A month ago today we arrived back from our first (annual?) Baaad Anna’s Roadtrip where we took a selection of some of our most unique yarns across the province to host pop up shops and yarn tasting events across BC’s Interior. Partnering with knitting/spinning/weaving guilds, LYSs and other fibre enthusiasts we enjoyed sharing our favorite brands and bases, and learned a lot about other fibre resources from the people we met across the province.

This trip started out as a brainstorming idea between myself and my partner in crime, Lara H. Some of you might recognize Lara as she is involved in multiple facets of Vancouver’s knit community such as the West Coast Knitters Guild, the Froggers Knit Group and Knit City volunteering. Without her this trip would not have happened! But from an idea came enthusiasm, and the rest fell into place quickly and seamlessly.

As the dog days of summer roll out, I want to share with you a short photo-essay of our trip as this was a wonderful journey. So with 3000kms to go, let’s get cracking!

Stop #1: Castlegar with the lovely ladies of the Selkirk Weavers and Spinners Guild. This Guild is lucky enough to have a gift shop and meeting space at the Doubhobor Museum which holds a lot of history on local fibre shed and its impact on the lives of the people who settled in this area. Well worth a visit, the museum also hosted the Guild’s summer picnic where we were invited to host a pop up shop. A sunny day and great company; Baaad Anna’s also picked up a few local items that will appear in store: spectacular hand woven tea towels and fibre batts from a local artist.

Right next door the Kootenay Gallery was displaying a Canada 150 celebration in artwork including a number of fibre art maple leaves: if you look closely you can spot some cross stitch, macrame, braiding and free form stitchwork, among other amazing mediums.

And there was also a display of the work of the above mentioned fibre artist, whose batts we are currently stocking; Sarah Elizabeth Fibre Works was one of the local artists featured as part of this celebration; check out this amazing circular weaving which has inspired me to try my hand at yet another new fibre art!

Stop #2: Grand Forks! Just an hour down the Crows Nest Highway we stopped by a local yarn store named Lynden Tree Yarn to cohost a yarn tasting event. Check out this well curated store in the Kootenays and say hello to Linda if you’re in the area.

Stop #3: Oliver. Next we retraced our tracks heading back down the Hwy 3 towards our first stop in the Okanagan. We were invited by the Desert Sage Weavers and Spinners Guild to host a yarny pop-up in a hair studio! Being both creative and intimate, this was a fantastic location to get to know a few amazing lovers of fine yarns.

Pause in Penticton: We got a day to recoup and spend some time with friends by Skala Lake, taking in locally crafted wines and spirits and a short jaunt in one of these lovelies…

Stop #4: Summerland Farmers Market! Fruits, soaps, jewelry and for one day only yarn and fibre!! We were invited to join the regular lineup of this twice-weekly open-air market and were visited by some of the local moms’ knitter groups as well as local fibre arts podcaster Marsha Ibuki, host of the Fairy Little Podcast.

Stop #5: Kelowna + Knox Mountain Knit Co + Relentless Knit Co + Meadow Vista Honey Wines = one of the most amazing knitting experiences I have ever been involved with. This knit event on a breezy Okanagan early summer afternoon included our pop up shop, a trunk show, a yarny lottery, honey wine tastings and bring-your-lawnchair-and-knit night. With over 150 people stopping by, this was such a celebration of local talent!

Thank you to these lovely ladies of Kelowna who know how to through an epic knitting event! From l-r there’s Sasha and Willow of @knoxmountainknitco and @karlacrafts of @relentlessknits hit it out of the park by introducing so many knitters to @meadowvistahoney Honey Winery. Knox Mountain honoured the event with the talents of their designs hosting a trunk show and designing a free pattern to commemorate the event! Check out their #honeybeehat live and free in Ravelry today! Thank you ladies!

Pause in Kelowna: After the whirlwind of the Okanagan knit events, we got to spend the night at the amazing Mission Creek B&B which is a retired sheep farm. If you ever need a place to stay in Kelowna, I cannot recommend this enough for the quality and lifestyle of this tranquil place.

Stop #6: Kamloops as a guest of Carla of Knit2yarns for a pretty rockin yarn tasting event! Check out this amazing shop with many gorgeous yarns I have never seen before! When a yarn store owner needs to go yarn shopping, you know you’re onto something good — don’t even think of passing through Kamloops without stopping here first!

Pause in Kamloops: We got to spend another two nights on a hobby farm of a friend of mine, along with her sheep, alpaca, chickens and horse. This is the life.

Stop #7: New Denver for a yarn tasting for the opening night of the FibreFeelia Yarn Event back in the Kootenays. This event featured six yarns from six presenters fir six times the fun! (Notice the elustriuos Holli Yeoh in the corner?). Last town on our roadtrip but it was a full weekend of fibre!

Stop #8: Fibre Feelia Festival in New Denver! This was a new fibre event hosting by some stunning ladies of the Kooteneys including Kathy of Sew Much More Yarn … great job ladies on this inagural event as it was a wonderful weekend!

Pause in New Denver: And no roadtrip would be complete without visiting one of BC’s ghost towns at sunset, correct? Here’s a town where old public transportation vehicles go to die, Sandon BC was mostly abondoned after the end of the local mining boom and is now full of buses and spirits alike.

And that wraps up the 2017 #baaadannasroadtrip! A huge thank you goes out to Lara H who made this trip such a success! And there may indeed be some more brainstorming still happening so stay tuned!