happy love co

Category: Blog

  • camping on the north shore of minnesota

    camping on the north shore of minnesota

    where we stayed

    split rock lighthouse state park

    gooseberry falls state park

    coffee shops

    dream cloud coffee in two harbors

    cedar coffee company in two harbors

    timber coffee company in silver bay

    beaches/falls

    split rock lighthouse state park

    black beach

    gooseberry falls middle and lower

    food

    Betty’s pies

    Judy’s Cafe

    super 1 foods in two harbors for roasting hot dogs

    I’m fairly confident in saying that being out in nature is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Sitting around a campfire at night in the woods, gazing up at the multitudes of stars in a black sky. Even the mosquitoes buzzing add to the ambience. You feel at peace and the troubles of life and the world seem so small. Tent camping with five kids (my oldest was away at camp) isn’t an easy feat by far, but hiking through the woods, skipping rocks on Lake Superior, splashing on the shore, marveling at the tumbling of the falls, cooking hot dogs over the campfire in the evening, it’s all worth it.

    Split rock lighthouse state park has the most underrated, beautiful beach. We spent most of our three day trip there. It’s just a little hike on a trail through the woods, perfect walk for kids. The shore is filled with smooth rocks, the water clean and sparkling, no rough waters in the cove. You have a gorgeous view of the lighthouse up on the cliff and Ellingson island. And no people. Well, some people, but so few that it hardly counts. Black beach on the other hand was incredibly crowded and with the sand being black, it was hot. We only stayed there for about twenty minutes before going back to split rock.

    Gooseberry falls was the same situation. Very crowded. I don’t do well with crowds when I have my kids along. They’re running and excitedly trying to get ahead and see everything and my eyes are going wild trying to keep them in sight. But again, worth it. The falls were incredible. There were kids and people swimming in the pools beneath, which would be an amazing experience. I’d love to go back sometime, but midweek when you have guaranteed less crowds.

    All the coffee shops we ventured to had fabulous coffee. But I have to give a higher compliment to Dream Cloud coffee, just a few miles outside of two harbors. Their shop is adorable. I walked in there and wanted to pack up my home, sell it, and move in. It had a piano in the back room by the tables, walls lined with books, the aroma of espresso and baked wonders. Which literally were wonders. I got my usual iced mocha, half sweet, extra shot, and a strawberry hand pie. My first mission upon arriving home is figuring out how to recreate that hand pie. It. Was. So. Good.

    If you haven’t been to the north shore, you need to add it to your list. I promise you’ll love it. Bring along a knitting project! I suggest booking a cart in campsite at Split Rock Light House state park, but unless you’re quite flexible and can take cancellations, it’s best to reserve weeks in advance.

    If you haven’t subscribed to Happy Love Co, follow along to receive updates on new pattern releases!

    ❤️ Bethany

  • Yarn Shop : Moonspun Wool | Marquette, Michigan

    Yarn Shop : Moonspun Wool | Marquette, Michigan

    Recently, I had to take a short little trip up to Marquette, Michigan for a youth camp that a few of my kids were attending. With only three kids to tend to (the other three were at camp!) I wanted to take the opportunity to walk down the historic shopping district of Marquette for coffee and browsing the cute shops. Last year I did Pictured Rocks and all the outdoorsy stuff!

    After getting my coffee and a glazed croissant (to die for) from 231 West Patisserie, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of yarn through a window. Behold, Moonspun Wool. I had to go in.

    Honestly, I could have roamed around in this shop all day long. Everything about Moonspun Wool is perfection. The decor, the vibe, the organization. It was yarn heaven. If you’re any form of fiber artist, you know how wonderful it is to even just look at yarn. There’s something about it that exudes a sense of creativity and makes the heart happy. I love seeing the colors and imagining what they could be.

    I had one of my girls in there with me (the 6 year old!) so I didn’t quite have the freedom to slowly browse as I would have liked to. But I did spot a couple skeins of yarn that needed to come home with me, and they did. I also managed to get some wooden seaming pins, which are going to make my seaming so much easier. Too bad they can’t actually seam for me. But I am excited to use them!

    Moonspun Wool also has a back area with tables and chairs for hanging out and enjoying time with other fiber artists. Something I wish I had back at home! I’d be there everyday. Grab a coffee and head to the yarn store for a couple hours? Yes, please.

    See that stack of yarn to the left of the books? Why didn’t I buy some of that? Because I didn’t even see it until I was looking at this photo! 😭 Oh and funny thing, I’d shared this photo on my Instagram stories and someone sent me a message regarding that book on display. Another thing I didn’t see, but wish I had! I’ve been wanting to start implementing some embroidery on my knit designs.

    Every yarn I came across bearing the Moonspun Wool tag was pure gorgeousness. The colors vibrant and the textures literally moonspun. From what I could see, many of the yarns in the shop are made and dyed up in the UP! I love love looove supporting other makers!

    I mean, Marquette is officially the ultimate travel destination. If you haven’t been, do add it to your travel list! It’s an incredibly family friendly area, so bring the kids as well! You can check out Pictured Rocks, the Sand Dunes, the many waterfalls, beaches, lighthouses, amazing coffee shops, and of course, Moonspun Wool.

  • We Are Knitters “The Cotton” vs. Wool and the Gang “Shiny Happy Cotton”

    We Are Knitters “The Cotton” vs. Wool and the Gang “Shiny Happy Cotton”

    Summer time brings out all the cotton yarns, smaller needles, and lightweight knitting patterns. I don’t think many of us fancy sitting around with chunkier needles and thick warm fluffy wool (why do I look forward to that already though, love the big yarn so much and also that reminds me of pancakes) if we are knitting anywhere outdoors. Or even indoors if you don’t have the ac running. The cost of our utilities is really getting to me, so I only turn ours on when it’s absolutely necessary.

    So where I live, there aren’t any yarn stores. We have Wal Mart. That’s it. And our next nearest town that’s larger than ours is two hours away, so it was a bit of a problem when I was just starting out. I had to wait when I was so excited!

    Ever since I started knitting, I’ve ordered my yarn from the two companies I first heard of upon googling yarn. Wool and the Gang and We Are Knitters (with a couple other brands here and there). Very similar yarns. I started out with their thick Peruvian wools, which are 100% comparable. People often ask and I always tell them, you can use them interchangeably in my patterns that call for either one brand (also in case you’re wondering, lots of people use Lion Brand thick n quick to replace the wool).

    With the cotton, it’s a little trickier. You can use them interchangeably. I’ll even use both brands in one project. However, there are a few differences, starting with their structure.

    Wool and the Gangs Shiny Happy Cotton Features

    1. Aran/worsted weight yarn

    2. 100 gram skein measuring 155 yards

    3. Suggested needles size 4-11 US

    4. Costs $13.00 per individual skein

    Wool and the Gang Shiny Happy Cotton check it out here.

    Colors shown are hot pink and black, 101 spots, and white. Pattern shown is Leslie striped pullover

    We Are Knitters “The Cotton” features

    1. DK weight yarn

    2. 100 gram skein measuring 232 yards

    3. Suggested needle size 8 US

    4. Costs $12.90 per individual skein

    WAK cotton check it out here.

    Yarn colors shown are yarnicorn and hand painted sprinkle. Pattern of tank shown is Lorraine Tie back tank

    While both brands are 100% cotton, there is a difference in the way these two yarns work up.

    Shiny happy cotton is a thicker, heavier, yarn. Your finished piece knit with this yarn will yield an amazingly gorgeous drape. It’s even heavier than the “anxiety” hoodies that are all the rage. 100%, a sweater knit with shiny happy cotton can be an anti anxiety sweater. First, because of your skills that you should be so proud of, and second, because of the heavy yarn.

    “The Cotton” is a smaller and more lightweight yarn. I use this often for my summer knit projects, because it’s so light. It knits up quick and you won’t be having much body pain or needing as many breaks, even when you’ve got a full panel on your needles! Idk about you guys, but my lower back gets so sore if I knit every day in a row for awhile. It’s a struggle. If you knit a cardigan or pullover with this, it’s still going to be lightweight! It is absolutely perfect for anything summer.

    The pros and cons to both cottons are similar. They’ve got a wide array of beautiful colors to choose from, which is seriously a difficult task.

    They are both fun to work with and I love the way the finished pieces look. If I’m going for a heavier feel, I go with WATG. Lighter, I go with WAK.

    If you’ve ever knit with the big yarns and big needles, these cotton projects seem to take forever! It’s hardly a con of the yarn, just a con of life. Haha.

    The yarns tend to split if you’re not careful. This happens a lot when I’m doing knitting through the back loops for increases or decreases. The needle with her stuck on a single ply of yarn and it just almost shreds apart. So you do need to knit carefully to avoid that!

    Overall, these two yarns are both great and I absolutely love knitting with them! Let me know your thoughts or tips/tricks you’ve learned!