Over the 4th of July holiday I took a trip to Santa Cruz and was pleasantly surprised to find two great local yarn shops: Yarn Shop Santa Cruz and Swift Stitch. Yarn Shop Santa Cruz was full of welcoming knitters and I felt right at home. I wanted to just take out my knitting and settle in with everyone. In addition to happy vibes the shop offers a luscious selection of yarns.

I went in without my wallet because I was telling myself I wouldn't buy any yarn, I was just looking. What a joke! Within moments I realized I would need to get at least one skein to remind myself of the great trip and yarn shop.

A skein of silk and merino by Urth Yarns caught my eye and since it was a lace weight I knew I'd need something a little heavier to go with it or I'd never finish knitting it. When at a LYS I love finding the yarns that are local to that area, and was pleased to find The Dye Project. In the ended I picked 3 mini skeins of The Dye Project worsted and the silk/merino from Urth Yarns. I am so pleased with my purchases. I'm not sure what I will end up making with the yarns, but the beautiful colors are a great reminder of the wonderful shop.

Swift Stitch is another adorable yarn shop with great yarns, but since I had already bought yarn at the Santa Cruz Yarn Shop I held off on more skeins. They were having a great sale of 40% off books and I was excited to find Knitting Around the World. I'm a sucker for knitting books and always love when I can learn more from them.

If you find yourself near Santa Cruz I say take the time to visit these shops. You'll find great yarns, nice people, and good vibes.

Happy Knitting!