Plan Your Dream “Yarncation” With Me!
Want to plan your very own dream Yarncation? Need some ideas for organizing a yarny getaway with friends? Follow along with me on my very first knitting/crochet vacation and don’t make the same mistake I did!
I had never been on a “girls weekend” before.
The only time I have ever gone away on vacation, as an adult, was with my family. That is until last weekend.
My good friend, Julie, from the Buttonjar Studio, invited me to join her and her knitting posse up to Black Mountain, NC for a couple of days
I will admit that I was nervous. I am a total homebody and a bit of an introvert. My comfort zone is within the confines of my cozy little home.
But my husband, children and even my own mother, encouraged me to go. It has been a really tough year for our family and they felt that I needed to get away and have a little fun for a change.
Boy am I glad they all pushed me to get out of my little bubble and take a chance on a group of ladies up in the mountains of North Carolina.
If you’ve never gone on a “Yarncation” before, you should. I’m sharing my experience as well as tips for how to plan your very own weekend knitting/crochet getaway.
Plan Your Dream Yarncation!
Your Yarncation will take a little planning to make it a success. Thankfully it doesn’t take much to make yarn addicts happy.
With these tips and tricks you’ll be packing your bags in no time.
But make sure to leave a little room for all the wooly goodness you’ll be bringing home.
Watch my Yarncation to Black Mountain, NC
Pig Pattern Update:
The Pig Pattern will be done soon! I have tweaked this pattern over and over and I’m finally happy with it. I am writing up the pattern now, will have it tech edited and tested. When it’s finished, I will make an announcement here, on Instagram and on YouTube.
I hope you like these piggies as much as I have designing them!
Choose a Destination Yarn Shop
Julie planned our weekend getaway centered around the cutest little yarn shop located in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.
Black Mountain Yarn Shop is located right in downtown Black Mountain, North Carolina. It is seriously one of the most gorgeous yarn shops I have ever visited.
They have an incredible selection of name brand yarns, but you’ll also find unique indie dyed wools in every color imaginable.
The layout of the store is the best I’ve ever encountered. Everything is neatly displayed and arranged by shades of color. It took my breath away.
That weekend, Black Mountain Yarn Shop, was hosting an event with incredible vendors and even the two hosts of the Cady Jax Knits podcast on YouTube.
When planning your own Yarncation, center your getaway around a destination yarn shop or a knitting/crochet event.
Destination Yarn Shops in the US
There are lots of destination yarn shops in the US. (I’m sure you’ll find them in other countries as well). Make sure to check the status of each of these yarn shops for their hours and closings. Unfortunately, some may have closed or have limited hours due to the ongoing pandemic.
I did a little research and found a few to share with you all:
- Black Mountain Yarn Shop (Black Mountain, NC)
- A Verb for Keeping Warm (Oakland, CA)
- Purl Soho (New York, NY)
- Fancy Tiger Crafts (Denver, CO)
- Hill Country Weavers (Austin, TX)
- WEBS (Northampton, MA)
- Jimmy Beans Wool (Reno, NV)
- Steven Be (Minneapolis, MN)
Invite Your Knitting and Crochet Friends
This is probably the hardest one for some of us.
I’m generally not a social butterfly. I am a homebody at heart and would rather stay home and knit or crochet.
But when Julie invited me to join her and her knitting posse for the weekend, my family pushed encouraged me to go. Although I had met the other ladies in the group several times, I didn’t feel like I knew them very well.
Spending an entire weekend with people you don’t know well can be a stressful thing for anyone, but I felt especially worried out about it.
Where would I sleep? What if these ladies didn’t like me? How would I get to know a group of women who are already good friends?
Thankfully, all six of these women welcomed me with open arms. They couldn’t have been more friendly and inviting.
Finding Yarny Friends
If you’re anything like me, this part is the most stressful. Maybe you don’t already know a group of people who knit and crochet. How do you find people to go on a Yarncation with?
Find a local yarn shop that hosts classes, events and open stitch nights. Crafty folks tend to be some of the kindest, most welcoming people. It takes time, but getting together regularly to crochet/knit can lead to deeper friendships.
And don’t be afraid to take the plunge and invite people on a Yarncation.
If you already have your own knitting/crochet posse, count yourself lucky.
Book a VRBO or AirBnB
Julie found the cutest, coziest little farmhouse in Black Mountain, NC for us to stay at during the Black Mountain Yarn Shop event.
The house was just a few miles from the yarn shop so traveling back and forth was easy.
The only thing we had to be nervous about was the frequent visits by bears. We had heard from several locals that they see them all the time roaming the streets of Black Mountain. I was hoping that we would at least see one from afar, but no luck.
The farmhouse was also incredibly reasonable. We each paid $78 total to stay for two nights.
Find a Place to Stay
Try to find a VRBO or AirBnB that will accommodate all the people on your Yarncation. Make sure there are plenty of beds and baths.
Being able to easily travel back and forth from the yarn shop event to the farmhouse was really helpful.
In addition, having a nice kitchen to prepare breakfasts in the mornings was essential. The house also had a nice living room so that we could all sit and stitch the night away, laughing and talking all the while.
Make a Budget for Your Yarncation
This was my fatal mistake.
I wasn’t anticipating such an incredible yarn shop experience. Nothing could have prepared me for the gorgeous wools that lined the walls of Black Mountain Yarn Shop.
The space was quite busy with people who had traveled from all over North Carolina, but also from Georgia, Tennessee and even Texas.
I didn’t plan which projects I wanted to purchase yarn for. My “plan” was to walk in and find something pretty. Ummmmmm, everything in that shop was gorgeous and I wanted it all.
This post contains affiliate links and at no cost to you I may earn a teeny tiny commission if you choose to purchase them. Please know that I only recommend products I use and love! Thank you for supporting Le Petit Saint Crochet! You can read my full (and slightly boring) full disclosure here.
My Purchases:
How to Plan Your Budget
Unless you have an unlimited budget, it’s a good idea to do a little planning beforehand.
Choose projects that you want to purchase yarn or supplies for in advance. It’s also a good idea to set aside a little money for spontaneous buys that you can’t live without.
Eat Great Food on the Yarncation
There are lots of great places to eat in Black Mountain, NC.
Friday evening we chose to have dinner at the Bush Farmhouse, a South African inspired restaurant. It was located within a mile of our VRBO. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was divine. I had never eaten South African food before, but I’m glad I did and will definitely go back.
Plan Your Meals
Make sure to plan your meals ahead of time. Many popular restaurants require reservations, so call ahead before your trip.
Decide which meals will be had at your local accommodations and which you will eat out.
Everyone in our group brought food and wine to share. But Sandi, baked so many delicious desserts and had them all individually wrapped. In retrospect, I should have planed how I was going to take off those extra pounds from all the great food!
Yarncation
I hope you found this post helpful and that inspired you to plan or attend your very own Yarncation.
If you’re an experienced Yarncationer please leave your tips and tricks in the comment section below. Or if you know of a destination yarn shop, please share that as well. I always love hearing from you.
I am going on a yarncation on a floating yarn store this October through Knit and Stitch (Cocoa Village, Florida). There’s a week of knitting and crocheting and relaxing and meeting yarny people from all over and many teachers. My husband relaxes and we do excursions on port days. I’ve done it before and it’s wonderful and you learn so much. I highly recommend it. We stumbled on this Knit and Stitch shop while visiting family in florida. Give them a call if you are interested..
Oh my goodness!!! That sounds incredible!!! Would love to do something like that!!! 🧶🧶🧶