A Tours!

Sometimes french people are friendly.

So here I am in Tours! It’s a very pretty place, but things haven’t exactly gone as planned... for one, I thought I would be able to diligently update my blog. Nope. I am not even housed in Tours- I am in Rochecorbon, which is kind of close, but not within walking distance at all. And the best part is that I have no wifi. But finally... I am able to post! So where to begin... since arriving in Tours, I’ve pretty much explored every single possible area. There are flowers everywhere, and it is sunny and warm everyday. I stay in Tours a lot, as my host family is bonkers. The mom is a tyrant, and her poor whipped husband is sweet but doesn’t say much. Apparently he knows his place. 

The first Sunday I got up early and was all excited to see a market. As it turns out, the people of Tours do not like to get up early. So my friend and I wandered around, and finally headed over to the market. It was so wonderful! There were tons of booths loaded with fresh produce and baguettes still warm from the oven. We got apricots, figs, cheese, tomatoes, and bread and split it for lunch, and it was heavenly.

Greek food abounds

                                             

Cheese and bread... my favorite

Big tubs of olives

So I know this blog is supposed to be about knitting, but here’s the thing- not many people in Tours seem to knit. But then, while aimlessly wandering the streets, I stumbled across a cute little yarn store near a center plaza called the Place Plumereau. I walked in to find a sturdy wooden table smack in the middle of the store, full of chatty french women, all knitting away. Finally, for the first time I’ve been here, I felt at home. I will return there tomorrow to take some pictures and talk a bit with the owner about her store. 

However, due to my boredom, I was able to quickly finish my double wrap cowl! It is so beautiful, and extremely warm and cozy. I followed the Cocoknits Double Wrap Cowl guidelines, but I must say that I wish it were a bit longer. 2 skeins of yarn did not get me to 42 inches of cowl, but I don’t know where to get the same yarn here/ I don’t want to buy more as it is super expensive! However, it is definitely the warmest and coziest cowl ever. I would highly recommend getting a start on this cowl, as it is the perfect winter accessory. 

       

The finished project- so warm and cozy!

And so it begins...

"There is practically no activity that cannot be enhanced or replaced by knitting, if you really want to get obsessive about it."
— Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much)


I must say, I heartily concur with Stephanie here. I cannot imagine watching TV or long car rides or lounging at the table after dinner without some sort of knitting going on. Which is why when I decided to go to Paris in the fall and Spain in the spring for my Junior Year Abroad, my first worry wasn't "will I fit in?" or "will I be too homesick?" Oh no. Not at all. My main concern "how the hell am I supposed to have room in my suitcase for my yarn stash????" I mean, come on. I am only allowed two checked bags which weigh 50 lbs each. Not enough. Not nearly enough to contain my overflowing tower of bins upon bins of stashed yarn. 


So here I am, a few months later, a small list of projects which I painstakingly chose, and a new little blog to track them with. I'll be knitting at the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre, the Mosque of Cordoba! But I will also be sneaking away from the group guided tours to hunt down the best yarn in town. So if you want to do some virtual sightseeing and join me in drooling over all of the fibers I can get my hands on, stay tuned! 


Here is a list of some of the projects I will be completing:
- Double cuff felted mittens (as many pairs as possible- these make awesome christmas gifts. Just an fyi)
- Felted clutches
- A double wrap cowl (knitted in Plymouth's yummy Baby Aplaca Grande *drools* and *kind of feels guilty about how much it cost*)
- SOCKS. Because I tell myself every year that I will master the art of knitting with needles the size of toothpicks, and I never do...
- And finally, the Mystery Project. I will show snippets, but as this is a Christmas present for someone who will probably be reading this blog, I will only be able to show the finished product after then. If you are an experienced knitter, you will probably be able to figure out what it is, so don't give it away!


Off to pack (aka eat chocolate while I stare at the packing list). And since we're talking about it... how about some advice? Are there any places that, in your opinion, I absolutely must see while I am in Europe?