Welcome to the new blog section for Squeedar. Among the Valleys will feature the local adventures and exploration around Los Angeles. For a geek with a wide net of interest, there is just so many side quests to accept in Los Angeles and beyond.

Of all the adventures that can be enjoyed in Los Angeles, one of the best ones to explore the city is to partake in the annual Los Angeles Yarn Crawl. This event is organized by the smattering of yarn stores in Los Angeles. Within a few days, the stores invite crawlers to hoof it over freeways to enjoy exclusive pattern, trunk shows, and general fiber festivals.

The Yarn Crawl comes with a special quest. Crawlers would bring a printable passport (or copies can be picked up at stores) to each store to earn a stamp. Obtaining all of the stamps qualified crawlers for the grand prize (which changes every year). Its not a requirement to complete it but it’s definitely fun to try!

Given how wide LA, it takes a significant amount of effort and gas budget to participate. The most ambitious of crawlers will visit every single location for a chance at that grand prize. For most people. it’s the grouping that’s most feasible due to traffic conditions and budget.

Tips for a great crawl:

Budget for traffic patterns and gas
Check the weather! Wear comfortable clothes
Bring facial wipes - refreshing after walking around the heat
Place the passport in a folder or sheet protector - protect all of those hard-earned stamps from spills and tears
Phone charger - many stores were utilizing QR codes to download the exclusive patterns
Follow each the stores on their instagram for previews and what to expect to budget for before heading over

East-side Stops: BUKU Yarns, Phebie’s NeedleArt, and BOPOMOFO Cafe

The East-side stores were the ones closest to the 134 E freeway. This route passes through Pasadena and ends around La Verne. Traffic in this area is dependent on how mnay people are intent on heading to Vegas.

These stores felt the most distant from LA County and there are very few attractions and fun places to visit. So any place that is interesting stands out completely! These were the highlights.

BUKU Yarn (https://www.buku-yarns.com/)

BUKU yarns is the most charming and delightful store in La Verne. The store features many goodies from local creators specifically Asian American vendors. The most coveted item from this store were the handmade project bags from Dim Sum Knits (IG @dimsumknits) .

The problem with the store is what to buy! One may keep circling the store again and again….and again and again.

Each of the stores will prominently display the featured yarn and finished product of their exclusive pattern such as this from BUKU yarn

Phebie’s NeedleArt (https://www.phebie.com/)

Phebie’s Needle Art is an all-in one convenient stop for crawlers. The store is situated on the second floor of the trendy Claremont Packing House. This landmark of a venue caters tor those into the arts and dining. After perusing the sweet collection at Phebie’s, crawlers can grab some lunch at the various eateries, play some arcade games at Lost Levels, or wander among the used book store. Cool off before heading back onto the road with 21 Choices yogurt. You can hang out as long as you please as there is a nifty parking structure next door.

Phebie’s NeedleArt has mainly yarn but also caters to the embroidery crowd. The space is open to peer at all of the unique yarns nestled among the shelves. There is also plenty of art decadent accessories to catch the eye.

If you’re looking for Phebie’s look for the yarn staircase leading to fiber haven!

BOPOMOFO Cafe (https://www.bopomofocafe.com/)

At this point, it’s been many hours of driving and navigating through several venues. Even if one has already consumed some delicious food from Claremont Packing House, it’s always time for a nice boba treat!

These interviews are great to watch while knitting or crocheting. Plus you may be inspired by a unique boba combination that they created for their celebrity guests!

Any stops by the San Gabriel valley, it is always recommended to stop by this amazing boba cafe. The cafe focuses on providing milk tea that is friendly to the lactose-intolerant community but not compromising on stellar ingredients. The cafe is co-owned by Philip Wang, member of the Wong Fu productions. Wong Fu productions have produced many cinematic works that have helped launched the careers of many Asian American actors.

Another great plus to visiting BOPOMOFO Cafe is knowing how many celebrities have sat by that counter and drank custom made drinks. The cafe is the main filming location for Netflix’s Still Watching series Spill the Boba with Phillp Wang as host.

South bay stops: The Knitting Tree, Sip & Sonder

To navigate down to the stores on the south side of Los Angeles, crawlers would have to brave their luck with the 405. The 405 is one of the most iconic freeways of Los Angeles as being consistently congested. The probability of being in an accident is high due to the sheer numbers of drivers. Always be alert!

405 Freeway doesn’t matter. The Everything Bagel does matter.

The Knitting Tree LA (https://theknittingtreela.com/)

This year, only one South bay store was attempted and that was the Knitting Tree LA. Mainly because the store decided to theme their interior in honor of multiple award winning film, Everything,Everywhere All At Once! As a fan of this phenomenal movie, it was worth the risk of the 405 to visit. And Knitting Tree LA did not disappoint. A giant everything bagel greet crawlers with tons of googly eyes to search for among the drool-worthy yarns.

Knitting Tree LA is known for great humor and fun. Last year, they featured their crawl exclusive of an emotional support chicken. The kit came with stuffing, yarn, and pattern in a convenient fried chicken bucket (see? humor!). After squealing and worshiping the everything bagel, I made a beeline for the remaining buckets of chicken.

While perusing the store clutching my bucket of future emotional support chicken, a table featuring yarn caught the eye. Often the stores will host guest vendors during the crawl. These guests are usually smaller, indie yarn dyers or out of town businesses. It’s a wonderful way to meet the people that help bring the colors to the yarn in your hands. On this day, it was a neat row of bright yarn around a cute beret. I was able to speak to the Catie Robbins, the indie dyer behind Fiction Fiber. I was even tickled to learn that her yarn color is inspired by the famous (and my personal favorite) girl detective, Nancy Drew.

The colorway from Fiction Fibers all inspired by a particularly famous girl detective.

Sip & Sonder (https://www.sipandsonder.com/)

This cafe located in the downtown historic Inglewood was a must stop during the South Bay visit. Stepping into this coffee shop feels like being enveloped in a dark and soothing cocoon of calm music and coffee smells. It was the ideal stop before heading to the Knitting Tree LA to enjoy some morning time with a delicious iced mocha latte and croissant.

The bonus to visiting the cafe on this day was the pop-up plant sale from Hella Plants. So a little Maranta Lemon-Lime came home and will always have a wonderful memory of the LA Crawl attached to it.

DTLA Stop: Gather DTLA

DTLA (acronym for Downtown Los Angeles) can be a treacherous and frustrating area of Los Angeles to traverse through. There is just so many drivers trying to cross over lanes to other freeways and it' just comes off as a tangled mess.

Visiting Gather DTLA is like finding a hidden treasure spot among the tangled brambles of urban chaos. It also has the added bonus of being nestled within the The Last Bookstore. It’s a great way to take photos of your fiber goodies among the book maze installation art.