So ever since I started this blog, I’ve been trying to visit local yarn shops whenever I travel. Luckily, my travel companions have been pretty accommodating so far, even when I spend way too much time gushing over the selection once I get inside. On my latest trip to Los Angeles, the local yarn I picked up was by In the Deep Hue Sea!

Erica is an indie yarn dyer who used to be based in Huntington Beach, but she recently moved to Washington. (I’m still counting it as local to the LA area though!) I loved the speckles and gentle splashes of colour that were scattered throughout my skein of yarn, and it added so much more fun and interest to my project than having a monochrome colour.

I also loved the quality of the yarn. I chose a fingering weight skein that was dyed on her Caribbean yarn base, so it is composed of 75% merino superwash and 25% nylon. This gave it a perfect amount of stretch and give, along with a very soft quality. My mother, who was the eventual recipient of my finished project, commented that she loved how lightweight it was, and how versatile this yarn could be. I definitely agree with that! It’s perfect for spring / summer projects, and I think that using it on a shawl was a great way to show off both the versatility of the yarn and the colourway!

I found this yarn at Gather DTLA, a local yarn shop that happens to be on the second floor of The Last Bookstore, a very sweet used and new bookstore! This combination of yarn and books was basically my version of heaven, and even with the ocean and Disneyland in competition, this place definitely cracked my top five favourite stops in the trip. Gather DTLA on the small side, given its store space on the second floor, but it was still full of lots of indie yarn and knowledgeable staff. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you like books and yarn even half as much as I do!

Until next time, happy crafting!