Foreign Friday

Open-air market
China Town
Singapore
December 1979

I think all these bags contain food products.

Can you identify any of the items?

Down the Drain

Unusual sink
Grand Sierra Casino
Reno, NV
September 2012 

The surface was flat but sloped just slightly,
 allowing water to drain. 

Would you want one of these sinks in your home?

Rose Garden

Wilbur May Arboretum
September 2012

Nancy, Cheryl, me, Nina
Wilbur May Arboretum
Rose Garden
Reno, NV
September 2012

Wilbur May Museum

While in Reno, we also visited the Wilbur May Museum and Arboretum. The museum displays were well done and well lit.

Big-game hunter trophy room

Wilbur May led an interesting life. He was a business man, a rancher, a big-game hunter, an aviator, a soldier, a traveller, and a philanthropist. The museum houses and displays many of the items he collected during his life.

Rifles and guns from all eras

Hand gun collection

Musical instruments

Tribal masks from around the world

Tribal art and weapons

Tribal art and everyday essentials

Beautifully made silver

Venetian glass

Collectibles from the Iron Age

Collectibles from Egyptian tombs

Ivory and Pottery from the Orient

 The Wilbur May Museum is an amazing place. Plan to check it out when in Reno.

Pink Lemonade

Pink Lemonade
started September 2012

Pink Lemonade, a Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket, will be knit with pinks and yellow yarn. I used Caron Simply Soft (Watermelon) and the Checks and Ridges stitch for my four-inch section.

The blanket is on its way to Canada for the next section.

Foreign Friday

Sampans on the Singapore River
December 1979

So Tempting

pre-beaded silk yarn
Jimmy Beans Wool
September 2012

Fiber Fever

Tempting piles of luscious fiber
I purchased three of these large (800 yards) hanks of
superwash merino for future projects

See those orange signs on the edge of the table - marketing at its
best! The signs changed each day, but actually said the same
thing - "(insert day of the week) ONLY - 50% off"

Regardless of the somewhat misleading "Sale" signs, the prices
were reasonable; the fiber content and color selection were varied.

I saw "Friday ONLY" signs on Friday; "Saturday ONLY" signs on Saturday, and I am positive "Sunday ONLY" signs were attached to the tables on Sunday. The vendor definitely understood the bargain-hunter's psyche.

Road Trip - Reno

Thursday, just as the sun was beginning to rise, three of my knitting buddies arrived at my house. Bags were loaded into the back of the vehicle, and our 12+ hour drive began - destination Reno, NV and the Fall Knit and Crochet Show.

The drive went quickly, as we changed drivers every two hours and stopped only for bathroom breaks and quick snacks.

Knitting needles clicked, errors frogged, and conversation flowed as the vehicle rolled its way across Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada.

Julie, Nancy, me, and Cheryl
Grand Sierra Resort
Reno, NV

After we checked into the casino hotel and refreshed up a bit, we met one of Julie's Ravelry friends for dinner.

Nancy and Julie were pre-registerd for two classes, so they spent most of Friday in classrooms. Cheryl and I wandered the vendor's area, petted yarn, admired finished projects, and pondered purchases. Then, we spent most of the afternoon visiting and people-watching in a quiet corner.

Jimmy Beans Wool

Jimmy Beans Wool store
Reno, NV
September 2012

One of my goals on a recent trip was visiting Jimmy Beans Wool (JBW). Even though JBW had a booth in the vendor's mall, I wanted to see their actual store and the variety of yarns that they stock. Friday evening, Nina (Julie's Ravelry friend) drove us to JBW and requested a tour of the warehouse.

I've ordered online from JBW for years, and it was a treat to meet the staff and see how they process the online orders. One of the girls accommodated Nina's request and gave us a behind the scenes tour of the warehouse and shipping departments.

long rows of shelving held the yarn inventory

Each box had a color-coded label, and the end of the shelving
was also labelled to aid those who fill orders. From the list, you
 can see that the yarns are listed in alphabetical order

Note the blue shopping cart used by person pulling an order to contain
each order. JBW is careful to pull orders with the same dye-lot, and
if they do not have enough skeins, the customer is contacted. The girl at
the computer in the foreground is checking orders.

These two workers check the order and put it in envelopes or boxes.
Check out that huge roll of bubble wrap!

Just outside the warehouse, mailing labels are attached to the packages.

JBW recently began selling quilting fabric. While only a small amount is
 on display in the store, the warehouse was well stocked with mostly
modern prints.The fabric is cut to the customer's specifications in the
warehouse. I took a photo of the cutting table (just visible in the left corner
of this photo), but that image is too blurry to post. 

Our tour guide (center) answered our questions and was delightful. 

Nina, me, Julie, Nancy, Cheryl
Jimmy Beans Wool
Reno, NV
September 2012

Seeing the JBW warehouse was a great adventure, and before leaving, I purchased two skeins of Noro Sock Yarn and a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock.

Thank you, Nina for taking us to JBW and for requesting the tour.