Rainy Days and Mondays always .... add up to fun.

Last Monday I was on my third day in the "hood". I was raised in Pleasant Hill, California.  Before the 70's it was a lovely, small town and very accessible to the Bay Area which consisted of San Francisco, Oakland, and the infamous and wild town of Berkeley. I remember coming and going, through the Caldecott Tunnel all my life. It was a well traveled road for my family and the only fast way into Oakland.
My Dad worked full time at the Navel Supply Center in Oakland and part-time for over 30 years at Smith's clothing store. When we first moved out to Gregory Gardens in Pleasant Hill, in 1950, you almost always had to go back into the Bay Area to shop and for entertainment. There wasn't a whole lot to do in Pleasant Hill. It was a very small town. Things have changed now but old habits die hard. My sister and I still head through the tunnel when we really want to find a variety of stores and for a great day of shopping.
Sis went online and found some knitting stores for us to check out. First we went into Berkeley. We drove down to Shattuck Ave. to the Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics store.

This is an amazing fabric, yarn and button store that has the most beautiful fabric I've ever seen.... and BUTTONS. Lots and lots of buttons.  I have never seen buttons so organized. There was a whole wall of little boxes, each filled with a different and unique button. Anything you can think of they had a button for. I used great restraint and bought one button, kind of as a souvenir.

A dog button. What else? It's a big one. I will use it for something special. I also bought a yard of open weave ribbon that I want to try felting some wool fleece into.

It's a stiff ribbon and very interesting.
They did not have any weaving supplies, which is what I was looking for, so we moved on. Before leaving we talked to a lady named Hannah, who worked there and who weaves. She was interested in wool fiber sources. I told her a had been given some names of a couple of ladies up in the mountains that might  have some raw wool. I haven't called them yet.... so Hannah, if you are reading this. I will contact you as soon as I find out anything. I still have your email address. I have been busy since I got home but I promise I will contact you .

 There was another store on the same street. I can't remember the name of it, which is awful, but maybe the owner will see my blog and email me so I can mention her store. I need to rectify the fact that I lost her business card after I gave them mine. I think it's probably out on the street where. It was raining cat's and puppies when we left and I couldn't get the umbrella to work so we ran to the car. They were so nice when I asked if I could take some pictures but the name of the store remains a mystery.
We drove to another store in Albany, on Solano Ave. called K2TOG. This was the ultimate yarn store.  A rather small place packed with wonderful yarns. I didn't take any photos. I left my camera in the car. It was raining so hard that I concentrated on my umbrella instead. They didn't have any weaving supplies either but she directed us to another store that did. I bought this card before we left. Folks who knit will appreciate this....

So off we went to find ~A Verb for Keeping Warm~. Isn't that a wonderful name for a fiber and yarn shop. It was another amazing store....

We finally found this store in a warehouse on San Pablo Ave. in Oakland. Here is where I found raw fleece and the pair of hand carders that I was looking for. Now I can prepare the wool for my felting projects. Which means that I will probably have to learn how to dye wool and maybe start spinning. Oh, joy. Another project.
We had such a good time. It rained all day. We got back to my sister's and collapsed. We had take out for dinner and went to bed early but what a rainy, fun Monday it was.... not like the old song at all. This rainy Monday didn't "...get us down." and neither of us have come down with a cold either.
Tomorrow we go to Benicia, CA.