Shop Versus Drop

The Svalbard is almost finished wet-blocking - a state for which I am grateful because knitting it drove me to distraction. In full disclosure, I am at my most compulsive in late winter (just before the spring arrives). Alas, in 2014 this may bode particularly badly as the winter is likely never to end and then I may have to insane-craft forever. My body needs a break, to say nothing of my brain.

On the plus side, I knit up an advanced-design in 3 weeks.

Photos to come, natch, but while I wait for the creature to stitch-set, I'll tell you about a few new purchases. Remember when I got pertussis and all I did for 3 5 months was to online shop by way of making myself feel like I would live to see another year? Well, I'm not quite at that state of shopping to mood alter*, but this winter is so phenomenally demoralizing that it's all I can do to stop myself from buying a new house in an entirely different country. When you consider that kind of damage, buying some yarn and shoes doesn't seem so extreme.

For starters: yarn. Look, I love to buy small-batch hand-dyed yarns at the LYS or at online boutiques but I knit a lot and so I choose to stock the basics. When I purchase for a specific project, I'm apt to buy very specific yarn. But I need sizable stash for when the mood strikes to, say, make a sweater on a whim. I try always to have 1000 yards of fingering and sport/dk on hand, in chic neutrals, for those moments. Since I just knit 2 sweaters, using stash yarn, I'm in the market for a top up.

My go-to yarn, for this purpose, is Quince and Co. - specifically Chickadee (the dk/sport weight) and Finch (the fingering). The yarn is reliable, strong, well-dyed (if not hand-dyed), comes in numerous beautiful colours, does not have a halo, does not tend to pill, recovers to size after blocking and supports a local economy (if not mine). Furthermore, the price is very reasonable. It's the highest-quality yarn at the price-point, IMO. And the shipping charges are reasonable.

Which is why I bought these:

Finch in Petal - when you see this knit, it's a very pale pink...

Finch in Twig

Petal isn't a colour I would generally go for - it's a very cool, ballet pink. But I think it will go perfectly as an accent colour for the Twig - and with these, I can make another version of the yoked Indicum Pullover (a sweater  I love, even though, last time I made it I used the wrong yarn). I can also use the Petal to pair beautifully with the extra skeins I have of Slate and Lichen. And one of these days I'm going to have occasion to knit another baby gift. What colour yarn could be better for that?

I bought the sport/dk weight in Storm, a blue tinged grey (as opposed to Slate - which used for the blocking Svalbard - a grey-tinged blue):

Chickadee in Storm - when you see this knit, it's a grey...

Additionally, and on a whim (since you know I am an online adventurer), after considering the Ferragamo bow flat for a long while, and then seeing it look totally chic on a woman of my age at the coffee shop, I decided to take the plunge with these:

Etsy Vendor: Feelz Like Home

Note: I love buying mega-$ shoes on Etsy, pre-loved (or even vintage), because I can try out a venerable brand (one that's supposed to produce long-lived goods) at a fraction of the cost. Ain't no way I'm spending 600 bucks on a pair of bow flats. (That's how much they sell for here...) I mean, I may not even find a meaningful way to include them in my wardrobe. But at 50 bucks (for a very gently used version), I can experiment with little repercussion.

Having said this, these shoes may not fit me in the end. The label indicates that the shoe is narrow and, though my foot measures a scant 0.2" wider than the shoeprint - and I strongly suspect the soft leather will relent - I might be wrong. Note: The Ferragamos I bought about 18 months ago, also via Etsy, have the exact same width measurement and those shoes do fit. I don't often wear those, however, because the heel is just too high for walking to work.

Finally, since I seem to be on a ballet pink kick, I purchased some more pretty buttons:

Etsy Vendor: Add Vintage

Sure, I hate making clothing with buttonholes, but you can never have too many pretty vintage buttons, right?

So, North Americans compatriots (stuck in a polar vortex): How are you managing not to kill yourselves over the misery of this weather? Are you shopping? Eating? Traveling? All of the above? Are you just made of grit and fortitude? I wanna know!

* To clarify, shopping to mood alter is not stupid shopping. I continue to subscribe to the belief that one should aim to buy the meaningful things. For me, those are craft building-blocks, things that are sustainable or edible (ahem) or things that enrich one's ability to live in the world (books). And lingerie is always fair game.

Awesomesauce

So, I've been online purchasing up a storm for the last 3-months. I call it sick-shopping. Yeah, it's ridiculous and it's certainly not need-based. But sometimes you want to feel cheerful and you can't accomplish that by many other means. Let's say it's shopping realpolitik.

Fortunately I have Xmas to back me up though, if I'm being honest, I'm shopping mainly for me.

To wit:

Le Creuset Fondue Pot from HotCool Vintage on Etsy (These photos are mine...)

Sadly, these pics don't do it justice. It is PERFECTION.

I've been looking for a vintage fondue pot for 5 years. I'm one of the 10 people in the world who's been making fondue since the seventies. C'mon, people, it's dairy, booze and flour. Three of the 4 food groups.

This thing is from the 70s, if I'm not mistaken, (the modern ones just don't compare) and it's enamel coated cast iron. Based on my knowledge of the brand and the appearance of the bottom of the pot, I'm pretty sure I can actually make the fondue in it and then serve the fondue in it. You don't know how rare a feature that is! It's a one-stop meal?!?! Plus, it's hipper than a Brooklyn artist!

The vendor, Francine, was incredibly helpful and actually worked with me by lowering the price of the item to compensate for the (let's face it) exorbitant shipping charge. This thing weighs 7 pounds.  All in, I paid $125.00, which was entirely reasonable given its vintage-beauty and usefulness.

My favourite dinner party meal is brie and wild mushroom fondue served with an assortment of veggies and baguette. Oh, with a cherry-bomb, Californian cabernet, it's just unbeatable. In the past I've used a well-loved, but suboptimal chocolate fondue pot with a tea light. It's worked more than adequately but, given that I actually make this food a few times a year, I think I'm ready for the fancy model.

I guess this is a sign to the universe that I am ready and willing to get with the holiday menu, as soon as it sees fit.

And, on that topic, last night I slept for 3.5 hours in a row, followed by a brief waking and then another 3.5 hours of sleep! Medically unassisted!! I felt better today than I have in almost 3 months. I'm not taking it for granted or getting invested, but since I spend so much time complaining, I figure I should tell you when the going's good. :-)

Alicorn

Let's just say that someone we know has a kid who would jump through hula hoops for this thing:

Pink Unicorn Ring from Etsy

Etsy sends me all of these "helpful newsletters", promoting the craziest things. Let's face it, that metal horn is going to wreck every sweater it touches, but who doesn't love a pink unicorn! It's pink. It's a unicorn.

Let's detour briefly into the cosmic symbolism of this mythical creature. No one's got anything bad to say about the unicorn. He/She/It (?) strikes a meaning in the bible, European folklore, and Greek mythology.  Got an issue, prevail on your local 'corn.

In fact, get yourself a unicorn tusk (otherwise known as an alicorn) and you can ward away all illness, all evil.

I'm half inclined to buy this thing, just to play the odds. :-)

Update: Rest assured I haven't gone so crazy that I'm buying enamel talismans. Trust me, all my talismans are, by description, 18K gold. Everyone knows there's alchemy in that shit.

Why Not Go For Both?

You know how people say they're either shoe people or bag people? Well, I'm really in neither camp. Both serve a purpose, and I like what I wear to be beautifully-made, stylish and in good condition. But it's not like I can't pass a bag store without adding to my collection.

However, recently I've noticed that I need to replace some things. My shoe collection is looking pretty wan. My boot collection is awesome, but sometimes a girl needs shoes. Furthermore, the last bag I bought was this one, exactly 3 years ago. (BTW, the pics in that link don't show that bag off to good advantage. It's not shiny.) That bag, furthermore, turned into the biggest it thing on the planet. I can't walk down the street without seeing someone carrying the Olivia sac. It's getting old. Well, actually the bag is so well-made that it's still perfect after 3 years of near constant wear. But that doesn't mean I don't need to update and refresh.

Gotta say, despite visiting a variety of stores, and considering what I was looking for next on the bag and shoe fronts, the place I ended up was Etsy. And the experience was very good.

To wit, the "new" shoes:

Salvatore Ferragamos from Ramenzombie (based in San Francisco)

Sure, these are vintage. I can't place the era, maybe 70s or 80s? Any experts, please advise. I have wanted a pair since I turned 40, an age when a woman should have a pair of Ferragamos, IMO. Of course, I don't have 500 bucks to spend on new shoes.

So I took a chance on these. They cost $40.00 and I negotiated the shipping down from $16.00 to $7.00.

These shoes are GORGEOUS and they fit perfectly. (I measured my foot, natch, to ensure the chances would be good. I figured I could always consign them if they didn't.)

However, two things less-than-impressed me (though not enough to make me avoid this vendor in the future): Said vendor shipped them in a soft envelope?! (Others have left feedback that her shipping methods leave something to be desired. But just as many say the items were packaged perfectly. Maybe she has a co-worker that's crappy at packaging?). More annoying - and I didn't ask to see a photo of the bottom of the shoes, so I'm to blame - the practically unworn, leather soles are crapped up with red sharpie writing (indicating price, I'm sure the vendor purchased them this way). Note: I always ask to see the soles of shoes if they're not shown. I mean, that's key. But I lost my train of thought. I was looking at too many shoes. And I think I mistook these for another pair.

If I'd seen the soles, would I have bought the shoes? Maybe not. But, other than the sharpie, they are in almost-new condition, the uppers are perfection, and I might be able to manage removing the marker. Live and learn. Great news is that there is a good supply of Ferragamo on Etsy. So I'll have another crack at this.

The second recent Etsy purchase was this baby:

Baby Ballet from Opelle Creative (based in Toronto)

Let me tell you, it's all that and a bag of chips. I got nothin' bad to say about this experience. I first ordered a swatch card. It took a long time to arrive, but it gave me an excellent sense of the quality and colour of the leather. I chose the colour "lilac" a grey with a mauve undertone. Goes so well with everything. The vendor was top-of-the-line. And I find it hilarious that, after all the hunting I did online (I was initially looking for a high-end vintage bag or a bag made by a small niche vendor - and I searched far and wide), I ordered from a bag-maker who lives and works 8 minutes from house, by bike. (I shopped global and local at the same time!)

Certainly, a thrilling part of this experience was not having to pay for shipping. Amy delivers within the general Toronto area for free.

This bag is beautifully constructed. It looks small but it fits lots. The leather is soft and supple (like buttah) but also strong and thick. That weird tassel thing detaches, happily. And it's got another strap that's adjustable and removable so that you can easily wear it over your shoulder or cross-wise. The strap is very soft on your shoulder, comfortable, and it doesn't slip.

And I really don't think I'm going to see it coming and going.

It wasn't cheap - but it wasn't expensive based on its quality. For starters, when I ordered the swatch card (that cost 5 bucks all in), Amy sent me a 10% coupon for my next purchase. As this bag costs $268.00, fyi there's a larger version for $324.00, I saved $27.00 that way (basically a bit less than the tax I was charged, given that my item was Canadian-sold and bought). It was well-packaged. The shipping ain't cheap outside of Canada (up to 30 bucks), but you're getting a handmade and useable piece of art. And I got another 10% off coupon with this order. Way to entice me. I love to save as much as I love to spend.

So whatcha think? Good purchasing? Have you tried these vendors? Let's talk