Sunday March 28 was clear and cool, perfect for driving through the hills and vales on the east side of the Hudson River through Columbia and Dutchess counties.

First stop, Countrywool in Hudson. Owner Claudia was wearing one of her newest cable sweater creations, knitting away behind her desk. She’s a prolific knitting designer and samples abound throughout the shop. Knitting kits with yarn and patterns filled one set of shelves. A series of little rooms are packed with yarn and spinning fibers including angora bunny. As a thank-you to yarn crawlers, Claudia gave us a little plastic bin and a beaded stitch marker to put inside.

Countrywool spinning fibers

Countrywool yarn galore

Countrywool original sweaters

Heading south to Dutchess county, I made a quick stop at Hahn Farm, Salt Point. I mis-judged time and distance, and got off the Taconic Parkway just about the farm’s posted closing time. But I phoned anyway and found I was only 3 miles away. Karen Hahn was kind enough to let me take a peek at the bins of their Suri and Huacaya alpaca yarns, as well as mohair yarns and sheep’s roving in her farm store. She’ll be at Clermont later this month and she’ll be bringing dye plants.

Hahn Farm market sign

Time for a break, a knitting break that is, at Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. in Red Hook. It was the last Sunday of the month, and that meant it was time for a Sit and Spin (and whatever) get-together. Lots of spinning wheels and spindles (and spinners), and knitters and knitted projects both on and off the needles. Not to mention the tasty goodies.

Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. is a sheep farm (Icelandic and Shetland), and mini spinning mill, and a yarn shop. The shop features yarn from its own sheep and mill, plus a variety of other brands. Felting is very big there. They sell batts and roving for felting and also have a felting machine which produces felts that are sold in sheets, and used in their birdhouses, pillows, and clothing. Outside on the shop’s walls felted sheep prance and dance along the red paneling.

Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. felted sheep on shop’s exterior wall

Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. felted sheep on shop’s exterior wall

The final stop on the way to the bridge was Living Eden, in the village of Red Hook. The front of the shop is filled with an eclectic mix of fair trade home décor, clothing, jewelry, gifts, and cruelty-free cosmetics. The back room houses a cozy knitting nook and yarn shop complete with faux fireplace. Bonnie the owner hosts a knitting group and offers classes.

Living Eden knitting parlor

Living Eden yarn shop

Living Eden yarn shop shelves of yarn

Living Eden yarn shop cupboards filled with yarn

The large geographical distances between shops and the shortness of time didn’t allow for visits to all on the Yarn Crawl. So we’ll try to catch more in November. Thanks to all the shops and farms that opened their doors and barns to the Yarn Crawlers.

Saturday 3/27 was cloudy and chilly with occasional scattered snow flurries. But the roads were clear and we headed out for the Spring 2015 edition of the biannual Hudson Valley Yarn Crawl.

On the first day of the Crawl weekend, we stayed on the west side of the Hudson River in Ulster County, roaming from one end to the other.

First stop – White Barn Farm in New Paltz. Paula, the owner, set up a needle felting station where visitors could make their own Easter Bunny.

White Barn Farm needle felting bunny project

White Barn Farm is noted for its selection of locally produced yarn and roving including their own “Heaven,” a blend of the farm’s Cormo sheep’s wool plus alpaca and silk for a beautiful soft yarn. Paula with her art background has a great eye for color. She kettle dyes skeins of the yarn in her unique colorways.

White Barn Farm, a selection of the shops’ own “Heaven” yarn

White Barn Farm local yarn

Next headed north to Saugerties, near the northern end of the county, and Pinewoods Farm Wool Shop, nestled, not surprisingly, among the pines out in the country.

Tina, the owner, had a fun activity for yarn crawlers-an Easter egg hunt. She hid colorful plastic eggs around the shop, on the shelves, under skeins of yarn, next to a row of tape measures. The more you looked, the more eggs you noticed. But you could only pick one. Inside was a paper cut-out flower which told what you won. My prize was a red “Knit Happy “ project bag which will be perfect for the upcoming smaller spring and summer projects.

Pinewoods Farm Wool Shop Easter egg hunt

Pinewoods Farm Wool Shop Easter egg hunt

Pinewoods Farm Wool Shop Easter egg hunt

Yarn Crawl gifts: Knit Happy project bag from Pinewoods Farm Wool Shop and plastic storage box with stitch marker from Countrywool (visited on Sunday)

In addition to an array of yarns, Pinewood Studios offers a wide range of spinning fibers, rug hooking supplies, books and DVDs.

Pinewoods Farm Wool Shop spinning fiber and yarn

Friendly owners, lovely shops, lots of color, what more could you want on a cloudy day.