On Tuesday, Paul and I decided to go for a drive.  We like doing that now and then – just exploring to see what we can see and drive some places we’ve never been.  We ended up deciding to go to Kent, CT to see his cousin’s antiques/clothing/accessories shop.  It was a gorgeous day and we had a beautiful drive through all the back roads (no highways).  Beautiful views of the Catskill Mountains and some lakes.  So beautifully breathtaking that I sometimes forgot to take pictures.  That, and when I did think to take a picture, I couldn’t figure out how to get the camera up on my phone while still having the google maps lady tell us where to go since there were so many turns.  And the wires were all connected to the car and too short.

On the way to Kent, we realized we were going to go through Millerton, NY which is where the Harney & Sons Tea Company is.  That is not only where one of their retail shops is…..

…..but also their headquarters:

If you know me, you know I love tea.  I’ve been wanting to visit this place for a while and it was cool that we happened to be driving right by.  Of course, I shopped:

Two teas that I haven’t tried yet: Scottish Morn and Peaches & Ginger.  This is loose tea so I also got some of the little fill-your-own-tea-bag-and-suspend-it-in-your-cup-with-that-stick things to try.  Also a little tiny tin of Earl Grey sachets that I got because it was cute.  And a pen.  I love good pens. As I was signing for my purchase I commented that that was a good pen and the woman offered it to me.  Of course I’d love to help you advertise while I get a free pen!  And it is very cool looking – covered in brown paper and the clip thing is wooden.  Yet another weirdo thing about me.

Then it was 15 minutes down the road to Kent, a very quaint, busy little town.  We immediately stopped at JJ Grogan’s, Paul’s cousin Susan’s shop.

And of course, since we didn’t call ahead, wouldn’t you know it Tuesday (and Monday) was her day off.   Being a former business owner myself, I know how important it is to actually take days off and even get away from town if you live close by to your business.  So, while it would have been nice to see her, we were glad she wasn’t there!  But, it didn’t stop us me from shopping:

A very cool shirt, a headband, and some cool earrings that Paul said looked like gears in a transmission (of course).  What a wonderful shop!!!  Lots of great, funky, chic clothing for men and women.  Great jewelry, fun accessories and lots of cool antiques.  So much to look at in all the nooks and crannies.  If you are near Kent, stop in!

Then we asked Jennifer, the woman working there, for some recommendations for lunch.  She mentioned a pub among some other options and that was right up our alley, so we kept that in the back of our minds for after our browse-around-town.  Some great little shops along the main street.  Then we saw a little “plaza” of shops down an alley way and wouldn’t you know it, A YARN SHOP!!  Black Sheep Yarns:

However….

They are closed on Tuesdays!  The only day they are closed.  I was so disappointed.  But I peeked in the windows to see what I was missing, then took some pictures and we said we’d come back another time.  As we were walking away, I said yet again how disappointed I was and we walked right by a woman who said, “Hello!  Would you like to come in the shop?”  And after a long pause of me staring at her with my mouth open I said, “Really?” and she said, “Yes, no problem.  I own the shop and was coming to change some lightbulbs so I can’t turn the lights on but you are welcome to come in.”  I protested a little, again, knowing what it is like to have only one day off and needing to make the most of it.  She said it really was no problem so I said, “Ok!”  Her name is Nancy and she is so nice and helpful and SO NICE to let us in on her day off.

We talked about shop ownership and the local yarns and she told Paul and I about the possums in New Zealand over-running the country and so I had to buy the local yarn and the yarn that has possum fur in it.  Here is my haul:

The possum/merino/cotton yarn is called Kiwi by Zealana and it is very nice and soft.  I bought the Shattered Sun Shawl pattern because I saw the sample made with the Kiwi in the shop and it was so pretty.  Then, I was all over the local stuff.  First is Sam’s Wool.  Know who “Sam” is?  SAM WATERSTON from Law and Order!  He owns the Birdseye & Tanner Brooks Farm in West Cornwall, CT, nearby to Kent.  He raises grass fed sheep and cows for meat, and started the farm so he would know where his food was coming from.  He also sells yarn, roving and fleeces from his Icelandic sheep.  The yarn is processed in Connecticut too!  Next up is Tom’s Alpaca, an 80% alpaca, 20%wool blend from Brookfield, CT.  And lastly, some alpaca fiber from Rowanwood Farm.  Although, their website says they have llamas, not alpacas, so I’m not sure what’s going on with that.  It’s very soft, though, and I haven’t spun alpaca yet, so I’m glad I can try it.

Nancy also told us about some knitting classes and retreats she is organizing coming up, including one with Lily Chin, and I may just pop back for some of those!  A great visit to a great yarn shop.  As we were leaving, we asked her opinion about the pub we wanted to go to.  She said, “It’s excellent….. but they are closed on Tuesdays.”  So was the panini place next door.  But she recommended a great deli where we had some great sandwiches:

Want to know what Paul got during our trip?:

I’ll tell you what he got – the pleasure of my company on a great day off!  And I had the pleasure of his because we really had a great day together….even though it was Tuesday.  (The other stuff is just bonus stuff.)