve only ever used metal or, when I was a kid, plastic!

White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate? 

I like all three! Lately my grab-and-go has been the Hershey’s white chocolate cookies ‘n’ cream.

Coffee or tea? 

Tea. Always and forever tea. Black, with milk and sugar. 

What’s your favorite Allie novel? 

Homefront Hero

What are you reading now? 

All Waiting Is Long by Barbara J. Taylor

Do you have a favorite stitching character from a book, movie, or television show? 

Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Our skills are about the same.

Give a shout out to your favorite local yarn store:

The Knit ‘n Needle Yarn Shoppe

14 Lupfer Ave

Whitefish, MT 59937

polkadotsheep.com

As her prize for being featured, Amy chose a copies of Yukon Wedding for both herself and a friend.  Thanks to our friends as Cascade Yarns, Amy also gets 10 hanks of Cascade 220 in Silver Grey.  If you would like to be featured as a Reader Who Knits or Crochets, contact me at allie@alliepleiter.com for details.

NEAR WEST CHICAGO: FOREST PARK, ILLINOIS

The Nifty Nearby...

My favorite task at DestiKNITions is to uncover those hidden gems right under our noses.  Those places that no tourist brochure would list but are awesome in their own right.  I feel lucky to have discovered several of those in my career as an adventuresome knitter, and today is no exception:  Welcome to the Madison Street neighborhood of Forest Park, Illinois.

Madison Street in Forest Park is the quintessential midwest Main Street, but with a decidedly cultured urban vibe. It’s a 15-minute trip from my home and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve only driven through it before now.  My loss, believe me.

But not yours!  Start your day with breakfast at:

Madison Park Kitchen

7525 West Madison Street

Forest Park, IL 60130

708-689-8607

www.mp-kitchen.com

I love that they are family owned, and “presenting a carefree feasting experience.”  My sources point me toward the omelets here, and there are some unique offerings as well as the “build your own” options.  There are other fabulous looking choices other than the egg-based variety, too.  Who could resist “Jelly doughnut pancakes” with jelly inside and powdered sugar on top?  Or bacon and pecan waffles?  Hey, this could be the most important meal of your day.

Step down the street to our fiber fix:

Knit Nirvana

7453 West Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-771-5232

www.knitnirvana.com

This cozy, inventive shop is the new kid on the fiber block with a slightly exotic vibe.  Owner Sue Jaffee had worked for five years in a now-closed local shop before striking out on her own.  “It was such a pleasure,” she recalls, “that I brought many of those friends into this new store.”  

Sue recognizes knitting as much more than a craft. “It’s a calming technique, it’s art, it’s a community builder.”  Her passion for fiber shows in a welcoming, encouraging, friendly shop organized by yarn weight and filled with nooks, corners, open drawers and cubbies that invite exploration.  There’s even a spinning club.

Katherine’s washcloth classes sound like a fun tour of knitting techniques, as well as the “Beyond Basics” class designed to lure you past your first scarf.  The shop had what I’ve come to recognize as the hallmark of a friendly establishment—the table where everyone is sitting around knitting, talking, and laughing. Customers stop in for a respite between work or errands, soaking up the warm personable atmosphere for 30-minute breaks or long hours of enjoyment.

Loads of samples inspire any knitter to try something new, and here are some of my favorites:

Metalouse Shawl

Stephen West’s shawls are all the rage for their striking, contemporary designs and stunning use of color combinations.  Featured in Knitty and done up with 2 skeins of Noro’s oh-so-soft (really!) Shiraito and 1 skein of a separate contrasting color, this project is a fetching piece.  Personally, I’m delighted to finally have a Noro fiber that feels good against my fingers.  I’m eager to start this as my Knit-Along from Knit Nirvana.

His Golden Lair Shawl

This lace masterpiece makes great use of the amazing sheen in Debbie Bliss Luxury Silk.  Who wouldn’t feel luxurious with this draped across their shoulders?  The dragon-y wings might make for perfect Game of Thrones knitting, don’t you think?

Hitofude Cardigan

Ravelry photo

Looking for a challenge?  This delicate, swingy jacket should earn you compliments and respect.  You’ll want to take advantage of shop advice for this one, Sue advises.  Done up in Madelinetosh Marino Light, this garment has all the makings of a treasured heirloom.

Monkey Hat

If you're seeking something with a bit more whimsy, this topper could make any little person in your life smile.  It’s an excellent project to learn fair isle, so you get a new skill while some child gets a great hat.  Pick 3-5 shades of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and you’re all set.

Super Bulky Brioche Cowl

Pick out your one skein of Tosh ASAP, and you get this pattern free.  A great choice for a fast gift and just the right touch for fall.

Once you’ve scored your fiber finds, spend the afternoon wandering down Madison Street to explore the great variety of shops and eateries.  At Christmas, many of the stores create live holiday windows—how fun is that?  Me, I started at:

Camille et Famille

7418 Madison Street

Forest Park 60130

708-771-1111

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camille-Et-Famille/256699311021077

Earlier this month at a LevelUp seminar, we were asked about something in our life we’d like to change.  I put down that I’m never really happy wielding coupons to shop at mall stores, but I never seem to be able to successfully navigate those artsy boutiques I like so much.  So for this trip, I tried an experiment.  I looked at how much I spend for clothes annually and divided it into four seasonal budgets.  Then, without calling ahead or anything, I walked into Camille et Famille and asked owner Rosemary Gange to guide me to what she thought would fit and look best.  “I wish everyone would do this,” Rosemary said as we spent about an hour pulling clothes and finalizing selections.  “People think we’ll oversell you if you ask our advice, but  why would we do that?  We want you happy so you’ll come back.”  I know I will.  I came away with some fabulously versatile (and comfortable!) Tribal pants, a basic but artsy shirt, and a splashy piece for fun. All soundly within the budget I gave her.  It was a great experience.

A great experience calls for a great lunch.  There are several choices, but being the lover of mac n’ cheese that I am, I took Sue’s advice and headed to:

Scratch

7445 Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-689-8427

scratchfp.com

It looks a bit “bar-ish,” but it really has a friendly lounge atmosphere.  The lamb burger and Greek fries sounded interesting, but I was happy I stuck with my choice for the Macaroni N Cheese with Pulled Pork on top.  Delicious!  The spices in the pork and the use of truffle oil give this dish a bit of bite, but I didn’t mind.  For heaven sake, order the small—the large is enormous and I couldn’t even finish the small plate I ordered.

After lunch, walk off those calories with some more great shopping.  I especially liked:

Madison Street Clothing

7500 Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-448-2190

www.madisonstreetshoes.com

Good sales, incredible shoes, nifty handbags, what’s not to love?

Deedeee & Edee

7415 West Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-209-1448

Creative accessories, unusual items, and you can get a custom designed jacket here.

Jayne

7423 Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-366-6300

jayneboutique.com

A slightly younger vibe but still very unique and inspired.

Yearbook

7316 West Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-366-1920

http://yearbookstudios.com

It’s not an antique store, but then again it is.  It’s current, but with a decidedly retro vibe.  It pretty much defies description but invites exploration.  It’s a nostalgia shop that’s both retail space and design studio.

Todd & Holland Tea Merchants

7311 West Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

800-747-8327

www.todd-holland.com

This shop was as much tea education as retail experience.  Sure, I loved the hand-knit tea cozies, but I also loved the wonderful stories the owner told me as I asked about the hundreds of teas on his shelves.  There are always intriguing blends for tasting, too.  From the basic blends to exotic and expensive estate teas, you find a whole adventure in your cup here.

To finish your day, I recommend a stop at:

The Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor

7347 Madison Street

Forest Park, IL  60130

708-252-3269

browncowicecream.com

This family-run place is how ice cream is supposed to be.  A charming old building filled with happy kids, indulging adults and some spectacular sweets.  I had the chocolate peanut butter and it was splendid.  Their party packages sound fun—I’d want the “come in your jammies for waffle sundays” event any day!

There you have it—a nearby and nifty adventure just minutes from your door (if you live near me, that is).  When you get set to come, let me know—I just might meet you there.

Next up, I tackle the clever Leftie Shawl from Knot Just Knits.

Denver, CO - Day Three

DAY THREE (Saturday for our purposes)

Custard, dogs, and socks...

Before we get started today, let me bring up a very important travel tip I’ve not yet mentioned: DRINK WATER IN DENVER. Altitude can really, really get to some people, and the best defense is a wet offense. Get those eight glasses in and you should be fine. My trick? Buy a package of inexpensive bangle bracelets and stick eight on your left hand at the beginning of the day. As you drink each of the glasses of water, slip a bracelet onto your right hand. Easy, effective, and accessorizing!

First Stop:

The Brown Palace Hotel

321 17th Street

Denver, CO 80202

www.brownpalace.com

(303) 297-3111

You simply can’t visit Denver without seeing the Brown Palace Hotel. Ellyngton’s is the breakfast venue within this historical landmark (you can actually book a historic tour of the hotel if you’re into that sort of thing!). I like to do breakfast at spiffy spots like these because you get all the glitz of a posh hotel without having to mortgage the house (one must prioritize one’s travel cash for yarn, of course). And it’s such an elegant start to the day. By going on Saturday, you skip the power broker crowd as well as sidestepping the Sunday Brunch crush. As with Beatrice and Woodsley, there is a spectacular high tea that might warrant you adapting your schedule.

Once breakfast has been accomplished, scoot on over to the eastern side of town where, nestled in the Lowry Town Center shopping center, you find our third yarn store of the tour:

The Modern Ewe

200 Quebec St. Bldg. 500 Unit 101

Denver, CO 80230

(303) 366-6601

http://www.modernewe.com (although at presstime the website was still under construction)

If IKEA opened a yarn store, it might look like this contemporary, clean lined establishment. The young owner Dana Juncker has a graphic design degree (with a business minor, mind you), and it shows. I admire a woman who wrote a business plan for a yarn shop her freshman year in college and followed through upon graduation. The spot is modern to be sure, with bright colors, clean lines, and a wide range of customers skewing slightly young for obvious reasons. Adding to the friendly atmosphere are Chloe and Cuzco, the frisky pair of dogs who serve as the store’s lovable mascots.
Beginner projects are a store specialty, to which I can attest because Dana spent an hour with me to show me a very particular cast on to my knit-along socks. How can you not love someone willing to spend so much time with a complete stranger just to show off a cool cast on? The Modern Ewe has just launched its own Couture Collection line of eco-friendly yarn, and oh yes, there is much coolness to be had there.

Projects to keep an eye out for:

Ewetopian Washcloth

In addition to being a sucker for a good pun, I was fascinated by the cozylon fiber featured in “Ewetopian”, which is a technologically advanced fiber incorporating natural charcoal for deodorization, humidity and temperature control, and several other amazing functions. Ideal for socks, washcloths, and other things that regularly get wet. Who knew yarn could multi-task? I don’t see how anyone can pass up trying this. The washcloth is an outstanding choice for young’uns or first-timers, too.

SockWizard Socks

This will be our Knit-Along, and my introduction to the mythical “Magic Loop” sock knitting method. It was a very cool process. Dana let me pick my sock yarn (I chose Schoppel Wolle Zauberbal for amazing socks that start out black at the toes and end up white by the tops) and she chose the corresponding needles. Then I made a small swatch and she plugged my shoe size, yarn, needles, and guage into SockWizard software, which spit out my own personalized sock pattern. Talk about VIP treatment! More on how that all turned out as the Knit-Along goes live, which may take a while as these are size 0 needles! Should you choose this as your project, make sure you give yourself enough time to be walked through “Suzie’s Cast On.” Ingenious!

“Cocktail Scarves”

The Modern Ewe has a bit of a specialty in personalized knitting, so let Dana help you choose a selection of several yarns from the Modern Ewe Couture line to create a one of a kind scarf perfectly suited to your taste. I think this would make a good novice knitter project, too--especially if you want to get a little snazzy yarn in there to make yourself a holiday adornment.

Gadget of choice:

Clover’s Coil Knitting Needle Holders

Excellent for circs as well as straights, these won’t pop off your needles inviting disaster.

Indulge in a little retail therapy by visiting the many shops located around you in Lowry Town Center. I found this to be a nice collection of unique botiques and familiar names.

By the time you’re done here...and my visit lasted almost three hours...it’s time for a little refreshment. The Lowry Town Center shopping center has several places to grab a bite, but you know me, I’ve got to do desert first. In that case, I recommend:

Fergie’s Frozen Custard

200 Quebec St,

Denver, CO

(303)366-4900

I had a taste of several yummy flavors, settling on something with bananas and chocolate I believe, but the super-friendly staff was as much fun as the frozen custard. You can get actual food here, but why would you? As a woman pushing fifty, I need to keep my calcium intake up here.

If you have a four-legged darling in your life, make sure you stop in Chewy’s Bonetique right next door. We can’t keep all the fun to ourselves now can we?

Now that we’ve accomplished sugar and yarn, it’s time for the next major food group: coffee. For that, follow Dana’s recommendation and drive west down Colfax Avenue to:

Hooked on Colfax

3215 E Colfax Ave

Denver, CO

(303) 398-2665

for today’s daily caffeine intake. If Fergie’s didn’t meet your recommended daily sugar requirement, go just a couple of doors down to

The Shoppe

3103 E. Colfax (at St. Paul)

Denver, CO 80206

www.theshoppedenver.com

(303) 322-3969

Here’s another recommended cupcake joint. And it has a cereal bar! Readers of my book MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE may be especially fond of this establishment for that reason alone! The Shoppe is open until 2:00am on weekends, and while I admit to a fair amount of curiosity as to the nature of the wee-hour crowd, I didn’t personally investigate. If you do, by all means report back!

If you need a good way to burn off those calories, I’ve got the perfect inspiration on tap. We’re in the mountains, after all, so this is the ideal city to indulge our outdoorish tendencies (if I had any--which doubt I do) with our next stop:

REI Flagship Store

1416 Platte Street,

Denver, CO 80202

www.rei.com

(303) 756-3100

Even if Motel 6 is your idea of roughing it, how can you not like an establishment that lists itself as “a complete outdoor resource, a historic landmark and an award-winning architectural accomplishment”? The website gives the store’s GPS coordinates! And, if you’re so inclined, you can conquer “The Pinnacle,” one of the tallest freestanding climbing walls in the area. (PS, you will see no photos of me doing this, ever).

Duly exercised--even if it was only your credit card that got a workout, travel a little farther northwest to our dinner destination for tonight:

Root Down

1600 W 33rd Ave

Denver, CO 80211

www.rootdowndenver.com

(303) 993-4200

A funky, artsy place that’s the perfect compliment to the tone of our day. The carrot red curry soup is a local fave, and although the place is known for its brunch, it also has a happy hour/sandwhich/burger vibe that has enough sophistication to lure any taste. As a big fan of sweet potato fries, this place it tops on my list. The decor is as clever as they come, and if its warm enough for the big doors to be open, all the better to watch the sun set over another fiber-fab day in the Mile High City.