Yarn disappointment in Bermuda

Last week my husband and I took a cruise to Bermuda--my very first cruise! Of course, I was looking forward to checking out the yarn stores there--would they be filled with Rowan products? Or perhaps other, more elusive, British brands? I'd done my homework--the Internet helped me locate two yarn shops in St. George, though I couldn't find any in Hamilton.

On our leisurely way down to Bermuda (it is interesting how it takes twice as long to get there as to get back :-) ) I spent some time knitting, though not as much as I expected. After all, there was all that food and all those shows competing for my time! In Hamilton, I inquired at the city's information booth about a yarn shop, and was directed to the yarn section at a local department store. I was so excited, walking towards it, seeing so many skeins of yarn on display. Imagine the letdown, though, when I realized it was all Caron, Red Heart, and Lion Brand! I thought I'd arrived at my local Michael's! Ah well, there were still the two stores in St. George. When we got to this charming little town last Friday, I hunted them up. One carried all sorts of craft supplies, but the yarn selection was very similar to what I'd found in Hamilton. And the second shop, quite a nice space, mostly stocked Patons yarns! I did find some cute point protectors in the shape of a hat and mitten, and a nearby store had some pretty handmade coin purses, so I bought one to hold stitch markers. And had to make do with that!

I was surprised at how small Bermuda was. We took two tours (one a glass bottom boat, the other a horse-drawn carriage ride), and both tour guides provided lots of fascinating information. One was stronger on flora and fauna, the other on history, so they complimented each other well. The Bermuda and US dollars are fixed at the same rate, and are interchangeable, which made it very easy--no need to exchange money. We were told prices there are high (virtually everything has to be delivered to the island), and we found that particularly true for lunches--each one cost almost $50 for two, just at regular restaurants--nothing fancy. Luckily, the food was very good.

My husband and I hunt out bookstores wherever we go, and we did find several stores with new books, and one with used books. It was fun to see both books from the US and the UK, but again, prices were pretty high. We found several books at the used bookstore, and other than my few knitting-related items, that was the extent of our purchases. No fancy jewelry store visits for us (how many jewelry stores can one small island hold?!?!?!).

Just before we left, I finished my Textured Circle Shrug by Stefanie Japel, and I can't wait to wear it this fall. The yarn--Frog Tree Merino Melange--is to die for. I mentioned it to Liz, owner of my LYS, The Spinning Room, and am hoping she might decide to stock it. I'd love to make more projects out of it.