Living Vicariously Through Anzula Takeover: Part 1

Want some real truth? I regularly snoop Anzula head honcho Sabrina's social media. My life is so locked into routine between the kids, the day job, the husband, and ugh, the laundry, and I don't get out much. Like, ever. It has been three and a half years since my list trip to the beach.

But you know who gets out? Sabrina. You know who has been on a whirlwind yarn adventure that is taking her from LA the way up to Alameda County? Sabrina. A lot of my time is spent living vicariously through her days. 

That said, stalking is only creepy if you keep it to yourself, right? Right. That's my story anyway. Here are some of my favorite photos of her life on the road.

January 19: "I don't know when the Grapevine was last this green." That afternoon she was at A Major Knitwork in Van Nuys for the first show. Because who needs rest?

January 20: The Trunk Show Madness contnued at Jennifer Knits

January 21: "Have you heard of a flat white? So yum, and starting the morning off right before our show at Twist Knits" At Two Guns Espresso in Manhattan Beach.

January 21: I love this photo—booking March tour dates while soaking up the sun at Manhattan Beach. Even when she's relaxing she's still working. I only have two modes: on and asleep. So impressed.

January 22: "We just got a fresh shipment of spinning fiber in!" at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company.

January 23: the tour took Sabrina to Yarn del Sol. She was exhausted by the end of the day but she was still "Knitting #WandaEstelle in Cole. I'd like to keep knitting, but it is sleepy time."

January 24: before the trunk show at Common Threads, first a serene escape to Succulent Cafe in Oceanside.

January 24: "Last few shows, there have been large crowd right at set up. I feel so guilty that we can't get the trunks looking proper, but between customer service and pretty, customer service comes first." at Common Threads in Encinitas.

January 26, after a day of rest and before heading to Yarning for You: "Good morning! Every time I wake up and look out this window, I can't help but think this palm frond looks like eye lashes. Am I peeping out a giraffe's eye?"

January 27: "Truffle maple bacon fries. Better than so many things in life." at Umami Burger in Santa Monica.

January 27: "Hello Santa Monica!" at Wildfiber.

January 28: "Here's to enjoying moments. I'm going to have to do some road life office work shortly, then we have our trunk show at @anacapafineyarns, then a 4 hour and forty minute drive to Santa Cruz. But this moment, this moment is mine and I'm going to enjoy every bit of it."

January 29: "I don't even remember the last 3 hours." Said like a true rockstar. Yarn rockstar. At The Swift Stitch in Santa Cruz.

January 30: A quick stop at Knitting by the Sea to make a delivery! Because, Carmel. There's no way you don't stop in Carmel.

January 30: This one makes me especially jealous. Pacific Grove is one of my favorite places on Earth. 

January 30: And here she is at Monarch Knits. I love this shop. And I love that shawl. So basically my jealously is running high right now.

Today, January 31st, the tour takes her to another shop that I love, Green Planet Yarn in San Jose. I can't wait to see what she's up to next. Don't worry. There are at least six more stops in February, so I'll be sure to share what she's been up to. And if you live in California's Bay Area try and make it to one of the upcoming Anzula Takeover dates!!

Remember to Keep it Small!

Shoppers at The Sedona Knit Wits

First things first—I am totally not hating on Black Friday. I get it, a 3 foot teddy bear is totally worth camping out for. And losing sleep in the name of shelling out less cash for cool gifts makes sense. I guess. 

My sister-in-law is a die-hard Black Friday shopper. Every year we make the drive up to Morgan Hill from Fresno on Black Friday and we usually arrive right when she's just getting home from an 18 hour day of shopping. We get to see her favorite deals of the day while she tells us the tales from the mall—the people grabbing scarves off of a table and pulling on the same one, the purse that one of her shopping companions had to have, and they had to turn around after they'd left the mall because it wouldn't leave her mind, fighting the parking crowds twice. I love Black Friday when someone else is in the thick of things.

But you know what I like even more? Small Business Saturday. I'm sure you've heard about it. Shop Small Saturday is the mom-and-pop shop's answer to Black Friday. This is a chance to use your dollar to empower an entrepreneur to continue building their dream (or empire). Plus, often times when you shop small for your holiday gifts you find unique items you never would have stumbled across in a 4am daze at the mega-mall. It totally ups your gift-giving skill level from super-basic to extraordinary. 

Anzula Trunk Show at Fuzzy Goat Yarns.

So why, on a yarn blog, am I talking about Small Business Saturday? Because while the craft giants are super enticing with their "Buy 1 xcraftsupplyx, get 800 xcraftsupplyx," the majority of yarn shops are Local Yarn Shops (LYS) and are part of someone's entrepreneurial dream. As you're stocking up on yarn to make gifts (or to give as gifts) your dollar will take your community further when spent in an LYS. You give a boost to a local business owner, and you usually don't have to fight anyone for anything (even though I have been in an LYS that was wall to wall with shoppers, and people had armfuls of fiber and spinning wheels and yarn and it was STILL all very civilized.) And let's face it—even the lower end yarns at an LYS are still much more fun to knit with than anything you'll ever find at MEGACRAFTSTORE. 

That's because the owners of local yarn shops are part of the community they live in. They pay attention to what their customers like, see the trends. They know that if they live in the desert, in the middle of August they probably want to have a variety of lighter yarns that won't induce heatstroke to just cast on. (I'm looking at you, alpaca.) They pay attention to the colors their customers like, they keep the patterns that appeal to their region on hand. It's a beautiful thing. 

Shoppers at an Anzula trunk show at Fiber Creek.

Sure, it may be more expensive, but when I'm creating something that takes hours of my life, I like to feel good about it from start to finish. I like buying the yarn that I know directly impacts someone—and when you buy yarn like ours (subtle plug) you aren't just giving your dollar to an LYS, you're also passing that vote of confidence along to a funky little warehouse with a few handfuls of employees who love what they're doing in the middle of a revitalizing downtown. 

Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for SUPERMEGACRAFT—7:30pm on a Sunday night when you've just broken the knitting needle and you have to finish the project for a gift tomorrow night? Yep. However, when it comes to conscientious gift giving and project making shopping small is the way to go. 

To learn more about Small Business Saturday, click here. Wanna get started right away? Well, here are a few suggestions for you. 

Summer Road Trip & Trunk Shows

Team Anzula is busy packing! Sabrina, Kim, and Diane will be on their way across the country to the TNNA tradeshow before we know it! 

​Lots of fibers, dyed or natural.

As they make their way to Ohio, they'll be stopping in several cities. ​New colors and a new yarn (!) as well as your favorite yarns and fibers will be available during trunk shows at the following shops.

Wash My Lace in 1 Red Shoe shown in front of the Adrift cardigan by Carol Feller.​

Saturday June 15 -

   10 am - 1 pm: Unraveled Sheep, Sandy, UT

   3 - 6 pm: Blazing Needles, Salt Lake City, UT

Monday June 17 - 

   10 am - 1 pm: Fancy Tiger, Denver, CO

Tuesday June 18 -

   3 - 6 pm The Studio, Kansas City, MO

Wednesday June 19 -

   3 - 6 pm Kirkwood Knittery, Kirkwood, MO 

​Plenty of For Better or Worsted for everyone!

Want to see more photos of what might be in store for you at an Anzula trunk show? Check out the album from their spring trip to the Pacific Northwest on Facebook.​