Hope you had a blast on your trip. I just got back/recovered from mine, so I'm catching up on the blogs. (We did Florida. Being a New England native, I DO NOT recommend Florida on the longest day of the year... but that's the when and where Little Sis got hitched, so I had to go.)

It totally looks like you know what you're doing with those thar beads, and you're having fun, to boot... go you!

Hey there... Wow, definitely look up small resort towns north of Portland Maine. There is a great mountain range you can go to and beneath is a coastal town with tons of small shops. It's a bit touristy but its gorgeous and very romantic. I got it: It's called Camden, right below Camden National Park. I'm so glad I ran into your blog because I just started my own @ http://www.quickyarn.com

Were you in the Old Port in Portland, Maine on July 2? I swear I saw you! I was driving by in a car though, so I couldn't say hi.

That is a lot of Markers. That is when you know you are serious about knitting when you have that many markers. I just have a bunch of bits of yarn.

Love the earrings. I can tell you and I are alike. When you start something it's balls to the wall or nothing! They look great!

Your earrings are impressive! I love that you just started and made 20 pairs--too funny.

One more thing...in boston...eat at the Barking Crab. Not touristy, right on the water, and the seafood is to die for!

If you are looking for a place to stay in Boston...Try the Liberty Hotel. Walking distance from everything and it used to be a jail...Creepy at first but absolutely gorgeous inside.
My husband and I just got back from a quick trip there. Have fun!

Wow, that is a lot of earrings ... but they look great. It is a good to do a bit of cross training on artistic and creative outlets, even though it doesn't mean you give up your main gig that you love the most. Just cross training--good for the brain, the hands, the eyes, and the spirit.

I know nothing about Maine, but hope you have a great trip.

Best wishes,
firefly

Wow, that is a lot of earrings ... but they look great. It is a good to do a bit of cross training on artistic and creative outlets, even though it doesn't mean you give up your main gig that you love the most. Just cross training--good for the brain, the hands, the eyes, and the spirit.

I know nothing about Maine, but hope you have a great trip.

Best wishes,
firefly

I just did a search for knitting blogs, due to the fact that I am a new knitter, and like to look to others for inspiration!
But there was one thing that I did notice when reading your most current post...
the His Dark Materials trilogy!
I love that book series myself, and I'm glad to see that so many others enjoy the series!
:D
(ok, done with my randomness now)

Ohmygosh! Look at all your earrings! They are teh awesomeness!

OMG Carrie! Look at all the earrings you made! Are you and Leigha doing an Etsy store? That would be so awesome. I wanna be a customer.

Glad to see you back on CESOB. We do miss you when you're away, but glad to see you're having fun.

email me about maine, i'm from there, i'll give you some good spots. (and the yarn stores.)

awww I want to stay in a beach side house with a jacuzzi! Sounds wonderful! lol about the elevator.. have you seen that film of the guy that was stuck in the elevator for 40 something hours? eeeee! The cardigan looks beautiful:)

Maine's my home turf! When are you coming? I can let you know if anything fun is happening on route.

For general fun, I'd recommend Portland for some nightlife (I love The White Heart on Congress Street for drinks, and Bubba's Sulky Lounge if you're around on Friday night (80's night!)). Definitely make a stop on Pleasant Street in Brunswick at Purl Diva! It's right off I-295, and a kickass shop. Right up the road from that is the best Mexican restaurant ever, El Camino, but they're only open for dinner. Bath is nice, but unless you're really into antiques, the only reason to stop is Halcyon. OH! And make sure you stop at Red's Eats in Wiscasset! You'll most certainly be held up in horrendous traffic on route 1 in Wiscasset anyway. Red's is at the end of main street, right before the bridge. You're also going to pass Moody's Diner in Waldoboro, which is fabulous. They have the best homemade donuts in the world. Camden is a super pretty town, and they (I think) still have live music outside some evenings. There's a great yarn store there name Unique One. You can also take a ferry from Rockland to Monhegan Island. There's not a whole lot on the island, but amazing views and nice trails. Vinalhaven is another island you can get to by ferry from Rockland. Again, not a lot on the island, but if you're looking to soak up the Maine outdoors, you can't do much better than an island.
I suppose I've gone on and on enough! If you're wondering about anything specific, send me an email! I LOVE my state! And I've traveled route one from York to Rockland too many times to count!

This is a real favorite of ours and the folks will treat you like family - while hilariously harrassing the crap out of you. The husband is funny. Also one of only two B&B's in the state with a liquor license. Feel free to send me a note if you want more info. http://www.havenbythesea.com/

The best thing about the LL Bean store is that it's open 24 hours so you can run wild through the place in the middle of the night :)

Just a reminder...my birthday is coming up...and you have all of those earrings.

PS The buck-fifty cardigan is awesome.

OMG - You watch Battlestar? It is FANTASTIC! Who do you think the final cylon is? Ooooh, loving this show.

Your earrings are purdy. Gosh we're similar - I hadn't made a stitch marker to save my life prior to the swap (which, sadly, my swap partners could probably tell) and that was addicitve! I won't let myself go into a bead shop right now because my 08 goal is to get through some of my yarn stash. But it's calling my name!

Dude, you now rock at so many levels! Craft queen is what you are.

Sounds like you've got a good summer planned...

That's a lot of earrings! That's awesome. We have BSG mid-season finale on our DVR and I can't wait to watch it!!

I am from Maine!!! Honestly, Portland is a great city (biased, I live here)-on the water with a great arts district, and the Old Port which has fabulous locally owned restaurants and shops- you'd want to check out Edith and Edna- a great crafty shop, and the Munjoy Hill area is an up an coming hip part of town with vintage stores, another great crafty shop called Ferdinand w/ t-shirts, jewelry, cards, etc, Angela Adams (purses, housewares, handcrafted rugs), and a fun little yarn shop called KnitWit. Since you have a new found interest in jewelry/stitch markers there is a huge store called Caravan Beads that caters to that- wonderful selection. There are also tons of places to stay. As you go up the coast I'd stop in Freeport (of course) where there is the LL Bean Flagship store, and also a ton of outlets (but so not strip-mally), then continue on Route 1 to historic Bath-visit Halcyon yarns, and I would suggest either Camden or Rockport- both are great costal towns. Admittedly things can get a bit touristy in the summer, but that is everywhere in Maine! have fun...

Adorable earrings!

I grew up in Portsmouth, NH - last stop in NH before you hit Maine, and I am a big fan of the gardens at Prescott Park and Strawberry Banke. Long Sands in York is my favorite beach. Have a great trip!

Aw, thanks for giving the no spoilers warning. As soon as I saw the words Battlestar I was on the alert.

I still want to make that sweater. And, your earrings are good.

HA, don't think I'm up for making recommendations, but I just moved to Boston! I walked the Freedom Trail last week!! Very cool, especially if you appreciate history and architecture, wear comfy shoes! Also, we drove around Cape Ann (mentioned above) last weekend and Wow, it's just beautiful!!
You really can't go wrong, I've enjoyed everything we've done so far.

Oh, His Dark Materials. SOBS TIMES A MILLION. These books were very important to me when I read them and still are. I'm totally excited that you've finished them, because that means now we can totally and obsessively talk about them all the time. That's my plan, anyway. How do you feel about that plan, huh? (Or as Tommy would say: "Sound good? You like it?")

Love the earrings, and congratulations on the class teaching!!

Hi Carrie;

There are so many great seaside places on your way up to Lincolnville. Ogunquit is really nice, as is Scarborough (check out the Black Point Inn -- http://www.blackpointinn.com/inn/ ). Portland is a wonderful city. Also, Brunswick and Bath are great towns, right near each other and both with lots of great places to eat and stay. Enjoy your time in ME. Camden is a bit crowded and touristy but Rockland is nice and has a fantastic art museum (the Farnsworth).

I was in Maine once too - a long time ago - like in 1989 - took the train from Memphis to Chicago to Boston and got picked up there, so I didn't do much driving either. Gotta' hit LL Bean - really cool place AND eat at the McDonald's in Freeport - I know sounds weird BUT it's in an old Victorian House and you wouldn't recognize it as a McDonald's till you go in - ALSO, the high school students there sometime in the late 1980's boycotted them to get them to get rid of the styrofoam hamburger containers and held out til they switched to paper AND we all benefited from it - okay a little useless trivia BUT I always thought that was cool!

Earrings are just too cute - you are just MS. CRAFTY.

oh! and make sure you eat a whoopie pie.

love the earrings. i used to make jewelry and i loved it, the beads, the tools. funny, how crafters can do it all.

now that you mention his dark materials, i think i need to read them again. it has been awhile. such good books.

have a great trip, been to maine once and loved it. can't think of anywhere we went because friends hosted us and we just rode along. but soo pretty.

LOVE the stitch markers.
I like Newburyport MA and York Beach maine.
Very relaxing!

Oh, go to Camden. I have family up there and it's gorgeous. Eat anywhere (moody's is good) and just enjoy a slower pace.

Boston: well, visit Winsor Button in downtown, walk the freedom trail, eat chowdah at legal seafood (down by the aquarium)--- and if you do nothing else between boston and maine-- go on a whale watch.

wow, lots of traveling! you lucky girl! i've never been to maine so i can't help you there :) but it looks like we both had some fun in the sun recently. don't you just love those ridiculously huge houses? i know someone that owns a house with an elevator. it cracks us up every time we see it.

Lucky girl! Teaching at my favorite yarn shop, and going to my home state (Maine)! I am very envious. If you are going to be in Southern Maine, you should go to Kittery for the outlet malls, and Old Orchard Beach for touristy fun. Make sure to get some Pier Fries in OOB. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. :)

stitch markers?
they look nice enough to be earrings!

Drive through Bridgton and come visit me... I would love to see you again!

Unfortunately I live no where near where you are going. The coast is beautiful. There is a yarn shop in Camden, Unique One. They are very nice and have some great stuff. Camden is uber touristy but you will love it, it is absolutely beautiful and so relaxing up there.

There is a diner on the way from Brunswick to Camden on Rt. 1, Moody's Diner I think. You MUST STOP AND GET SOME PIE if you go that way. Unbelievably good.

Have fun and enjoy. Hopefully you get to see Jess in Boston, she mentioned you were going to be visiting soon.

wow, lots of traveling, lucky you! good luck finding more yarn, and i love your earrings! i don't have any suggestions on where to stay in maine, but i have always wanted to visit acadia national park. have a fabulous time!

24 hr. LL Bean flagship store - Freeport, Maine!

that's true, there is a TV blog ready and waiting... :)

I've been lurking for months without ever commenting, but your impending trip to my home state has inspired me. I lived in Maine until I was 18 (and left for college) and now I live in Philadelphia and miss Maine every day. I make it up about twice a year now to visit my family, and my husband (who HAS been there in the winter) is actually entertaining the possibility of moving up there--yay!
Anyway, whoever suggested the Whale's Tooth Pub is really onto something. I also recommend that you visit Camden, which is just a very short drive (less than 20 min.) from Lincolville. It's a pretty little town with a gorgeous harbor and some cute shops. Have a Lobster roll at Bayview Lobster Restaurant http://www.bayviewlobster.com/. It's a classic old lobster shack on the docks with outdoor picnic tables and the best (and cheapest!) fresh lobster and other seafood around. And, if they'll be joining you, your schmoos would be welcome to hang out by your table while you eat. They also always have local beers on tap, which are delicious. Camden can be a little touristy though, and if you want something mellower, you can drive the opposite direction out of Lincolville and end up in Belfast. My dad grew up there. Back in the 60's and 70's it was sort-of Camden's poorer, ugly stepsister, but in the last several years the harbor's been cleaned up and it's become a really cool place.
You'll find the ocean definitely too cold for actual swimming, although on a hot day it can be refreshing to wade a little bit, but the lakes are perfect for swimming. There's a public beach at Megunticook lake (just outside Camden) that I used to go to a lot. I also recommend you hike up Mt. Battie (also just outside Camden). It's an easy hike and won't take more than an hour or so, and you'll be rewarded with a postcard-worthy view of the town.
If you have time to take a drive farther north, you will NOT regret visiting Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The park is beautiful and features lots of great hikes (both easy and difficult), and several nice beaches (some lake, some ocean).
Anyway, have fun, and I hope you love Maine as much as I do!

I'm not sure how far nova scotia is from maine but I think it's a fairy ride. Nova Scotia kicks ass if you like to hike or see beutiful things, the bay of fundy is the only place of it's kind in the world. It also has the highest tide in the world, srsly.

http://www.bayoffundytourism.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Fundy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiHP8EG_Wq4

I lurv NS.

RELAX and eat lots of seafood!

Well... if you want to shop, hit the outlets in Kittery, Maine... right over the NH border. There's the big LL Bean in Freeport...

Knitting shops? Try hitting Purl Diva in Brunswick (FUN shop!) and Halcyon in Bath. If you have time in between Boston and Maine, stop by A Knitter's Garden in Chester, NH - a very homey (literally - its in 2 rooms of her 219 year old house) and welcoming shop. There are some other great shops in NH too if you want some help on that...

Someone mentioned Gloucester, MA - that's my hometown! If you like touristy stuff and artsy stuff, definitely pop thru Gloucester & Rockport (the "other" Cape - Cape Ann).....

Don't miss the Portland Head Light house, Cape Elizabeth, it is so beautiful!

I love Maine! It's so beautiful and the coastline is to. die. for. But such a tease 'cuz it's way too cold to swim (says the girl who lives on the Gulf). BUT you will totally enjoy every part of it and think to yourself "Hey, maybe we should MOVE here" and then you remember that you are there in the, like, mere six week snow-free period and you quickly come to your senses.

Also crazy delicious yarn stores all over! I have no specific recs. We drove north from Boston, went to Kennebunk, which was cool, and then drove north into Canada (northern Maine=a good place to hide from the government) but I have no idea where it is in relation to where you are going to be.

I haven't been there in about ten years, but I really want to go back with le hubby.

Can't wait to read about it.

Hi Carrie,
If you go as far as Lincolnville you will be driving right by my house! I recommend eating at Chez Michel in downtown Lincolnville or The Whale's Tooth Pub (right across the street). The food is absolutely excellent at both places and the live music is superb. At Chez they make their pasta on site and the lobster is delish! You also need to visit Heavenly Socks Yarns in Belfast. It's a small shop but jam-packed with goodies. I also recommend staying at Juniper Hill Inn in Ogunquit on your way up. It's beautiful, clean & the people are really nice. Send me an email if you want more suggestions. I won't want to clog up your comments too much!
Renee

That is the cutest picture of you two!

I would totally suggest stopping in at Halcyon Yarns (http://www.halcyonyarn.com/howtogethere.html) in Bath Maine, it is a great warehouse full of yarn.

And to stay, definitely stop in Gloucester MA if you can. There are a string of bed and breakfasts right across from the ocean that are great.

Hahaha Maine! My hubby is from there...hit up Moosehead Lake if you get that far north....it's a real piece of heaven-- and I mean it. Hmm otherwise, you can do like the tourists (which isn't a bad thing always) and go to the shore and LLBean of course!

And please, go fly fishing up there! Have a great time

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the earrings with the green leaves. The ones at the end of the 3rd row? Ooh, and also the ones at the end of row 2.

Dude, I think you're onto something there.

Uhmmm...let me know if you're willing to sell those ;)